I am sure that Tiffiny will KILL me for putting this up. (Hopefully my story will help her forgive me... Seriously though, please read on about my admiration, Tiffiny, before you completely disown me as a friend!!!) I firmly believe that this day and experience changed our relationship from consultant and project coordinator to mutually-admiring friends. We travelled from Quaqtaq mid-morning on our way to Tasiujaq. It was a relaxed day for that trip, without presentations or "work", so Tiffiny decided her running clothes would be a comfortable outfit for the plane... 
At that moment, I didn't think about reminding everyone about the first rule of northern travel- "Always keep the stuff you ABSOLUTELY need the next day in your carry on". I regret that for the added stress it caused us later that day. I thought things had gone flawlessly until we landed in Tasiujaq; my Facebook message to a friend in Kuujjuaq to pick up lunch and deliver it to us at the airport worked amazingly despite our quick connection, the flights were smooth and the agent had "ou la la mix" (my favourite snack they offer exclusively on Air Inuit) and no one was on stand by due to last minute overselling or hospital or police needs. Spirits were high as we landed and pulled into the sunny little town of Tasiujaq, then as the engines were slowing down the pilot turned around to ask if we had been told that not all the luggage was able to be put on the plane since it was a full flight. My heart dropped and I saw everyone's stress level rise a bit. We said no we hadn't, and as they removed the luggage we realized that although I had no need for my bags, both of mine were there and the two main ones that were missing was Tiffiny's suitcase with her computer plug and clothes as well as one of the translation equipment cases. At the agent's desk, they said there would be no planes until the following afternoon and I insisted that we only had two days so if it could come on a medivac flight or any cargo flights before the morning we reallllllly needed that. (Since they hadn't asked us to prioritize the luggage we needed versus what could wait until the next day, I think they knew that they had more pressure on...) I asked if I could speak to the agents in Kuujjuaq, desperately trying all means possible to give any hope to our team. They said that there was a very low chance that we would get it, but I explained that if they could send an extra flight for cargo and our cases or whatever I would be at the hotel so they just had to call so we could pick them up. I told them I would kiss them on the lips the next time I was in Kuujjuaq if they could make the miracle happen. I was that desperate.
Tiffiny looked at me before we drove to the airport with the most serious face I had ever seen on her. "I CAN NOT present looking like this Gillian!!" I tried to re-assure her that we are relaxed in Nunavik, we aren't caught up on image, but that we look at the person not the clothes, and that it would be a "stretching experience" for her. She just looked at me like I was on crack. The options for clothes shopping is limited in small towns, so I had Nathalie the principal bring us to the co-op store immediately. As Tiffiny browsed through the two aisles of hanging clothes she couldn't help but notice the inflated prices and lack of selections. There wasn't much even in her size and it made the situation seem even more bleak. I knew it would be a very long two days, we weren't even sure that we would find a wire for her computer to be plugged in so we had planned to transfer things to my laptop before the battery was fully drained. I wasn't sure we could pull it off since we didn't even have the equipment for one team of interpretation to work either...
At around 4:30 we had a call from the airport, and thankfully they decided to send an extra flight, as another passenger had been bumped off, so they could easily fill the plane with everything that was left behind. My team thought I had pulled off some magic, but thankfully Air Inuit helped us out on that one. We celebrated the last night of that training trip with old music, dancing and singing until midnight. We had overcome the challenge that had unexpectedly been thrown our way and have lots of great stories to tell of the trust and respect it built between us. (PS I am hoping that Tiffiny will forgive me for sharing the picture of her- that is full of life, positive energy and joy- since she has very embarrassing videos of my awkwardly enthusiastic dancing, so payback could be easily taken! hehehe) I appreciate this woman a lot!! Tiffiny has supported me professionally with sincerity and wise guidance. She's kicked me in the butt a couple times and encouraged me to use my knowledge and skills more assertively. I wish we could get her up north so we could work more often together. She is genuine, and takes time to observe and assess situations without judgement before helping discern what advice fits best. She's not one to brag or show boat about her skills and understanding, but humbly works towards healthy, sustainable systems of support for the humans. She promotes empowerment. I like her ethic and have appreciated the time and effort she puts into our friendship and professional relationship.
Song of the Moment: Let it Go by Fossil Collective
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