Pre-Flight Information: Where the Hell Am I Going?

Days Until Departure: 13

So I'm going to Alaska. We all know that "Seward's Folly" is the largest state in the country (at 663,268 square miles), as well as being one of the two states outside the continental U.S. (Fun fact: after this summer I'll have been to both of those.) Since this state is so very large, saying "I'm goin' to Alaska!" potentially cover a number of different areas.

So let's be clear. I'll be stationed at the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, the second largest NWR in the country and the state.

The one labeled with an arrow. In yellow. No, I can't see Russia from there. Jackass.

Okay, we're looking at a refuge that's 29,941 square miles. That's still a lot of land to cover. From what I've learned about my job (which I will cover in a different post) I'll be traipsing all over the refuge chasing nesting waterfowl. I do have a home base for the 10 weeks I'll be there.Bethel, Alaska, is the 6th largest city in Alaska, with about 6,300 people. I know very little about the town I'll be living in for the majority of the time I'm there, other than the following:

• It's located on the Kuskokwim River
  
• You can only get to it by boat and airplane
• 62% of the population are Alaskan Natives
  
• I'm pretty sure there are no ice skating rinks there
  

I'm half wary and half excited about living in Bethel. I'm naturally a planning and information-gathering type (I was recently told I'm a "natural taxonomist") and this lack of information about Bethel makes me nervous. However, my boss will be taking me on a tour of town when I get up there on May 22nd, and this will be a great opportunity to get settled in a town without any family or friends to help me out.

As for what Bethel looks like, you'll just have to wait until I get there with the Canon.