I like to experiment with different hairstyles. Usually, I’ve always left the execution up to the professionals. But, with an urge to try and grow my hair out once and for all, partnered with the budget of a volunteer, I’ve decided to take my hair care into my own hands.
So I did what most people trying to learn a new skill for free do these days: look it up on YouTube. A few “How do I trim my own bangs” tutorial videos later, and I found myself in the bathroom of the volunteer house, staring at the mirror with scissors in one hand and a chunk of hair in the other, wondering if this was really the best idea.
I twisted and I snipped and I trimmed, just like the girls in the video said to, and my bangs look fine. I mean, it’s only hair, and it will always grow back. But I’ve found that, recently, I’ve learned the extent of my ability in other aspects of life as well, outside of the beauty world.
Like fishing! I had never fished in any way, shape, or form before being here. But a handful of times late this summer, I found myself setting nets, gathering salmon, and learning to fillet, thinking, “if only my friends back home could see me now.”
Or hiking. Hiking in the Northeast is all trails and signs and constantly running into other people. Hiking in the tundra is sprained ankles and the threat of bears and a kind of quiet I’ve never quite experienced before. Through hiking, I’ve realized to trust myself and my instincts a bit more and to truly enjoy the great outdoors.
I’ve taught my body how to wake up early. Well, I’m still kind of in the process of getting used to that. But hosting the Morning Show means getting to the station by 5:30am every weekday and trying to wake up and get ready sometime before that. It means adjusting to doing my whole DJ shift in the dark these days. It’s learning to send myself to bed at an hour when the rest of the house is still hanging out and watching movies. But it means I’m learning how to take care of myself.
I’ve learned to enjoy Zumba. That doesn’t really have anything to do with being in Alaska, but it’s an activity I’ve started to enjoy since being here. Fumbling over my feet and feeling like a cast off from a So You Think You Can Dance try out, I’ve learned to be open and vulnerable, realizing that things outside my comfort zone can be quite fun as well.
And I’ve learned how to cook here — not only how to cook, but how to cook meat. I was a vegetarian for about 4 years before moving here. Coming into a culture where meat is so valued and integrated into the lifestyle, I decided to put that diet on hold. Yet, there’s something incredibly humbling about holding a piece of meat and having to admit to my roommates I have no idea how to prepare it.
It’s inevitable that during this volunteer experience we grow into new versions of ourselves, with unique skills to take back home. And I am constantly surprised at what I continue to learn in Western Alaska.
