Offspring Opinions, No. 9

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Jadyn: While the last year in Kaltag hasn't been overly thrilling, it's been thankfully steady. I worked at Kaltag School as both a teacher's assistant and as the media/project coordinator, which is a predictable job on average with a few moments of chaos sprinkled throughout. I'll continue to work there this year, with plans to move to Anchorage next fall with my sister, Emily, to finish my bachelor's degree in psychology. I'll be turning 21 next January... another milestone on my path to becoming a self-sufficient adult.

This last summer, I took my siblings down to Texas to visit our family. We stayed for nearly two months, spending as much time with the people we only get to see once (or twice for some) a year. The trip had its ups and downs, but overall, it was an incredibly precious and enjoyable experience that I look forward to repeating next summer with my brother and sisters. While we were down there, I adopted a puppy, Jovie, from my aunt, whose dog had just had puppies a few months before our visit. While I was unfortunately unable to bring her with me back to Kaltag, the plan is to bring her back with me when Emily and I move to Anchorage. She's staying with my aunt in the meantime, who sends me photos on occasion of how she's doing. She's a very sweet (and incredibly sassy) Australian Shepherd/Heeler mix, and while we've only been together a short time, she's already won over my heart.

Emily: My summer went pretty well, Texas was hot. I am currently staying Kaltag, completing college courses online. I am staying down at Unit 4 (empty Teacher Housing) with Jadyn. I am trying to get a job at the clinic here, but its going quite slow. I am ready to get out of Kaltag and start taking classes in person in Anchorage, but staying here in Kaltag for my first year allows me to save money and gain clinical experience.

Joshua: Last year was pretty chill and uneventful for me, but my summer was pretty good. My siblings and I went down to Texas to spend time with family and personally I had a great time in Texas. I went golfing with a few buddies and went shopping a lot (I'm now broke due to too much spending on Pokemon and shirts), but that was a fun trip to Texas. This year will definitely be more eventful because I'm now an eleventh grader who is taking a college class on geology and I'm also making resin coasters to sell as well, in our Wildcat Cafe. I also might start printing designs onto T-shirts as well, later on in the school year.

Avery: Kaltag has slowly become more and more of a love-hate relationship for me. I mean, the scenery is stunning and the opportunities are endless, but I do admit it does get quite lonely. Especially since my siblings are getting older and exploring the world on their own and will soon be leaving to figure out who they are. Soon enough, it'll be just me and my parents out here out in the wilderness. It's even crazier to think that I am now in high school and entering those oh-so-lovely teen years. My years here have still been rather uneventful and steady and that still seems to be the case. I am taking a college class this semester on Medical Terminology, as I am trying to build my knowledge on such topics for my possible future job as a Pediatric Nurse. I've actually been between the thought of a pediatric nurse, a child therapist or a bakery owner. Let's just say I'm still narrowing down what I want to do for the rest of my life. All I know is that I don't want to be stuck doing a job I hate and that I'm willing to do the work to get the job that I want, whether that's years of school or many failed recipes and ideas. I am also still working in our school cafe and am trying to expand my baking experience and try new things no matter how daunting. I recently tried my hand at macarons and the first batch was wonderful. They were a vanilla macaron with a chai white chocolate ganache and a salted caramel filling, and as my first macarons I was quite proud of them. Although, the second batch I tried definitely disappointed me. The shells didn't turn out right and they were kind of soggy so I'm still working on my technique. I've also done a few cakes and although they are definitely not bakery worthy, they turned out pretty well and I was quite proud of myself. I had also made my own birthday cake on my trip down to Texas and it was quite tasty.

Speaking of my trip to Texas, it really was an amazing experience. It was absolutey a joy to see my family after a few years away and to see how much everyone had grown. There were many shopping trips with aunts and lots of family gatherings, (I had forgotten what it was like to have such a huge family), multiple sleepovers and lots of laughter. I actually had the wonderful opportunity to get baptized and finally do it after waiting for a couple of years. And although it was really hard saying goodbye and there were lots of tears shed, I was excited to see my mom and dad again. Who knew you could actually miss saying the words "Mom and Dad?" Either way, these past few years have been an eye opener and a blessing. There are so many things I have learned and experienced that I would have never even known of in Texas. So, no matter the loneliness I'm looking on the bright side.

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Philip & Ashley: This year has felt strange in an unexplainable way. We have all felt this sense that our community here feels like it's waning. It was another rough summer for the village, with a few more unexpected deaths that hit many hard. Things are so quiet now. The full attendance we saw at community events when we first arrived has steadily dwindled. Part of it is people moving away, part of it are the deaths that have happened, and the rest is a lack of energy or interest to attend. We're not real sure how much longer this village is going to last if the trajectory continues.

Our school demographics this year have shifted a bit. My class is largely the same as it's been the last two years, with the addition of one Pre-K student and two 3-year olds. Yes, we are busy, busy, busy on my side of the building with seven grade levels in one class. Thankfully, I have two classroom aides who help with the younger ones so I can mostly focus on my 3rd-6th graders. We still have only three middle schoolers, but the high school class is the smallest it's been since we got here. We have three seniors who are half-day students, our Josh who's the only junior, and three freshmen, our Avery included. We've lost some students to enrollments in boarding schools in other villages, and so the secondary hallway feels more like an independent study/tutoring system than a traditional classroom. Philip is busy these days helping students enroll in dual enrollment classes, take care of college course work, apply for jobs and CTE camps, as well as complete his principal certification internship semester.

We are still enjoying the job, but it feels like our time here is shortening. I can't explain it, and I could be wrong, but the winds of change feel more than just the change of the seasons this year. In a way, that makes me sad. I have high hopes for many of our students and friends here, but vices are harder to embrace than virtues. We will see what this year brings. I have selfishly enjoyed the extended time of all six of us being together, and we are making a more concerted effort to spend more active time together as a family, rather than coming home and just crashing in front of the tv after a long, frustrating day. Boggle has become a daily ritual for us, and the offspring are giving us a run for our money. We are also enjoying the lovely shift to fall weather that we're having...cooler, windier days, and the slow change from green to gold. Josh already has his suggestions for what our Hobbit Day meal should be (about a month from now...), and we've got our fall candles, candies and decorations up.

Since I was lazy with my writing for this blog over the summer, my next post will detail a bit more about what summer was like for Philip and I, with the kids gone. But until then, I hope all is well with whomever is reading this, and thanks for keeping up with us!