East Coast Side
I'm back in the lower 48 for the holidays! What an opposite culture shock coming back has been. After spending almost 40 hours on various sized planes making my way back to the east coast, I have been taking full advantage of things like grocery stores, restaurants, my little space-ship car (Prius!), and more than just 3 hours of sunlight! These normal every day things have really, believe it or not, helped me refresh and relax. It only took about a full week and a half to re-adjust to the time change and amount of light!
After a full day of visiting with family, meeting a friend for lunch, going to a performance, and driving hours, I mentioned to my mom that, "Eskimo's just don't do this many things in one day!" I was, of course, meaning to be a little silly and make excuses for feeling overly tired. But, I realized it's a valid statement; I haven't done much besides go to school, ball practice, occasional outdoor adventures, and visit with friends and neighbors for the past 5 months! And it's been great! A slower pace of life has led me to an appreciation of small things. Yep, it does sound pretty cliche, but hear me out. Small things like a pause in conversation with a close friend. Sitting with a mug of tea and watching the horses play in new snow. Holding your beautiful 2-month old cousin while he naps in your arms for hours. Meandering Christmas Eve conversations with your dad near the tree. A good glass of wine. These are things that I treasure during this break. Also things that I've learned to treasure from life in a small village; constant trivial conversation isn't necessary, entertainment isn't actually an essential part of life, and JUST BEING is what matters.
Before the vacation, the 1st and 2nd graders had been enjoying their shared P.E. time with some basketball scrimmages:
Our Christmas season in Brevig went by in a swirl of fun activities! On the last day of school, the afternoon was spent in the gym doing some Eskimo dancing together before the holidays. Although I missed it because my flight left in the morning, I saw videos and was proud of my 2nd graders for giving it a good shot! They also had a blast preparing their song, "Let's Build A Gingerbread House" for the Christmas program at school.
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| Behind the village in the "mountains" |
After a full day of visiting with family, meeting a friend for lunch, going to a performance, and driving hours, I mentioned to my mom that, "Eskimo's just don't do this many things in one day!" I was, of course, meaning to be a little silly and make excuses for feeling overly tired. But, I realized it's a valid statement; I haven't done much besides go to school, ball practice, occasional outdoor adventures, and visit with friends and neighbors for the past 5 months! And it's been great! A slower pace of life has led me to an appreciation of small things. Yep, it does sound pretty cliche, but hear me out. Small things like a pause in conversation with a close friend. Sitting with a mug of tea and watching the horses play in new snow. Holding your beautiful 2-month old cousin while he naps in your arms for hours. Meandering Christmas Eve conversations with your dad near the tree. A good glass of wine. These are things that I treasure during this break. Also things that I've learned to treasure from life in a small village; constant trivial conversation isn't necessary, entertainment isn't actually an essential part of life, and JUST BEING is what matters.
Before the vacation, the 1st and 2nd graders had been enjoying their shared P.E. time with some basketball scrimmages:
How she made that shot, I don't know, but I hope I'm around to coach her when she's old enough to be on the Brevig ladies basketball team!
Our Christmas season in Brevig went by in a swirl of fun activities! On the last day of school, the afternoon was spent in the gym doing some Eskimo dancing together before the holidays. Although I missed it because my flight left in the morning, I saw videos and was proud of my 2nd graders for giving it a good shot! They also had a blast preparing their song, "Let's Build A Gingerbread House" for the Christmas program at school.
Although having some time with family for a few weeks has been nice, I'm eager to get back and see everyone again- I am missing all my beautiful Eskimos!
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