I just spent the week in Anchorage where the store options range from Best Buy to Fred Meyer. While there, I found myself in search of things such as printer cartridges since I've had a hard time finding them in Homer. I needed a warmer comforter which I found at JC Penney's downtown two blocks from my hotel. I had brought a list with me, a list I have been compiling since I arrived in Homer. I believe in shopping locally, it's just that I needed items from a Subaru dealer and stuff I just couldn't find in Homer.
Anchorage is over a four-hour drive from Homer. Therefore, planning is important. I have lived in cities for so long now and have grown used to running to a large store at any hour when I've needed something. This is different. The part I like about it is that choices are limited, times to shop are limited and visiting is a prime reason for shopping in Homer. I think it makes life easier to have fewer choices. I think it forces me to be organized to have shorter shopping hours. I like the friendly, visiting, small town part.
My colleague, a Native from one of the villages, had her list too. She rode back with me today and said that I might want to get familiar with stores that ship to the bush. She said that rural areas are called the bush and not the boonies. I laughed at that. Apparently, Alaskan merchants take orders by fax, phone and in person and have arrangements to send items out to Bethel, Nome and villages even more remote in location. It's a different way of life. People accept the cost of shipping, the prices and the hassle involved in getting stuff out to the bush. It's like stocking up on provisions before you head back out.
The villages I serve fax their grocery lists to the Safeway in Homer on Wednesday. The stock is pulled and then sent by barge on Thursday to the villages. If they request an item the store is out of the store just substitutes something close to the product requested. Villagers just go with the flow of not always getting exactly what they want. I found this so interesting. Further, they grab groceries when they are on the Homer side, grab a taxi if they don't have a car parked in Homer, unload the groceries from the taxi, load them into the bush plane, have family meet them at the runway in the village, unload the bags from the plane, load them onto a four runner, drive them to the house and unload them there. I am never going to complain about going to Fred Meyer in Salem and driving home to unload groceries. Good grief.
Teachings from my colleague today regarding Alaska. Alaska is a harsh state, she said. The weather is dangerous, the winding roads, earthquakes, wild animals, all dangerous. (There have been two earthquakes since I moved here in the beginning of September; the one on Monday of this week shook people up. I didn't feel it because I was driving). Don't drive on the sides of the roads in Alaska because there is more debris to give you a flat tires. I had this explained today, like there's more in the way of nails and such on the side of the road. Every 20 miles I saw a dead porcupine either in or on the side of the road. My colleague explained that there are lots and lots of porcupines in Alaska. I saw a dog pulling one off the road with its nose full of quills. The dog seemed unaware of the quills. Don't stop to help a dog hit by a car because they attack when they're hurt. Do not swerve to miss a bunny, dog, cat, small animal because the chances of getting hit by a car are great on these winding roads. She told me that I must try food if someone offers it or I will cause hard feelings. I gulped at the thought of the things I might taste.
I crawled in my bed tonight and wanted to share these teachings before I forget them. She gave me the up side as well. She said that Homer is wonderful, the people creative, accepting, loving and interesting. She said that my wearing long underwear shirts that show, singing out loud when the spirit moves me and having wild hair guarantees that I'll fit right in. So far that really has been the case.
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