46 years ago today (and it was a Monday then too) I was on a plane flying from JFK to Anchorage. Two days later, I would go on to Utqiagvik where I’d spend the next nine months falling in love with the Arctic and its people. But on Oct. 1, 1972, the only thing I felt was fear and apprehension. I think I started crying when the plane took off from New York and didn’t stop crying until I landed in Anchorage. Then my poor Adeline, the parrot who moved to Barrow with me, and I spent the night at the old ANMC quarters. I continued crying. She just looked very puzzled and unhappy. All in all, not the most fun trip of my life
Truth to be told, if I’d had the money, I’d have bought a ticket back East and left immediately. But I didn’t. So I stayed. I’m very glad I did.
And this is my first parka, courtesy of Emma Bodfish, and first mukluks, courtesy of Mary Edwardsen. I was a very lucky young lady.
Sonya Rogers says:
I remember the day you arrived in Barrow, I thought,”Oh, my, a loud Italian Yankee with a bird that squawks as much as she does , but wait she’s Italian , llots of good food coming (wrong !!) We started realizing she can’t cook when she set the hospital smoke alarms off and then her pasta stuck together. But have faith and be patient and all of a sudden we had delicous pasta ! I didn’t realize how much she hated shopping until I asked her to pick up a dress suitable for my wedding and I got a Vanity Fair bath robe and a couple of other dresses that were even more absolutely awful !Over time we all realized that Elise was nor a shopper, hated shopping and never ask her to buy you anything .We share many memories together some goof, a lot of funny ones and a few sad.I miss you my friend and love you like my sister. Thanks for all you have done for me in the past and all you continue to do now !