Winter Begins

Welcome back to Brevig Mission, where the mountains are now snow covered, it has consistently been dropping to negative degrees for a few weeks, and I've managed to miss seeing the northern lights multiple times now:

It can be a beautiful place.  Recently I've had time to think about my personal journey over the past few years; Where I thought I wanted to be and where I actually am now.  If you're one of the people in my life who know the messy details, you know it's been a wild ride.  And if you're not, ask me about all of it sometime- you're in for a good long story. ;)

Without realizing it at the time, I was in a place emotionally struggling to just survive.  I knew it was hard at the time, but what made me realize how hard and unhealthy it actually was is the contrast of now finally being in a place emotionally alive and happy.  Because of what I have come through, I am beyond thankful for the contentment and smiles I've found in this new wonderful place.

All you need is time and a healthy situation to finally realize the important things you've learned through the struggles and tough emotions that brought you there. 

That being said, let me share with you the reason for my overly dramatic and poetic emotional anecdote:

Coaching volleyball this year has been a first-time experience, and with it many challenges.  But also many amazing opportunities and moments shared with a pretty great group of young adults.  Traveling in bush planes to new villages and watching them build each other up as a team to work and fight together has been an experience I wouldn't have wanted to miss.  My seniors will be greatly missed next year by all of us, they quickly became the glue that held our team together from the very start.  Although it won't be the same without them, I can't wait to work with the returning high schoolers again next season!  GO HUSKIES!

  

 

Our season ended at Regionals last weekend.  What an experience that was.  Our plane came a full day early, in the middle of the school day, when no one was packed or ready to go.  Let me tell you how much fun it is to track down 8 high schoolers, get parent permission slips signed, and get them all packed and on a plane in only 30 minutes.  Well, it's not so much, believe it or not.  We made it though, barely.  Our extended weekend stay in Koyuk included many things:  Four days of sleeping on the floor of the Koyuk school library, while single-handedly chaperoning 18 high school girls.  Keeping mushy-gushy twitterpated high school couples acting appropriately and feeling as awkward as humanly possible about their affections towards each other (a new super human power I now possess).  Surviving on nothing but unidentifiable school cafeteria food,  and chips and pop from the native store.  Doing my best to take care of a player with the stomach flu the whole time (crappy timing on that one, huh?).  Getting a solid 4 hours of sleep at night.  Showing the players how it's done in the coaches vs. high schoolers game and skills drills.  Showering sparingly in locker room showers.  Organizing high school tricycle relay races...  

And having an absolute BLAST hanging out with about 70 high schoolers from 11 of the schools in the district.  Oh, and I guess coaching my fabulous team through 4 volleyball games too...  (Thanks to all who watched the broadcasting on the website- you are amazing and I love you all!).  By the time our plane landed us back in Brevig Sunday evening, I was beyond exhausted.  But it was so worth it all, and I can't wait until next year!

(Speaking of high school mushy relationships- to all my high school teachers/chaperones/coaches, and my parents... I'm sorry for my own high school behavior.  Yuck!  But what is high school without awkward and embarrassing situations to remember?)

Our dysfunctional family photo from Regionals:

At any rate, these young adults have made my first months in Brevig extremely meaningful, and for that I am awfully blessed.