What's different in Met?

Our life in Metlakatla is very different than it was when we lived in Portland, Oregon. It seemed important to document some of these differences after reflecting on our first month here on the island.

For starters, there are no street signs. If you google map Annette Island, you will see street names, but don’t expect to see them when you get here. Directions sound something like, “Go out the road and take a left at the blue house and about three houses down turn right.” There are no addresses here.

We thought this was funny after watching the show Northern Exposure. Both of us had never seen the show, yet many people after hearing that we were moving to Alaska would state, “Oh, it will be like Northern Exposure!” And then laugh at us a little. We didn’t get it. So on our to-do list while we were here was to watch the show. Luckily the Band Teacher owns the entire series and graciously let us barrow the first 3 seasons. It’s a cute early 90’s comedy about a doctor from New York who winds up working in a small town of Alaska. We are enjoying it. It’s funny when they make fun of the small town they live in, however, we find ourselves jealous of the things like street signs and the pool hall – none of which you will find in Met!

One great thing is that Amazon will ship to Alaska. This is great. We were definitely worried before we moved here if we would be able to do any online shopping. Well we can, and it is wonderful! And we are even eligible for FREE super saver shipping through Amazon. Awesome! The funny thing is, that no one has addresses here. Everyone on the island has a P.O. Box. There are no mailboxes or addresses on houses. This is fine with me, but apparently UPS doesn’t like it too much. So we’ve been told that you have to trick UPS by making up an address and putting your P.O. Box number after a made up address. We didn’t know this at first and ordered a closet organizer online. Everything seemed to be working fine until I got an email saying it was lost in the mail. Turns out it was just sitting in the Met Post Office waiting to be picked up. . . but I guess you could consider anything or anyone that ends up here lost!

Another difference in our lives is the scenery and wildlife. We don’t have bears or moose on the island, which is what I expected when we made up our minds to move to Alaska. However I have to admit I was a little relieved to find that out. We live on the ocean, with an amazing view of water and mountains all around us. On a daily basis we see fish jumping out of the water, seals swimming, fisherman passing by, seagulls picking their dinner off the beach, eagles, and on occasion; whales and cruise ships too. This isn’t your normal Portland scenery and I have to say that it is one of my favorite parts about moving here.

Then there are the daily routines. We don’t have a commute to work. We live down the street about 3 blocks from the school. Most days we walk to work (it takes about 5 minutes – if that), but we are so glad that we brought the car for those really rainy mornings. Every once in a while we reflect on how much time some people spend sitting in their car, commuting to work. Yuk. We don’t have a car payment, we only own one car, which we still haven’t had to fill the gas tank up since moving here over a month ago! When we do finally need gas, no worries, there is one – one pump gas station out near the ferry terminal. Gas is a little more expensive, I think it’s $4.20/gallon. But when you only fill up once a month or less. . . you really stop worrying about gas prices.

Food is also a little different here. There is a restaurant on the island – The Tuck ‘Em Inn. The one time we really wanted to go there they were closed, so we still have not been. We ended up at the mini mart, which has concession stand type food (burgers, corn dogs, nachos, etc.). It was tasty, but we are trying not to make a habit out of eating there. After all, we have a sea full of fish right outside our window. We eat a lot of fish now. Which we love and I am having fun learning new recipes from the ladies of the island. So fish, rice (because we brought two 50lb bags of it with us), and some sort of canned vegetable most nights. We can get fresh veggies at the market, but they close at 6 and if you don’t buy them by Tuesday or Wednesday they are usually picked over by then. We are REALLY glad we brought a ton of canned food from Costco. That was a smart thing to do, because groceries are a little more spendy here. But when you only buy milk and produce for the week, it’s not bad. The one thing I can’t get over is tortilla chips. The cheapest bag on the island is $5. . . and if you want Tostitos you can expect to pay more like $7-8 a bag. So I’ll be stocking up on those our next trip to Ketchikan.

I make my own bread now too. This has been fun and delicious. Bread is not too spendy, but Jason’s Mom gave us her old bread machine before we moved and it’s just kinda fun. Plus, I have the time to do it! We spend a lot more time cooking meals and go through a lot of dishes on a daily basis. But we eat well. And by well I mean we eat a lot AND it’s fairly healthy. REALLY healthy if you compare it to Burger King or McDonalds – which is nonexistent in our lives now. The same goes for Starbucks or Black Rock Coffee. You can get a coffee treat at the mini mart. But at $4.50 a pop – we just make a pot at home.

Traveling off the island is interesting too. You can take the ferry, which runs twice a day. Except it doesn’t run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So if you plan on traveling then, you may want to consider taking a float plane. They run much more often, weather permitting. We can see them land at the dock from our living room window. We still have not had the pleasure of taking a float plane, but I’m sure we will eventually. It is interesting taking this into consideration when you are making travel arrangements. You can’t just get a ride to the airport. And if you are like me and want to avoid the float plane, you have to consider the day you choose to travel.

The other great thing about the island is the radio station. It’s run by the students of Metlakatla High School. There are a couple other stations that we pick up from Ketchikan. . . But these kids are just too good. It has got to be the best mix of music I’ve ever listened to. One minute your listening to some great oldies. . . the next it sounds like a Saturday night dance club mix. . . throw in an interview with a local native artist. . . and then some sort of modern song. I’m constantly groovin’ to the mix.

Life is different here in Met. People stop and have conversations with you. Actual conversations. Chicken is more of a deliciously than fish. We’ve only lived here a month and when we walk out of the house, we WILL see someone we know. We work with people that live in 5 of the houses on our street alone. You can get your errands done in 30 minutes or less because everything is right here. The result, I’ve started reading for fun again, going to game nights with other teachers, Jason plays pickle ball and goes fishing on a regular basis. We’ve slowed down a lot. It’s such a nice change of pace, especially after working so hard for our Masters Degrees. We miss home and all of you, don’t get me wrong. But this is one amazing adventure and it seems that every day we are reminded of it. Just had to share.