Alaska travel conundrum

[orangecat92 306]

3 year veteran of teaching in the bush of Alaska, moving from one bush district to another.  Much better paying, theoretically more organized, etc.  New district is flush with cash, as are most districts in Alaska, decided to add two days to the front end of contract. Good extra money, but I have already made travel arrangements.  They say they are starting at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday July 29th in the hub, the big city of Kotzebue; district office location.

Original start date was Monday, August 2.   I signed a contract that reads start date August 2. 

I have an American Flight on Monday July 26- nonstop from DFW to Anchorage, and two nights in a motel.  Motel has walk-in freezer, which is why I chose the motel.  I am bringing 90+ pounds of frozen food from Texas, because grocery prices are so much higher in northern Alaska than anywhere on the planet, it seems. I plan to shop for dry groceries in Anchorage for a while and leave ANC for the Kotzebue area on Wednesday morning.   The district's website encourages big grocery hauls from far away, so I don't think they are trying to get us to spend bucks in Kotzebue.  I think they genuinely want some team building to occur.  Plus I think they are trying to spend the big bucks.  Use it or lose it is my guess. 

If I were to stick to my plan I would not be able to make it to the 8:00 a.m. July 29th start time, because of air taxi schedules from the village to Kotzebue,  but there is a local air taxi flight on July 29 that leaves my new village at 9:15 a.m. and arrives Kotzebue at 9:45 a.m. I could be at the district office by 10:00 a.m. easily, assuming the flight is on time. 

Now, when we say 8:00 a.m. in Alaska, that means the real starting time is probably more like 8:30 a.m.  Obviously I am still in the "honeymoon phase" in my relationship with the boss.  I don't want to be that guy who is late for the first meeting and/if the reason is not communicated correctly to the office staff, I would be going down the wrong road fast with the district office people.  I have found out that kissing ass to the main office is very important in Alaska. 

Options are: 

1. call the boss and ask to arrive at 10:00 a.m. on July 29, risk possible kiss ass relationship with district office people. 

2. Leave DFW a day earlier-bad-just checked- no decent flights, especially carrying the frozen food. 

3. Spend only one night in Anchorage, and leave as late as possible Tuesday, 3:35 p.m. flight.  I would have to hit the ground running, get the rent-a-car at 7:30 p.m. in Anchorage Monday and turn in back at airport Tuesday about 1:30 p.m. Minor negative, the groceries would only get one night in the walk-in-freezer.  I prefer those groceries hard as a rock.   

It's never easy with me.  

 

 

 

 

[hornbri 1508]

It feels like 3 is the best option, I assume the groceries are in a cooler of some sort? Not opening it should keep it rock solid for a couple days easily. 

[futureman 22699]

54 minutes ago, orangecat92 said:

3 year veteran of teaching in the bush of Alaska, moving from one bush district to another.  Much better paying, theoretically more organized, etc.  New district is flush with cash, as are most districts in Alaska, decided to add two days to the front end of contract. Good extra money, but I have already made travel arrangements.  They say they are starting at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday July 29th in the hub, the big city of Kotzebue; district office location.

Original start date was Monday, August 2.   I signed a contract that reads start date August 2. 

I have an American Flight on Monday July 26- nonstop from DFW to Anchorage, and two nights in a motel.  Motel has walk-in freezer, which is why I chose the motel.  I am bringing 90+ pounds of frozen food from Texas, because grocery prices are so much higher in northern Alaska than anywhere on the planet, it seems. I plan to shop for dry groceries in Anchorage for a while and leave ANC for the Kotzebue area on Wednesday morning.   The district's website encourages big grocery hauls from far away, so I don't think they are trying to get us to spend bucks in Kotzebue.  I think they genuinely want some team building to occur.  Plus I think they are trying to spend the big bucks.  Use it or lose it is my guess. 

If I were to stick to my plan I would not be able to make it to the 8:00 a.m. July 29th start time, because of air taxi schedules from the village to Kotzebue,  but there is a local air taxi flight on July 29 that leaves my new village at 9:15 a.m. and arrives Kotzebue at 9:45 a.m. I could be at the district office by 10:00 a.m. easily, assuming the flight is on time. 

Now, when we say 8:00 a.m. in Alaska, that means the real starting time is probably more like 8:30 a.m.  Obviously I am still in the "honeymoon phase" in my relationship with the boss.  I don't want to be that guy who is late for the first meeting and/if the reason is not communicated correctly to the office staff, I would be going down the wrong road fast with the district office people.  I have found out that kissing ass to the main office is very important in Alaska. 

Options are: 

1. call the boss and ask to arrive at 10:00 a.m. on July 29, risk possible kiss ass relationship with district office people. 

2. Leave DFW a day earlier-bad-just checked- no decent flights, especially carrying the frozen food. 

3. Spend only one night in Anchorage, and leave as late as possible Tuesday, 3:35 p.m. flight.  I would have to hit the ground running, get the rent-a-car at 7:30 p.m. in Anchorage Monday and turn in back at airport Tuesday about 1:30 p.m. Minor negative, the groceries would only get one night in the walk-in-freezer.  I prefer those groceries hard as a rock.   

It's never easy with me.  

seems like a common problem. 

[Tex Pete 21488]

I would do #3. Too many variables flying around the northern part of the state. I’ve missed days getting from ANC-OME on Alaska and days flying from Nome to villages on Bering/RAVN.  

[texastough 1142]

I was in Kotzebue 20 years ago. Don't bother bringing caribou meat they should have plenty. Glad I could help.

Re: groceries, what are your weight limits on luggage flying from Anchorage? My vote is to travel light the first time, and if/when you make a trip out to Fairbanks or something you can come back with the groceries you really need.