10/9  Trying to figure out yet again how to capture any part of this new experience and do it any justice. Every time I try to describe life here I feel like I leave out the humor and color. Life here plugs along, new challenges each day.

Dave has become even busier over the last few weeks as his robotics club is now in full swing. It seems like he has new kids wanting to join each week, which is challenging for him as a new coach figuring out how to keep them all engaged and feeling like they're contributing while keeping them from tripping over each other and fighting over the most interesting parts. To be honest I don't really understand what they're doing, so I can't provide any of the details. I know they're building a robot for a  series of competitions (if they do well) and that really maxes out my level of comprehension.

Most of the extra-curricular activities here involve quite a bit of travel, which is a huge attraction for the students. It seems that schools arrive en masse at whichever school is hosting the competition, sleeping in classrooms and taking over the school. Teachers spend a lot of time traveling with students as well, which should keep Dave busy later this year if his team does well.

It's been fun to be out in the villages during the week when students stay after school for various activities. Last week the push was Native Youth Olympics practice since they have a competition this week. All night I could hear student thumping down the hall as they practiced the "Seal Slap" which essentially involves them propelling themselves forward in a race simulating the movement of seals. There are various other events, but that's my personal favorite.

The school I stayed at this week practiced each night for a Native Dance competition coming up next week, so as I settled into my sleeping bag for the night I would hear the beat of drums and imagine the students practicing well into the night. One of the things that has really impressed and stood out to me in this area is the deep commitment and dedication elders in the community have to preserving Yu'pik culture and passing it on to younger generations. Elders volunteer their time to play drums, coach dance, and help teach students throughout the year. I've also been humbled and grateful to find that initial assumptions that I might make about students (eyebrow or lip piercing with withdrawn attitude at school = bad attitude in general) aren't in any way accurate predictors of how involved students are in the cultural and tribal activities in the village. Many of the students that I would imagine running out the door the minute school is out are there practicing every night.

I'm told that the river should freeze up this week, which will make for some interesting changes. I'm visiting the villages that I travel between by boat this week, so it's likely that my visit here next month will be my first trip on a snow mobile (called snow machines or snow goes here). "Freeze up" also creates a highway through Bethel that most people use to travel to villages, which I can't quite imagine at this point. The social worker that covered these villages last year told me about his "Alaskan baptism" which involved helping to push the boat onto the river during freeze up and falling through the ice into the freezing water. He referred to it as a rite of passage, but I'm going to try to miss that one. Following his baptism he still then had to ride up the river with the freezing wind whipping over him, an experience that I'm happy to miss.

The kids continue to be sweet and endearing, and the families warm and welcoming. I'm enjoying working with Tribal Councils, village elders and other committed individuals volunteering and working to serve the families and children in the villages that I visit.

As much as we're loving life we're also really exhausted and are looking forward to reaping the benefits of a school schedule and time to rest. The countdown is on for Thanksgiving . . .