snowflakes fall in the september breeze.

28th september. this is what our eyes saw. as we awoke to greet the day.

villages.

sometimes i wonder. if the order of this journey had been rearranged. how i might see this place. this moment. differently. if i might feel more immersed. more connected. if i had first headed north.

but instead. my feet traveled south. my heart followed. and my eyes were changed. for good.

and it took time of course. everything takes time. but people took me in. showed me how to live. allowed me to be a part of their village. a part of their family. a part of their lives. so something in me still yearns for that. a sense of belonging. amidst vibrant culture. amidst authentic community.

and i have been welcomed where i am. and i do live in a close community. and i have had opportunities to be amidst beautiful culture. but its just different. and somedays i feel more of an observer than a participant.

and while i adore this little town. something in me has longed to experience village life. anticipating a deeper cultural immersion. a retreat to simplicity. to subsistence. to roots.

only one of the surrounding villages is accessible by the road system. and the "work" i'm involved in is solely based in town. so. i haven't had opportunity to visit a village until just recently. when a bus full of elders and i ventured to teller for the annual cultural festival.

and we saw hours and hours of eskimo dancing. four different villages represented. beautifully intergenerational. with songs and drumming and movement flowing from somewhere deep within. connecting with sometime not so long ago. invitational dances. welcoming all. celebratory images of unity. of togetherness. across villages.

and we ate ekimo food of dried fish. and greens. and muktuk. and beluga. and we discovered cranberries ripe for picking. and we walked along the musical beach to see brevig mission across the water. and we saw cousins and aunties and uncles reunite. and we watched a community come together to support one another amidst struggles and questions. and we felt welcomed. and taken care of. and joyful.

and it was a fleeting glimpse. of a village. that is less isolated than most. during a special gathering. and i offer thanks for the visit. for a new place for my eyes to take in. knowing my perspective. my understanding. is terribly limited. and there are depths and dimensions of that place. of everyday life. that i cannot grasp at the moment. for i've only briefly observed. i haven't fully participated.

and i hope in a place. where i might be wholly immersed. amidst the reality of a place. amidst the struggles. the joys. of people. to celebrate. to honour. to live. to share. to love. and perhaps that place. is the very place i am in. in this moment if only my eyes might open up.

awareness.

as a part of hunger action month, this past week, i participated in food bank of alaska's food stamp challenge. it entailed living off a food stamp allowance for the week. which averages out to $34.47 per person. in addition to the food stamp equivalent, i was also allowed $15 for fresh produce or perishables and a few specified items to represent food bank commodities (green beans, fruit cocktail, tuna, apple juice). in addition, a friend could take me out to eat for $4.50. (with all these amounts, keep in mind, nome prices are significantly higher than in the continental us). i wasn't supposed to accept food from outside sources, which was a challenge in itself, as food seems to be continually offered.

the experience certainly raised my own awareness. it involved prioritizing. giving up things. and it would have been much more profound had i had a family to also feed. i wrote a couple of blogs on the food stamp challenge site. you can also read about others' experiences as well. there were fifty or so folks from alaska that participated. today was my final day. so i'm still figuring out what it means. and what it inspires. check out the blogs if you're so inclined. and i'm always available for questions...

returning.

a labyrinth journey. guiding us to a sacred center. a healing space. inspiring us to continue. into a wider world. to be amidst. then leading us back. to that place of restoration. on this continual cyclical sojourn.

we returned to the waterfalls. to the river. to the trees. to the places that spoke to our souls. the places where our souls found peace. in hopes of listening again. to lessons the earth might offer. in hopes of renewal.

yet in our rediscovery. these sacred spaces. had somehow changed. the images upon our eyes were inconsistent with the memories of our hearts. the tundra had been a landscape of pure green. generously offering ripe blueberries. the sunshine had warmed our skin. faithfully offering its presence. now the tundra was a spectrum of vibrant gold. compassionately giving ripe cranberries. and the sunshine hid behind clouds. as it gradually disappeared more and more each day.

yet this familiar place we nearly failed to recognize still held a certain beauty. still beckoned us to listen.

and the colours encouraged us to embrace the present moment. to risk of falling in love with that which is vanishing. yet irresistibly beautiful. and the berries inspired our continued thanks. to the grace of the earth. as she provided enough for her children. and the retreating sun opened our eyes. to the vast array of stars. continually present. yet often hidden. by a closer light.

stars leading our souls back to other moments of healing. stars reminding us of a vastness beyond the overwhelming landscape. beyond the fathomless sea. beyond all that is conceivable.

and though time arrived. for our journey to evolve. into new places. beyond this safe space. the beauty seen. experienced. felt. in its varied dimensions. is inherently a part of us. a part of our very breath. and it guides the rhythm of our footsteps. until we are lead back again.