"these are a few things that I'd like to know"

Hi Lower 48,

It's Saturday night - I know whoooo! get crazy - and I have been sick since Tuesday night. I called in sick Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and I would lying if I said I didn't miss my kids. I haven't been to school since Tuesday and it's almost like I don't know what to do with myself. I've had some kind of 'whooping cough.' Not really, but I cough and cough and cough. On Wednesday I laid on the couch in a daze, only to return to the couch Thursday and Friday. I slept each night from around 10pm - 10am and would take naps periodically throughout the day. I was a mess. I wasn't sick enough to lay in bed and complain of dying all day, but I was too weak to physically do most things. On Thursday a trip to the post office almost proved too challenging. I was getting frustrated and I was getting stir crazy. Fortunately today I'm feeling much better with the occasional cough and feel that by tomorrow I will ready to tackle the eight hours I'm going to have to put into making my room and lessons ready for the week.

Being sick is always a funny thing. People tip toe around you, scared to even talk to you for fear of them catching what you have. My roommate proved awesome though and didn't seem to mind that I could always be found in the same spot 15 hours a day. We talked and laughed as much as possible before she would disappear on the phone for the remainder of the night. Let's face it, when you're life exists on a couch, it simply is not that interesting.

The most surprising thing happened on Thursday night. I was reminded just exactly what friendship is. I have a friend from the WEL program that just might be the most entertaining person I know. Before entertaining though, he's also one of the best friends I have ever known and had/have. He's sent me music to keep me updated and I take so much pride in knowing that he's just an email away. We email often and he has that knack for knowing when I need to read something funny or encouraging or something that simply says May will be here before you know it, so hang in there. I emailed on Thursday letting him know that I hadn't left the couch in a day and before you know it that night we are 'email chatting' (emailing back and forth). I had no voice and looked like death, so my desire to chat out loud was nonexistent. But I laughed. So much. For the first time in what felt like ages. And the next thing you know short video clips were coming from him one after the other. And I laughed some more. And I realized this is what friendship is. It was Thursday night and he was on his winter break from school. It was Thursday night and he was entertaining a sick girl in the tundra 1000s of miles away. It was Thursday night and he was being the friend that I needed at that moment, just like always.

Karen called the next day after reading I was home sick to announce that she was home sick too. Here we are, two sickies catching up on life during the workday. It was perfect.

Looking back I was reminded that while sick and hanging out on the couch my life didn't stop while I was out of it, but it helped remind me what fabulous people I have surrounded myself with. I think of this often out here, and once it crossed my mind: I have such wonderful friends and family, why am I so quick to drop reality and do things that keep me so far away from everyone I care about? But maybe that's why I'm so okay with doing these things, chasing my dreams, living my dreams. I know that I have such wonderful, incredible, inspiring friends that I am comforted knowing no matter where I am, they will always be there for me, waiting, with open arms and great hugs for when I come stumbling back into their so-called-life. I think it's the only way I know that I can take on such great adventures, such huge challenges like this and make it through it.

Ten more weeks until I'm stumbling my way back into each of your lives,

Cristina

We fingerpainted the characters for a play we performed for all the elementary classes in school. Total chaos in the room = one stressful teacher and students having so much fun....

Chad jumped in the trashcan and I just couldn't resist. It was such a fabulous moment :)

Caribou Soup Anyone?

Hi Lower 48,

I looked around my classroom and every student had their workbook out staring back at me. They were holding their pencils and waiting on my instruction. They wanted to know what was next. They wanted to learn.

Last Tuesday was the definition of chaos in my room. Children everywhere, things all over the place, adults in and out (random adults have a huge effect on the balance in a classroom, and we had visitors from the state and district making their presence known). It was nuts. On Wednesday I had had enough and instituted this new discipline and rewards system... and oddly enough... it worked. It's still working. And it's making my life so much easier.

Tonight I came home with enough energy to make caribou soup. What an adventure! It's so delicious though.... I had to cut up tons and tons of meat.... and I rarely even eat meat! You cut it up into bite size pieces and boil it with a few bouillion cubes in water a little above the halfway mark in your huge pot. After about 20 minutes you throw some rice in there. Jenny cut up the vegetables and potatoes, but was later told you can't cut them up bite sized, so we ended up cutting them up again. After awhile, you throw in the large chunks of potato and large chunks of carrot... once they are getting soft you throw in some onion and celery. Toss in an onion mushroom lipton soup mix, canned tomatoes and a can of corn and voila! caribou soup is all yours.

We have enough to feed an army, so all are invited. Since I doubt any of you can take me up on this offer, Jenny and I will just lunch on it every day this week. There's tons of it, and very few things are better then some caribou soup with a little bit of hot sauce mixed in.... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it, so on that note, I should be off to dream!

Oh yeah - the best part about making caribou soup - when you throw the meat in the water before you boil it, it's smart to pick out all of the hair that floats to the top so you're not eating it later. That's how you know your meat is good and fresh!

Here's to the best caribou soup ever (and visitors!),

Cristina

Waiting for My Real Life to Begin

Hi Lower 48,

I'm still recovering from pyro kid and mentally preparing for her return tomorrow after her one day suspension, but alas, life out here will continue and the kids will show up at 9am tomorrow no matter how I feel. I know I'm a good teacher and I know I'll pour my heart into making them the best students they can be.


I often find myself asking this simple question:  Where on earth am I teaching? There is a girl in my class who had a lighter in school and started fires in the back of the classroom. my classroom. and she got a one day suspension. One full day. It scares me that something like this could happen. I would have never thought that as a third grade teacher I needed to worry about fires being started in the back of the classroom...

We had a tournament here this weekend and both our boys and girls teams won it. It was madness. It was super exciting - basketball is life here - and the partying last night was out of control. Snow-go's drove by at all hours last night and people called until 4am. It was not the best night of sleep ever, but I know people were celebrating. The difference is how they celebrate.... drinking until they are knock down, dragged out wasted and can't stand. Whiskey sells for $200 a bottle out here and if you're caught with it you go to jail... so they drink it as fast as they can and get absolutely wasted. I also found out that if the locals find out I have yeast in my apartment (for my breadmaker) they'll break in because it's worth about $150 a package out here - it's the essential ingredient in home brew and they aren't allowed to sell it in our stores... so that was comforting as well. I still think I'm more nervous about pyro child than locals breaking into our apartment for the yeast.

My life out here is challenging and I'm counting down the weeks until school's out, but I'm trying hard to remember to appreciate everyday out here. Last night it started snowing... and it's been way to cold to snow out here recently - and it might have been the prettiest sight ever. It made me remember just how much I love seeing the snowflakes fall gently from the sky. I had a smile on my face the entire four minute walk home.... even though it was still -15. I woke up this morning after a night of restless sleep and the phone constantly ringing in the wee hours because of drunk eskimos calling to invite us to celebrate the victories and realized that I'm no longer waiting for my real life to begin. And that was a good feeling. It's here and I'm living it right now.... even if it is the arctic, -15 and not exactly what I had in mind.

I'll leave you with the lyrics from the song that defined part of my life for so many years...


And you say,"Be still, my love
Open up your heart
Let the light shine in"
Don't you understand?
I already have a plan
I'm waiting for my real life to begin

Here's to all of us living our plan - whatever it is and where ever it takes us,

Cristina