On My Way

  Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Friday, August 22, 2008

Well, I spent the night at the office working hard to get it ready for Allan to take over.  I got home around 3 AM and then spent another hour organizing whatever I brought back home.  I was up at 9 and Steven and I got the bags into his car and then took my car to fill the tires with air and the tank with gas.  I parked it in the corner of the driveway and then took off the plates.  Steven drove me to the insurance agent and then we went for brunch.  The trip to the airport was mercifully quick.  I was anxious to start my new life.  I was ready.

Plane Food

In the Nanaimo airport I met a guy named Ken who works for the Union of Northern Workers.  We had a great chat and it passed the time really well.  I learned a lot about some of the jobs in the North and we shared info on teachers, nurses, and union issues.  We had a few laughs on the plane and he was able to set me on the right path to load for Edmonton.  I was able to spend half an hour on the phone with Lee before my flight was called.  The trip to Edmonton was uneventful.  In the airport I was told I would have to gather my three checked bags and transfer them to Canadian North.  I was already hauling around a backpack loaded with a 10 lb bag of onions and two large bags of red peppers (my new principal told me he always brought back a knapsack filled with peppers as they travel well and are really expensive in Inuvik), a rolling carry-on suitcase, a purple sack containing who knows what, and a purse bursting at its seams.  I waited at the carousel and was the last one standing.  My bags were not there.  Great!

I made my way to the baggage claim area and waited for them to finish with the three people in front of me.  I told my tale and said I hoped someone was wrong in directing me to the carousel.  That was the good news....the bags were checked through to Yellowknife.  The bad news was I would have to drag 6 pieces to a hotel that night and then take them back in the morning.  The best part of the Canadian North flight was the food.  My dinner was a veggie burger and rice with vegetables in a sauce.  It was absolutely delicious!  I was told they had good veggie meals and was not disappointed.  I read a copy of Up North and recalled how much I really liked that magazine.

Coming into Yellowknife you could see the changing landscape and I got a great view of Great Slave Lake.  I've always wanted to see Great Slave Lake and was thrilled with the sight from the air.  There was a stiff breeze blowing when we landed in Yellowknife and I was glad I had taken my jacket with me on the plane.  I tried to leave my two big suitcases and big green knapsack at the airport but with no luck.  I asked the supervisor what would happen if I just "forgot" to pick them up and she said they would have to call the RCMP and the luggage would be confiscated.  We looked at each other and shrugged and laughed and I went in search of a cart.  There were no cabs waiting so I had to call one.  It was the kind of place where you just left all your luggage in a heap and knew it would be there when you returned. 

The cab ride to town was short and the first big building you see is a Staples.  The driver was from Sudan and had been in Y'knife for three years.  He told me he had only intended to stay for a year.  I joked that maybe in ten years he might consider it his home.  We loaded up a large luggage dolly and wheeled it into the Nova Court.  I checked in and spent half an hour chatting with the woman on duty about vegetarianism and sign language.  There was no one to help with the bags so I pushed the rolling rack onto the elevator and into my room.  Despite the sign on it that asked for it to be promptly returned to the lobby, I left it in my room.  I knew there was no way I was going to be able to heft all the bags off and then do it all again in the morning.  Such a rebel.

Plane Cups