Water Shortage

I've experienced many things in my life, mostly as a product of being a military brat but also as a direct result of my travel addiction. Even so, I've never experienced life without water. When I was in college at OC, the campus was very involved with an organization called Wishing Well (which helped get fresh drinking water to those without in Africa). It always seemed very far removed from myself . . . until now.

Have you ever been without water? I hadn't, not really, until now. Through an unfortunate series of events, Gambell is now without potable drinking water for the unforeseeable future. The water has apparently been contaminated and no one really knows when it will be tested or fixed. Practically speaking, this means no showers, no cooking water, no laundry water, no hand-washing water, and most of all NO DRINKING WATER. Do you know how thirsty you become without any water to drink?

It's not as if we could just go buy some soda or bottled water at the store; by the time we got out of school, our store had been cleaned out. Luckily, someone gave us a ride to the mountain spring for fresh water. Of course, we still have to boil and filter it . . . but at least it is gasoline-free.

We also set out plastic totes to catch the rain water as it falls, just in case. We hope to survive off rain water for some time.




Just when I think I am used to living in the bush, something new happens and it's like starting over again.

-Megan