made it!

Hi everyone,
I arrived in Kugluktuk this afternoon and am briefly on some borrowed internet until I can get mine set up. The flights were fantastic and I got to see a tour from above of the ice and snow that are still hanging around these parts. After a brief period of being separated from my luggage ("Where do I get my bags?", "Well if you go outside there's a piece of wood...") I got picked up and driven around a quick tour of town a d a walk through the health centre. Settling in tonight and my first day tomorrow!
see you soon,
kirsten in kugluktuk!!!!

Yellowknife

Hi everyone! Well, I successfully made it all the way to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories! The first picture is of me just before leaving Hamilton (yep, the suitcase was exactly 50lbs!) Left from Mississauga this morning at 6:15 and had the shortest check in time ever at the airport (no delays, only one bag, didn't even need to show my passport!) The flight was fantastic and had a TV in the seat, very fancy. Had a quick stopover in Edmonton where it was snowing, but luckily after a switch to s smaller plane and 2 hour hop across a mass of lakes and melting ice (so much water! Good thing I took that elective, which allows me to tell you that I saw some perfectly textbook oxbow lakes from above). The second shot is of gorgeous Yellowknife! I couldn't see the town until we were almost on the ground, but the taxi driver told me it is about 26,000 people and growing with jobs in mining and other industries. My hotel is on the outskirts of town near the airport, but in the picture you can see across the lake to downtown Yellowknife. It is hot and sunny here and I've managed to pick up some groceries (soup, canned beans, laundry detergent, duct tape, and a couple veggies) and settled in for a bit. Looking forward to getting some sleep and getting ready for my flights to Kugluktuk tomorrow!
see you soon,
kirsten (still not in kugluktuk, but a whole lot closer!)

Getting ready

Hi everyone! Well, it is t-minus four days until I leave. I am about half packed (and probably over the 44lb weight limit for the turboprop already). It's 30+ almost everyday this week in Hamilton, which is not so good for my weather transition, and also means I can't pack away the shorts in the basement yet! Last few days of work and play here, of course hoping the Bulldogs win tonight, and then I'm off! Counting the sunsets :)
Keep an eye every so often for updates! I depart for Yellowknife on Sunday and then on to Kugluktuk for Monday afternoon (where we are 1 hour ahead of Pacific time and 2 hours behind Eastern time, fyi)
see you soon,
kirsten (not yet in kugluktuk)