"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." ~ Greg Anderson

So this will most likely be my last post from Kwethluk. Garrett, Raisin and I are flying out on Saturday morning and will get to Anchorage that afternoon. I can't believe how quickly the year has gone. But I am very excited for a restful summer in the Midwest! :)

It was quite an eventful last weekend in Kwethluk. Graduation was on Friday. We had just one graduate this year, but what a special one she was. I was very honored when she asked if I would speak at her graduation along with the high school social studies teacher(who is basically my idol!) It was a very emotional ceremony like many graduations are. Sadness that one stage of life is over, and excitement for the unknown ahead. Below, is a picture of the social studies teacher, the graduate, and myself after graduation.

For those of you interested in my speech, I based part of my message on what this man had to say. It's definitely worth the watch. Josh Shipp - To the Class of 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8jWUSaz4m4

The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning, cleaning and cleaning some more. This was the first year in quite a long time that the principal of our school decided to do housing inspections for cleanliness. So my roommate and I spent the afternoons on Saturday and Sunday preparing for that. Also, to help keep the house clean after all that work we put in, Raisin got not one, but two baths!! :) I originally intended for him to have one bath, but the mud outside was just too exciting for Raisin to avoid. On the bright side, the bathroom, kitchen floor, front of the refrigerator and my bedding also received a second cleaning. The best news is that Raisin is finally warming up to my blow dryer! To the right you can see the motivation I used to get myself in the right state of mind to clean this weekend. It is crescent roll crust filled with an amaretto vanilla cream cheese filling. Super delicious! It kind of tastes like a cream cheese danish. Below, you will see Raisin receiving the superstar treatment after his bath.

After such a thrilling weekend, we are headed into the last three days of school. My math classes are taking finals and the health class is watching a movie about abusive relationships. Today was our last Monday of the year and man does it feel great to be done with that! It was a rather dreary, but warm day. The warmth is finally beginning to melt the ice and you can see that the large ice chunks are floating down the river on the sides. This week feels much more like spring than the last couple. Everyone at the school is anxiously awaiting 4pm on Wednesday, including me. I am more excited for the trip to Anchorage on Saturday and seeing my college friend for a few days while we take in the sights and sounds of the largest city in Alaska. I am most excited though to be heading back to the Midwest for the summer and finally seeing the family and friends that I've only been able to text, email, call, and Skype with since January. With that, I'll sign off from Kwethluk. I hope you all have a wonderful week and hope to catch up with you all soon.

"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." ~ Andre Gide

Hello again old friends.
I must apologize once again. I couldn't believe it had been almost 3 months since I've posted. After many attempts of persuasion by my mother I am finally posting again. :) So make sure to thank her if you see her! 
I must also tell you the reasons why I didn't feel the need to post for so long. My dad and I were discussing the blog a couple of weeks ago, I believe while we were Skyping and watching an NCAA game. I told him that I didn't feel like I had anything new and exciting in life to post. Sure, sure I talk to my parents at least once every couple of weeks and I tell them at least one new thing that has happened. But after living up here for over half a year, I'm finding my life is very routine. Albeit, not routine compared to living in South Dakota, but the things that I used to think were new and exciting have become exciting and everyday for me.

Here's a bit of my routine:
Monday through Friday I am at school from 8:00am to 5:00pm. I usually take a snowmachine to work, whether that is my own or a ride from my roommate. The great thing now is that the sun is coming up before 8 so I get to watch the sun rise on the way to work.

I still love teaching every day although it is frustrating when students don't complete homework or are tardy for school. We just completed SBA testing(standardized state testing) three weeks ago. There are only 3 full weeks of school left! It is pretty incredible to think how quickly my year has gone by!

My spring semester has been filled with basketball tournaments and snowmachine trips. Yes, I did get back on the court to play in women's basketball tournaments. I played in a town that is about a half an hour snowmachine trip away called Akiachak. Basketball is definitely a lifeline during the long winter months and I had a great time making friends with women I played with.

The river is beginning to melt, but it is still safe to travel by river. Along with the melting snow comes a new hunting season. Ptarmigans, which I was told were similar to pheasants, are being hunted. Garrett took me out hunting and I caught 2! They are similar to pheasants in how lazy they are to fly, but they really don't look a whole lot like pheasants. 

Raisin is still doing well and I think he's grown even this last month. He has a few girlfriends he likes to run around with outside. It will be interesting to see how he deals with hot SD summers.

As the year is coming to a close I'm finding myself getting more excited to head south for the summer! Today's count is 15 days left of school. The last part of the year is quickly flying by and graduation is on May 17th. I was incredibly honored when our one (yes one) graduating senior asked me to be one of the speakers for her graduation ceremony. So I'm busy brainstorming for that as we wind down the year.  I will try to update again before the end of the year, but if I don't I hope that I will catch up with many of you while I'm home for the summer! Enjoy as the spring moves your way!