It is an unseasonably warm day in #Bethel, Alaska today. Makes me feel like I am sitting outside on my patio in #Phoenix, Arizona in the middle of December.
How did I get here you ask? It is a cautionary tale about the hazards of drinking too much wine while making life decisions.
A few weeks ago I received an email from a company searching for HR Leaders to travel to a remote location in #Alaska. Of course I giggled and sarcastically turned to Eric and said, "can you ever imagine me going to Alaska?" We both laughed, because anyone that knows me, knows I am allergic to temperatures below 75 degrees.
I was about to delete the email when a voice at the back of my head said "why not just get more information...it doesn't hurt to get information." The voice in my head had already consumed three glasses of wine, I am not sure she was sober. Fast forward 3 weeks later and I find myself on a plane headed for Bethel, Alaska.
So here I am! I have learned something about myself recently - I can get excited for anything if it means buying new shoes.
I flew into #Anchorage via #Seattle.
I was a bit thirsty so I thought I would grab a soda out of the vending machine. Much to my surprise, the vending machine didn't have soda...it had socks.
I found my gate and decided I could run across to McDonald's and grab a Diet Coke and a burger. After all, it might be awhile before I could have any fast food, why not splurge. That is when I discovered the #DenaliMacBurger.
For those of you that remember the 1980's Wendy's commercial's "Where's the Beef"...I have some very exciting news for you. THE BEEF IS IN ALASKA!!
As I was boarding the flight to Bethel I noticed that several passengers had shopping bags full of McDonald's food. I am hoping that they didn't fly all the way to Anchorage just to pick up dinner.
I will be working for the #YukonKuskokwim Health Corporation (https://www.ykhc.org/) managing their recruiting department. #YKHC services over 40 villages in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta, which covers over 75,000 miles (about the size of Oregon).
If you want to learn more about the organization click here: https://www.ykhc.org/story/about-yk/
Currently the hospital is undergoing renovations so there is a lot of construction going on in the area. I will keep you posted on the progress. https://www.calricaraq.org/project-background
The majority of the buildings in Bethel are built on stilts due to the constant movement of the ground due to #permafrost. The new addition to the hospital will include an innovative feature that will keep the ground beneath it at a temperature that prevents the ground from thawing.
For all of the engineering geeks out there I have provided a link to an article that talks about the challenges of building on permafrost. https://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/publications-db/catalog/eeh/HCM-00754.pdf
For those of you that have no interest in why building on permafrost can be challenging, I have provided a different link: https://www.directartaustralia.com.au/silly-cat-wall-art-print/
I was a little worried my first day in town about the large number of businesses that were "closed". Turns out this past week was the opening of the season for Moose hunting. Several people asked me if I hunted, to which I replied that I hunted at the local butcher stand in the grocery market, and that is where I do all my fishing as well.
This past week was the final days of blueberry picking on the tundra. I am told that everyone goes out on the tundra after work and on weekends during this season to pick blueberries. The blueberries are very small but delicious.
The cranberry's are in season now and my temporary roommate (Sally) actually went out on Saturday to pick a few. They are pretty tart...definitely need a bit of sugar.
Time to hit the hay and get a good night's rest. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow. My second day on the job the senior recruiter that reports to me decided to resign to move back to his home town...PHOENIX!
