Reflections...

Hello!
So, we have been in Cambridge Bay for over 5 weeks now and have had some great and some not so great adventures...
Great adventures:
the plane, feeling proud of myself, starting a great job with super potential for my career, exploring the North - Mount Pelly, going out on the land with a coworker and her family, seeing the beauty of the North, meeting really great people, and learning many new life foundations - i.e. taking the long view...
Not so great adventures:
Ellyott hating the daycare, him having a very sore belly for 4 weeks, him getting a double ear infection and tonsilitis, my bed, couch and TV gone missing (have the bed now, couch is in Cambridge Bay but has not been delievered and the TV... well no one has any idea where that is) and I fell yesterday 3 times...1. in front of the daycare and a bunch of roofers, 2. up my stairs carrying E's wagon inside, and 3. the worst one, falling down 6 stairs while taking my dog out for a walk... ouch - sprained finger, sore ribs, bum and leg.

Apparently I may be able to go out on duty travel to explore some programs in Clyde River and I am soooo excited! I am going to learn so much! Either Ellyott's daddy or grandma may come to Cam Bay to stay with E while I go... all up in the air now, but firm details are coming in the next week or so! I can't wait to get going on this job... yay!

I am getting a parka through a friend I have never met... LOL! Thanks Susan for introducing me to Tara! I am getting a great deal, so I am happy.

So every night, I scour the sky looking for northern lights and some people say we are too far North, and others say they come in November... So I will keep my eyes open and fingers crossed! I feel that we are settled in now and am content. I have started really thinking about my life, the choices I have made, and the choices I want to make for my future... this North adventure is giving me lots of time to reflect and I think that it was long overdue!

Settling in...

Yay! I got my things aka "personal effects" on Monday. I am done unpacking and am organizing. I was hoping to get everything done and cleaned this weekend, but my little guy has a double ear infection - so, organizing and cleaning is on the back burner. They had lost my bed, my couch and my brand new flat screen TV. I got my bed Friday, my couch is in Yellowknife and will come when there is room on the plane and my TV, well no one seems to know where that is. Sniffles. I checked the price of the same TV here and it is 1400.00!!!!!!! OKay, no way on that one. The cheapest TV here is 600.00, so I guess I am going to do without...

I am loving my job - though I am not sure how I am going to learn everything. I have never done policy and standards before because I have always worked front line. I must say that I do miss the front line work - seeing how people learn and change has always been fascinating. I have been thinking alot lately about my life and wondering why sometimes I am not good at saying things. I can advocate for clients with lots of energy and passion, but when it comes to me saying something in my heart... thats another story. How did I get so complicated??? I listen well when Elders speak and the philosophy of truth from the heart has made me start to wonder why I can't say certain things... what is holding me back? Why am I afraid that others won't see me as I am? I know the answer to the last question, but I'll leave that for another day!

On to happier things, I am still on my quest to see the Northern lights... either the sky was clear and it wasn't cold enough, or it has been cold by cloudy, foggy or snowing. I have been looking at some other bloggers pics of the lights and I am soooo envious. Maybe I need to get a babysitter for late at night and go walk out of town a bit... perhaps I'd be more lucky then!

Well, should go for now, but will write again soon!

We're here!

Okay, so I have not been a good blogger since I have been here, but I am writing tonight! We have been here for 2 weeks and almost 3 days. We are doing relatavly well, except the following:
1. Ellyott is crying alot at his daycare - probably getting used to so many more kids - at his dayhome, there were only 6.
2. The first week and a half, he had a tummy flu and now I have it.
3. Which is probably number one, our things are not here yet. They were supposed to come on August 30, but here we are at September 16 and NOTHING....
4. I am stressed about money because I have not gotten paid and I have had to spend TONNES of money on diapers as again, they are in my shipment
5. I do not have my warm clothes either, and capris and sandals are not cutting it in the snow. Seriously!
So, I have learned an important lesson about the North... here goes...

