WHEN IN NOME

We spent Monday and Tuesday getting the lay of the land, covering details for Kim (still presuming she would finish) and seeing what the days brought. Most activity centered around Iditarod HQ in Nome, a temporary set-up in a small community center where anyone from famous mushers to local natives are apt to be hanging out drinking coffee, buying merchandise, following the race on-line and staying warm.

Jean hadn't been to Nome before either, but she already knew many of the faces and players associated with the Iditarod due to her previous attendance at their teachers’ conferences as well as past volunteerism, so I was in good company. Before I knew it I found myself: at a birthday party; at the shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade I ever saw; being interviewed by a school in Nebraska in a video conference and having a visit with family in NJ via the Nome webcam!

Eventually we got the word on Kim’s scratch and above all else we were glad to know she was safe. We were also sad that what she worked so hard to accomplish just wasn’t meant to be at this time. Overall, the harsh realities of the unusually harsh weather complicating the race for veteran and rookie teams alike made for a bittersweet night.