The Woes and Rewards of Travel

Landing in Manokotak last week on the Igushik River.

In these last weeks, I feel like I've been traveling more than I've been home. I'm not complaining though. I like going places and I really enjoy flying, especially around here when moose and caribou sightings are a regular occurrence and our bird's-eye view surroundings are in constant flux.

A few weeks ago I was set to attend a technology conference in Anchorage, AK. I was supposed to leave on a Friday and return the following Wednesday, but I knew not to get my hopes up on that foggy looking Friday afternoon. Quiem'uk, the all-purpose airline van driver and uppi (grandpa) of a good chunk of my students, picked me up at the school shouting, "Kiki! Kiki! John leave for Manokotak, right now!" I've been here long enough to know that "kiki kiki" means, "Get your ass in the van!" So Frank the maintenance man and I threw our bags in the back, while from the inside, Quiem wrestled open the only functioning passenger door (which also happens to be on the fritz), and we were on our way.

We arrived at the airport which is a gravel landing strip about four miles from my house with an empty warming trailer meant for times like this. Dense fog had set in so we knew we were in for a wait. Frank and I weren't the only ones primed to get out that Friday night either. Manokotak's five-woman basketball team was also warming up in the single-wide, cracking the kind of jokes that are only funny when you're sweet sixteen or thereabouts.

After a few hours of waiting for the weather to lift and entertaining the young ladies, it was decided that they wouldn't make their game and their flight was called off. So, it was down to Frank and me waiting in the trailer. Frank is a slight but burly guy who looks and sounds like he's done some good, hard living. Someone who at first glance I might not choose to be deserted with in the middle of nowhere, but of course, as with anyone who's done some living, Frank had things to say and managed to captivate my attention for the six or so hours we spent in limbo. So I sat, peering out the window on an unstable 2 x 4 bench and Frank reclined in his arctic attire on the linoleum floor while he told me about his life, his living and about how at this point, nothing, not even a "sh*t storm" (literally a sh*t storm), could faze him.

I most like meeting people who are real. And there was nothing unreal about this guy, just straight talk. I can't imagine I'll ever forget him for it either.

Anyway, eventually, after six hours and several landing attempts, John touched down in Manokotak and we were on our way! It's nice to get stuck with people who have really close ties with pilots.