Sunday, May 26, 2013

Preparation

While it has only been 5 days since I accepted the job offer, every day consists of a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings about the enormity of the changes that are going to take place in only one month. Not only am I starting my career as a graduate, but I am leaving behind family and friends, a classroom of children I have grown to adore, and a comfortable lifestyle, and moving to a part of the world I have never been, with a climate and culture with which I have no experience. 

I have a lot of preparation to do before I'm ready to embark on my mission to the north. Luckily, my sister and brother-in-law have been residents of the Canadian Arctic for nearly two years, so they are definitely easing my stress by making lists of arctic gear that I'll need to keep from turning into an icicle. I am also extremely excited to meet my little nephew. 

Today I made the first of my purchases of arctic gear: 
a bug jacket 
a pair of rubber boots

Did you know:
The arctic tundra has the heaviest concentration of mosquitoes! Swarms so thick they turn the sky gray. The still, warm water heated by the constant sunlight during the summer months is a perfect place for mosquitoes to breed and fester. 
While my rubber boots will keep my feet dry now that the snow has started to melt and as the arctic tundra turns into a swamp, my bug jacket will keep the billions of mosquitoes away from my skin!

2 comments:

  1. And you'll look much cooler than me! See you up north :)

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  2. Boo I am going to read this and cry every time :(

    Love you

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