DO NOT BELIEVE ANYONE FROM THE SOUTH WHO SAYS YOUR THINGS WILL ARRIVE IN THE NORTH WITHIN 4 WEEKS.... THAT IS A BUNCH OF BALONEY!!!! PACK LOTS OF WINDER CLOTHES, DISHES, SILLY THINGS LIKE A STRAINER AND FINGERNAIL CLIPPERS, BECAUSE YOU WILL SUFFER OTHERWISE!

Okay, so now that is off of my mind and I can share some wonderful things. I went on a walk for suicide awareness day with the community who chanted "Embrace Life". It was amazing to see how a community, so very intimately affected by suicide, gathered so closely for something so special!

We went out with a co-worker to her family cabin "out on the land" and it was a huge honor to spend time with her and her parents, who are 1st generation Inuit. It was an experience that I will hold true to my heart forever.

We are finishing up our orientation tomorrow, during with time I met the Assistant Deputy Minister. She attended our week long orientation. We met with 2 Elders and went through PILES AND PILES of documents. This is going to be a great job - hard, busy, and challenging, but honestly, I don't think I would get this experience at home. I am honored.

I also ordered food mail for the first time, which was supposed to come in Tuesday - but planes were cancelled as it was too foggy here for them to land. It did not arrive today, so I do hope it comes before it all spoils!!!!!!!

I have put lots of pics on my Facebook page and will continue to add more. One thing I want to say is that there are soooo many employment positions here that are not filled, if you want to come up North, it would be an enriching experience and you should seriously consider it. I learned on my first day here that the Inuit have a motto. The motto is as follows...

Regardless of your life situation is - no food, no money, bad health, relationship problems etc... we wake up everyday with a smile, and continue that smile throughout the day and that smile warms others as well as our own hearts... magnificient!

Humm... 8 days now!

Okay, we had such a great day yesterday for Ellyott's birthday! The sun was out, but it was not scorching hot. We had a great turn out too! Loretta (who was our dayhome childcare momma) came with a big blow up bouncy castle, and let me to you all how much fun he had! HA! I had ordered a digger cake from Superstore, and asked them to draw a pic of a dump truck or an esvacator, but instead they made some cool dirt and added in a toy escavator and dump truck! I was so impressed!

This week is going to be filled with dentist appointments for me, packing the 8 suitcases we can bring - which includes more shopping... argh... I am really shopped out. Ellyott's actual birthday is on August 26th, so we are going to have a little gathering on that day too. I realized that I sent everything, and was supposed to keep out some supplies incase my shipment has not arrived in Cambridge Bay, so I have to do some scrambling for sheets, blankets, pots and pans, plates etc... I have to gather up some random food things that I didn't send in my sea lift - i.e. yeast for my homemade bread, spices, etc. I need to get some more medical stuff and some other random necessities... I really hope that our things get there relatively close to our arrival time, because I did not save warm clothes here to bring.... lately Cambridge Bay has been in the low teens and down to 4 overnight. I am learning alot from this move and if I were to do it again, I'd make some modifications to my planning!!!

I sold my car - yay! All we need to do is have the car cleaned and the oil changed and the money exchange so that I can pay off the loan and cancel my insurance - then I am free from almost 600.00 in payments a month! WHOP! WHOP!

I am still a little nervous about the plane... I got some "puppy valium" for Zoey... OMG! Ellyott had a stomach bug for a week, an ear infection for a week and now a cold, so our family doctor said to give him advil about an hour before the plane leaves and to have some gravol onhand... I have no idea what to expect giving him gravol as he has not had it before... Once I get in Edmonton, we are going to check out the West Edmonton Mall - I have never been there, so since we have an overnight there, I think it would be great to explore!

I will update again later in the week and I know that alot of my friends are reading this blog and if you have any suggestions about all of this, plus let me know!!! XOXO's!

15 days! Tick, tock...

