Brandon & Betty's Alaska Adventure: Bye, Bye Bethel

It’s crazy how fast 13 weeks flies by. On Friday we said goodbye to our patients and co-workers. Saturday was spent packing and cleaning house. Today, we hop on the evening jet outa here.

I have a love/hate relationship with goodbyes. It’s exciting to look forward to a new place and new adventure (more on this later), but also sad to leave this chapter behind. Bethel has been a unique experience for sure. There were challenges in getting used to this lifestyle, but we will definitely miss the laid back, low maintenance way of life we had out here in the bush. Some highlights from the summer:

We made some awesome friends with a couple from work. These two seriously rock. They took us on many a river adventure, taught us about jungle juice (bug repellent so strong it makes your lips go numb),played lawn games with us in the 11 pm sun, and helped us beat the Bethel blues with their good humor and fun personalities. Gonna miss these guys.

Started our very first garden. Behold the fruits (actually, vegetables) of our labor:

(actual size)

Realized how blessed we are by ever supportive friends and family. We got care packages from mama & papa Dodean, Toby & Heather, Cristina & David, and mom and pop Mascareñas’ even hand-delivered one to us! I’m pretty sure we set the record for having the most “real world” goodies of any temporary employees ever. Left us feeling quite loved.

Note the high five they sent us at the top of the photo. Priceless.

Had a host of new and interesting PT experiences. The majority of our patients came to PT by boat or bush plane from surrounding villages. Their injuries could generally be summed up into 5 categories: bush plane crash, snowmachine accident, excess berry picking, fish cutting mishap, or domestic violence. Brandon got to peel the skin off a burn victim’s legs. I clipped the toenails of elders from remote villages who sometimes hadn't had it done in YEARS. Brandon was unofficially our “drunk patient” provider (quite common at all hours). I got to teach patient care skills to the first ever class of CNAs in Bethel.

Enjoyed the freedom of the open tundra. All we had to do was pick an edge of town and start walking. No fences or barriers. No other people around. Just wide open land. And berries everywhere! Salmon berries, blueberries, raspberries, crow berries, and cranberries were abound everywhere you look.

Learned all about Yu’pik culture. We heard stories of harsh winters, self-sufficient survival, and spiritual healing from local elders. We tried on kuspuks – the traditional Yu’pik garment worn by both men and women. We were introduced to the ulu knife. Natives use it to cut fish and game…I found it quite handing in chopping garlic. We even picked up some of the Yu’pik language. “waqaa” = hello. “quyana”= thank you. Raising your eyebrows = “yes”. Scrunching your nose = “no”. That pretty much got us by with most non-English speaking natives.

Kuspuk

Kuspuk made of seal skin

Brandon in a kuspuk

Ulu knife

Lived without the luxuries we’re used to…and enjoyed it. We didn't have a car, but walking around everywhere sure helped us slow down from our usual hectic pace. No Chipotle, movie theater, sporting events, hiking trails, or shopping malls. But we learned to make our own entertainment.

Berry pickin'

Found a disposable grill at the AC Value Center. Made ourselves a little summer BBQ.

Brandon brushed up on his baking skills

Took lots of strolls along the river to enjoy foggy mornings....

....and late night sunsets (at the end of the summer)

Living next to this provided us with some unique Friday & Saturday night entertainment.

Got to see and taste the Alaskan wildlife. We caught salmon (photos to come) and even learned how to filet, dry, and smoke ‘em. Brandon got to eat caribou. We saw bald eagles, camped among giant moose and bear tracks, almost ate a tundra spider (looked just like a salmon berry), and had various encounters with the state bird: