![](https://iditarod.com/wp-content/themes/iditarod/images/icon-instagram.png"){kind=icon}
Juli Westrich 2023
Change is hard. It is also the one true constant in life. Although we often wish to hang onto the present, the comfortable, the expected, the known – it is inevitable that time will pass, and we will need to adapt to new seasons, people, places, and situations. Change can be monumental, like adjusting to …
It’s my birthday in a few days, marking another trip around the sun. It’s been a year filled with experiences, destinations, and adventures that a short time ago I couldn’t have even imagined being part of my life. Iditarod has given me many gifts this year, but the one I am most grateful for is …
When I returned home from the 2023 Iditarod multiple people asked, “What surprised you the most about your time in Alaska?” I know they expected comments about the cold, or the wildlife, or the dog teams. My actual answer isn’t flashy or shocking. The biggest surprise was the vastness of the remote Alaskan wilderness. Imagine …
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and elementary kids are busy creating paper posies and coupon books to let the “Mom” in their life know how much they are loved. You’ll notice I put the “Mom” in quotes, as this day has evolved to rightfully incorporate not just biological mothers, but any important female …
Iditarod dog teams provide a perfect opportunity to discuss the difference between equality and equity with our students. Dog Teams consist of diverse personalities all working toward a goal. Much like a dog team, the classroom is a group made up of individuals, all of whom need different supports to be their very best. Some …
The Iditarod Trail checkpoints are full of contrasting histories -some are villages inhabited by Alaska Native families who have lived there for generations while others are gold rush towns created by an influx of foreigners seeking their fortune. In the villages of Nikolai, Anvik, and Kaltag I witnessed the challenges and hardship of living off …
According to a study by busyteacher.org, teachers make 1500 decisions per day related to their work in the classroom. The role of educator, at every level, involves informing, assessing, administrating, facilitating, and de-facto parenting. All day long we make choices – and the heart of these decisions is our responsibility to our students. SEL:Snack posts …
I took nearly 4,000 photos over the past few weeks. Most of them were on a physical camera and it will take time to sort through them all. I rarely used my phone to photograph the big moments, but I pulled it out once in a while to capture the candid moments; those times where …
Iditarod 2023 is coming to a close and it’s ending just as it should, all the pieces coming together, all the loose ends tied up, all the closure necessary to move forward and back to real life. Last night the race concluded with an epic finish. Jason Mackey came up off the ice to receive …
“Camaraderie is built through shared agony and laughter. “ Today, just after noon, the journeys of Gerhardt Thiart and Bridgett Watkins came to an end – a successful finish in the 51st Iditarod. Their trip to the burled arch in Nome began more than a year ago when they both started the 2022 Iditarod ready …