I wouldn't change a thing that changed my life...

So I left Alaska four days ago and obviously its taken me a while to write this entry. Life has been a little chaotic since returning but tonight I finally got to reflect about my time in Alaska,

Be ready for a long post. :)

Friday, our last day in Hoonah, was much different than any other. First being that I didn't go to Headstart because they kids were let out a day early for spring break. I really missed them and wished I could have spent at least one more day with them. Before any of us went off to our service sites for the day we went to Grandma Nina's, a local coffee shop, and got some java and muffins. It was also Jeff's 19th birthday so I made sure to give him a party hat and birthday pin to wear all day. It wouldn't be a real birthday if there wasn't some embarrassment involved with it, right?

Jeff's birthday attire.

When we finished holding court at Grandma Nina's, we all headed over to the school. Some socialized in the cafeteria, others played games with students in the gym, and some (myself included) caught up on homework. At 9am a group of us was expected at a local church to finish the painting some other team members had started that week. A wedding is supposed to happen there in a few weeks and I'm really happy we got to finish the church so the mother of the bride didn't have do it, like she thought she was going to before we came into town.

The church

We all had different schedules and after a few hours I was left alone, painting in the church. It was a moment I really enjoyed. There was no talking, no radio, no noise except for the gentle sound of snow/rain falling outside. My experience in Hoonah, and the impact of the group that I traveled with, began to hit me then. In a town of about 860 people, 14 people from 14 different backgrounds with 14 different goals in life from one university came together to serve that town in whatever way they needed. We planted a garden, we fixed a leaky toilet, we helped with an engineering project, we were someone to talk to, we were a hand to hold, we were a shoulder to cry on, we were teachers, and we were students.

With those thoughts storming my brain, I decided to take a walk back to the school and think about the week some more. I wasn't at the school long before Roger came and whisked me away to lunch at Grandma Nina's. Yes, the coffee shop from that morning. Lunch was on the house for our group so a good number of us showed up. Then it was time for me and Marc to go to the Hoonah Indian Association to do some more legal type work.

While there, I began to feel lightheaded and naeusous. When I woke up that morning I was really congested and had a slight cough, but this hit me like a truck. The nausea would come in waves and after a while it was hard to concentrate on much. So Rory, Roger's sister, decided to take me back to her cabin and let me rest, she also set up an appointment for me at the local clinic. After the most wonderful nap I've ever had, Rory came rushing in to whisk me away to the clinic where I found out I only had a terrible cold, which I had figured. Being around those pesky preschoolers and not sleeping much can really compromise your immune system.

I came back to the bunk house and started to help things get ready for the potluck dinner the community was holding for us. When the other team members trickled in I noticed a sign was posted up in the living room. It was from the K-2 class thanking the team members who worked with them that week. Reading it, the emotions I felt earlier about our team and what we'd done in the community came flooding back to me. Let's be real, that's just a poetic way to say that the note made me cry. I dried my tears and got back to work setting up the kitchen and living room for company.

The note

We had heard that a good number of people would be showing up and that there would be native food, singing, and dancing. At 7pm, the bottom level of the bunk house was filling up with members of the community. I wasn't at all what I had expected but I was pleasantly surprised. Our entire group loved watching the dancing and singing and we got to dance too. Soon after that was over, Jeff, Morgan, and Kimberly were presented with bear claws from the "chief" of the Tlingit tribe. Apparently, this wasn't something that they do often and they wanted to recognize those individuals for their service to the community.

Our group with members of the Tlingit tribe.

With all that going on, the smell of salmon, seal meat, and seaweed fried rice began to waft in from the kitchen. I decided to be adventurous and tried all of the above plus smoked octopus and halibut pizza. I mostly enjoyed everything except the seal meat and rice. I'll just say that those weren't my cup of tea. If you want a more descriptive reason, ask me later.

Clockwise from the bottom: Smoked salmon, seal meat, halibut pizza, smoked octopus, seaweed fried rice, taco meat, and venison in the center.

The excitement died down after most of the food was eaten and conversations were exhausted. It was time for our final reflection. I had a feeling I would end up crying again, as the last night on ASB is always a powerful one. We started off making a web out of yarn by throwing the yarn to someone who had impacted us on the trip. Once it made it to everyone, we continued it until we ran out of yarn. Standing in the circle holding our strings, we each described how this week had changed or challenged us. Everyone's answers were different and enlightening in their own ways.

When it was my turn to speak, I thought I was going to cry...again, but I found no lump in my throat. Instead of sobbing and making a barely audible statement, I simply said, "You all have changed me." And it's true. They did. I said that Nadeem and I had spent a significant amount of time picking the best team we could for this trip and what they did far exceeded the expectations we had set. I told them about how I felt earlier and that I was so proud and they should be proud of themselves as well. It's good to recognize how different we all are and that we come from different experiences but that we can come together for a week of service and get so much done. It's inspiring. We're not really sure if we've made a fingerprint or a footprint in Hoonah, and we'll really never now but we'll never forget what we did there and what we learned about ourselves.

I learned that I am extremely privileged. I have a family and friends who love me, a job that pays well for a college student, a great education, and much more. This isn't to say that the people in Hoonah don't have these privileges but they may be harder to come by.

This trip also reaffirmed to me that I HAVE to do Americorps next year. Notice the word "have", meaning that I haven't been accepted just yet but that I am dying to get in that program. I want to travel and experience new things and serve whatever community needs me. To me, a life without service isn't a life well lived. If I could be a vegabond and just do service the rest of my life, I would. Unfortunately that isn't very realistic so I've decided to devote a year or two of my life to Americorps, if they accept me that is.

So for now that is all about my ASB trip to Hoonah, Alaska. I'm still adjusting to going back to school and living in a city again. Living in a remote town in Alaska for a week can really affect your perceptions on those things. You forget there are such things as massive highways, fast food restaurants by the hundreds, and Target.

Also, if I get into Americorps, know that I will post that on here ASAP and that this blog will be used for that experience as well.

On that note, thanks again for all of your support through the years; it is noted and appreciated. I love you all.

(These two photos were taken by Susannah Brinkley)

"Service rests on the basic premise that the nature of life is sacred, that life is a holy mystery, which has an unknown purpose. When we serve, we know that we belong to life and to that purpose." -Rachel Naomi Remen