Why?
So why did we leave beautiful Anchorage to live in "the armpit" of Alaska? Actually, our time in Anchorage was just a stopover for when we could move to the bush. We moved to Alaska's largest city in the summer of 2001 from Los Angeles. We figured it was a better place to prepare for rural Alaska than LA is! So when we attended the Alaska State Teacher Job Fair in late April 2003, our intent was to find the right job and place. After many interviews and conversations, there were 2 districts Tammy was most excited about working for. One of them, LKSD, offered her a job, so the choice was easy (Phew!).
It all really started when Tammy worked in bush Alaska for a couple of summers during college. She ran day camps and taught kids how to swim in Tanana, Allakaket, and Tatitlek. And she fell in love with the people. So I knew when I married Tammy that I was also marrying Alaska! Now in 2007, neither of us have any regrets about our decision to live in Kasigluk. Not to paint some unrealistic picture that it is all easy and wonderful, it isn't. Our village has its many problems, some of which are worse or more extreme than the lower 48 norm, but it is also lacking in a lot of the traditional vices of the lower 48. This is a beautiful place with warm people, and we truly love our lives here and those who are a part of it.