Whitehorse was too small for me. So I’m moving to a city of 1,300.

The sourtoe cocktail, Dawson City’s claim to fame.

I got a teaching job in Dawson City. I start in August.

The posting came out last week. On a whim, I applied. The next day, I had a phone interview. The day after, I got offered the job. I’ll teach French and music on a one-year contract at a K – 12 school in Dawson City.

Dawson is a tourist town, a 7-hour drive north of Whitehorse — that’s right, I’m moving even further north. Dawson is home to the famous sourtoe cocktail, pictured above. That’s a real preserved human toe dipped into the drink like ice. Visitors take turns sipping it until the toe touches their lips. Once in a while, a fool actually swallows it.

I visited Dawson once a few years ago when I first travelled to the Yukon. It’s a lovely town that’s made up to look like the 1890s. Dawson revitalized its arts community in the past few decades and has a highly regarded arts college. People tell me it’s a warm, welcoming community where I’ll meet more of the colourful 5 percent. In the summer, it receives about 60,000 tourists. In the winter, there are 1,300 residents.

Now there will be 1,301.

I’m still wrapping my head about this. It seems like the right move. I was starting to get itchy here in Whitehorse. My friend said, “It’s like you willed this job into existence.” Another friend said “Holy f***. I couldn’t live there.”

The adventure continues.

For the record, I will not be tasting the sourtoe. My wannabe-ness has its limits.