I htink that I am in a much better state than I was a few days ago. Last week was so hard to get through... the baby being sick, the puppy, the last week at work and that no one was around - Jimmy away working, mom and dad at the cottage, Jimmy's parents away and Lori working. I know that when I am in Cambridge Bay, it is going to be Ellyott, myself and our puppy... and thats okay - as long as there is not a little puppy peeing all over the place! LOL

I can't believe that in just over 2 weeks, I am going to be arriving in Nunavut! I have dreamed of going to Nunavut for years and years, and something always held me back. This current decision is based on a lot of factors - i.e. work experience, a great manager, money... ahh yes, money. A friend told me a story about her son and not being able to afford his soccer lessons, and he told his friend to come over after his lessons to teach him... this hit home for me. 11 more years it would take to pay off these loans at my salary, but I will have them paid in a year instead.

Here is a list of all the things I am excited about...
- seeing the Northern lights
- being part of a cose, family oriented community
- being part of such a progressive team
- not having to think outside the box, because "there is NO box" according to my boss!
- working towards my masters degree
- learning a new culture, practices and being part of a vibrant community that is growing in response to mining nearby
and just.... EVERYTHING else!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going to miss the following...
- my family and friends
- walking through the isles of the grocery store, puttering
- Pete's Fruitique make your own salads
- Chapters
- trees!
- fresh produce that is readily accessable

But I am not going to miss driving an hour and a half to and from work everyday, especially in a snowstorm... I can`t wait...!!!

I feel like a bobblehead...

Okay, time is going by, 20 days to go!!! So this weekend I am going away to the cottage with some friends from work and then my great friend Natasha and her son, Christian (Ellyott's BFF) are coming up for a few days.

My complaints... I am a tad bit stressed (sense the sarcasam - meaning I am SERIOUSLY, crying, worrying stressed) about Ellyott, as he has a bad ear infection and a terrible fever. I am worried that I won't get everything finished at work by Friday, my last day AND my last complaint is that we got Jimmy a new puppy and this little dude is NUTS. He is a bullmastiff, 7 weeks old, pooping everywhere, outside for 20 mins and comes inside to pee all over the freaking floor - he like to walk and pee at the same time - - - quite the talented little one, eh?

So, if you have ever seen those bobblehead things in people's cars that move around like crazy if the car is moving... they go up and down, around and around, backwards and forwards, up and forward, down and backwords... totally random. Very unpredictable. Just overall crazy looking... well, thats ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, deep breath... relax.... insert positive self talk here... and yes, I have to end this blog, because the puppy was playing happily and right in the middle of this, with no warning, he crouched down and pooped on my bedroom carpet... argh......

25 dayssssss!!! Whop! Whop!

Hello!
1 week from tomorrow is my last day of work and in 25 days, at 715 am, we fly out for Edmonton, stay there overnight, and on August 31, we travel to Yellowknife and then Cambridge Bay! WOOHOO! I am sooooo excited!

The packers and mvoers came last weekend, so now my things are on their way to Edmonton to be crated and flown the rest of the way. My sealift order will arrive in my community before I get there. I had a conference call last night with my team and one of my new coworkers is going to the Northern and telling them that I don't arrive until August 31, so I imagine that they will store my things until then.

After work is finished, I have about a week off - to spend some time with special people at our family cottage and I start working for the Government of Nunavut August 23 from here... I am having Ellyott's 2nd birthday on August 21. Then the last week was supposed to be filled with wedding activities with a friend, but this plan has changed, so I guess I will do more visiting!

I arranged for Jimmy to get a puppy because I decided to bring my dog with me to Nunavut... funny thing is, I need to get her on a little diet before we fly ! HA! Apparently, the dog has to be under 22lbs to fly in the cabin with me and Zoey is 22.7 lbs... no more eating the baby's food Zoey! Lots of time playing outside too!

I can't wait to get to Nunavut! I think this job is an exceptional opportunity for me as a professional and the culture of the Inuit will enrich my life and core family values. I hope to make some great friends and some strong experiences!