Took Ginger shopping at PetCo today; she looks like a pink armadillo! She is going to be ready for Alaska.

I am done shopping and everything I will need (food and supplies) wise has been ordered and in transit somewhere in the USA at this moment. I did most of my food and household supplies shopping online through Wal-Mart and Target; Wal-Mart groceries are much cheaper (about half) than Amazon. When I arrive on July 19th, I will have about 2 1/2 months supplies of food - minus the meat. I will order that through a company in Anchorage and it will be delivered the week I arrive.

My Kindle is pretty loaded with about 20 good books, so I will be ready for some serious reading while being deprived of Internet and TV for awhile. I will eventually get get those items, but they are not my financial priority at this time.

If anyone, out of the complete kindness of their heart, would like to donate to my classroom needs (even a dollar helps!), CLICK HERE.

Now to go through all my clothes and other items I will bring as my 2 free check-in baggage and do some serious prioritizing. I am also planning on having a yard sale the middle of June to get rid of items that I will not bring and put a few extra dollars in my pocket!

Adios.

I am going to be volunteering at the library on Wednesday nights from 4:30-7:30 if any of you want to stop by and check out a book! :)

Here is a little excerpt from my vice principal that tells about the library: "The Togiak Public Library is in the village and is run by volunteers. It is open Mondays-Fridays, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Most teachers who work the library enjoy seeing a different side of our village, including parents. It has a pretty fast internet, so you can also work on grades and lesson plans."

Here is a photo sent to me from my VP (Vice Principal)

What have I done lately to prepare for my upcoming trip in 50 days? Well... Ummmm... I should probably start working more on that. It seems I took a break for about a week and just focused on things that weren't important - like, Facebook games, and... Facebook games. But, I am going to get productive and get some boxes to the post office this week to ship to myself. It can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks for a package to arrive. I'm thinking when winter comes, the bush plan will not be running regularly due to weather so I need to make sure I have plenty of food and supplies for several months.

Until next time....

Busy busy busy! I wanted to make a list of things I've purchased for this adventure - things other than the usual food/household/personal supplies.

Bear Spray

Head Lamp (and 20 batteries)

Deep Woods Off (I had to buy this at Walmart and ship it myself)

Goggles (for over glasses, the wind is wicked I hear)

Net Jacket with zippered net hood (No-See-Um to protect my arms and head/face from mosquitoes)

Chapstick (my poor lips will need protection from the wind)

I'm sure I will think of more as time gets closer.. feel free to let me know if you can think of anything else!

I will boarding a plane in Oklahoma City, OK 2 months from today; I sure hope that time goes fast because my mind needs a break from the excitement of leaving!

In preparation of actually working (I forget sometimes about that part of this adventure!), I have ordered the required official transcripts from my colleges to be sent to the EED (Alaska Department of Education & Early Development) so I can apply for an initial teaching certificate until I qualify for an Alaskan certificate (I will need to take 2 required courses plus the Praxis Content exam.. woe is me!). <--- a very long sentence!

Several orders have been made and on their way to Togiak - food, hygiene, etc. supplies. I plan on making a list here at some point of what I ordered/from who/how long it took to get there in hopes of helping someone else if they need this information.

Over&Out

I am trying to focus and get one thing organized at a time; this is so much! (Flights, dogs, apartment, supplies, food, clothing for various weather needs and seasons, then there is the actual classroom, organizing materials, planning for instruction and, and, and....)

I purchased a very cool airline approved carry-on dog carrier. Both the girls will go in the same carrier. It is very unusual and I had never seen one like this before. One side pops out like a camper that has those pull out extensions. It also folds back up for a regular carry bag (which they'll have to be in until take off... but then I can pull it from under my seat and open the extension. Ginger can stand up in it easily and there is plenty of room! I put them both in it to see how much room they would have and they started playing in it!

Chloe went to the vet today for her final boosters and rabies. (Ginger will go early in July before we leave) I talked with him about the upcoming flight and my concern with the dogs getting nervous or restless. He suggested, due to Chloe's size (She weighed in today at a whopping 3.01 pounds!) a sedative could possibly be too much for her. So, I am going to test-trial homeopathic anxiety drops he gave me - it is not a sedative and not harmful at all. The drops can be given directly to the dog in their mouth or put into their water - drops can be given every 15 minutes if needed. The name of the drops is HomeoPet, The Natural Choice - Anxiety TFLN; they cost $15 and the bottle has 450 drops.

The carrier - you can see the side popped out. I bought this for $70 at PetCo.

You're probably wondering what North of I-70 means... well, during my search for a teaching job in Kansas, I said many times, "I'm not going to live north of I-70; it's just too darn cold that far north!"

A phone call on May 8, 2016 changed everything; I will be moving July 2016 to teach 1st grade in a rural village in Togiak, Alaska!

I will leave my car, family and friends behind, get on a plane with Ginger, Chloe and 100 lbs of supplies and arrive at my new home 24 hours later. I hope you enjoy reading my adventures and seeing my photos!

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