What happens when you have the evening off while up North providing SLP services?

You go to the Arctic ocean of course!

Miigwech for taking us out!

Today we "commuted" 850 km by plane to our most Northern community, which we are traveling to both this week and next.

The views were amazing as always, though it did get cold near the end, and there is still a little bit of snow left here (even though it's the end of May)!

My favourite part was finding some shells from the Arctic Ocean!

We were so honoured to each receive a custom-made Ribbon Skirt last week when visiting a fly-in Indigenous community.

I think the highlight of the trip was when the kokums (grandmas) made us spin around while the Kindergarteners told us how beautiful the skirts were. 

We love this description from www.theribbonskirtproject.ca:

"For Indigenous peoples, the Ribbon Skirt represents our own personal reclamation. It represents reclaiming identity, and wearing that identity proudly. It has become armour. It is a cultural protection against assimilation and degradation. It is a reminder of our roles in our community as women and as members. It reminds us of our sacredness as women and the power in that. It tells our story of adaptation and survival."

And how fitting is the pink?

After 3 years of traveling to northern remote communities that are only accessible by plane, I've learned a few tips & tricks so that the trips go as smoothly as possible...

1. Batch meal-prepping. I am not kidding when I say I'll make 6 chicken pot pies at once, or two full crockpots of chilli. Soups, bagels, banana bread, casseroles, etc. are great for bringing up North and reheating, and have the added benefit of acting like an ice pack (since space can be scarce!).

2. Bring up as much water as we can. There are still 26 First Nations communities (and no, that's not a typo) without access to clean drinking water. We are visiting one this week. Even if a community is not under a water advisory, things can happen that result in not having drinking water.

3. Pack an extra set of clothes (and food) in a carry-on. This is good practice wherever you travel, but since we have to take 2 flights to get to each community, that is double the chance of lost or stuck luggage. Learned this one the hard way!

Have questions about being an SLP/service provider with Northern travel? Drop them below! 

Join me on a full travel day to a remote Indigenous fly-in community! Today was a full day including 2 flights, meeting with an audiologist, and some unexpected turbulence...

Questions about Northern travel or fly-in services? Drop them below!