Welcome Home Bethel Style

We are back in Bethel. When one of the flight attendants checked our tickets and saw our final destination she said, “Do you live there? You must. No other reason to go there.” It wasn’t the most welcoming homecoming. It got me thinking about how according to a lot of people we probably live in one of the most undesirable places in the country. In many ways I can understand where they are coming from. I see the same rundown houses and the dust blown potholed streets. I cringed when the flight attendant called out, “Last call for Bethel”, on the plane because two passengers are on the verge of being passed out and have not stirred from their seats despite the fact that everyone else has exited the plane.

When we came here with Jamie it was with a sense of adventure. The first few days we hiked all around town and marveled at the uniqueness of this place. Jamie was as excited as we were walking on the river bank or gawking at the price of chips in the grocery store. Bringing William here has felt very different. He is tiny and helpless. He doesn’t appreciate that this place is like living in a different country, he doesn’t know what it is like to live anywhere. We have kind of hunkered down in our apartment. We are tired and cautious, trying to figure out life with two children, one a newborn in this town out on the tundra.

That being said, all has not been dreary. We got to ride home from the airport in the party limo, which Jamie has always wanted to do. You can rent the limo for an hour for something like a hundred dollars, but when they are busy it will also do regular pick ups. Since we had so much luggage they sent it to pick us up. The cab driver was optimistic and cheerful, and assured us that our nine totes could fit inside, which they did. Then as we pulled away from the airport he turned on the music and the strobe lights. Red and green designs danced around the interior of the limousine Jamie’s jet lagged face smiled goofily into the colored lights. It was a welcome home William party.