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