Hey friends,
It's been almost three weeks since swear-in, and I'm still not at my permanent site. But that's about to change! On Thursday, the three of us Mortlocks volunteers are flying out there, and I'm starting to get really excited. I'm happy to be flying, although from what I have heard the flight is, how do I say this... a little terrifying. The plane is an 8 seater twin prop and the runway on Ta (the only island in the Mortlocks with a landing strip) is short and narrow. I have been assured that the pilot is very skilled, but I'm sure it will be an interesting experience.
The last three weeks have been very mellow for me. I did help write that grant for the Chuuk Women's Council, but that really only took up about 3 or 4 days of my time. I spent about two weeks on Tonoas with my host family there who I absolutely loved. I played a lot of chess with my host father and had some great conversations with him on everything from his experiences living on Satowan to his (sometimes heated) conversations with the Jehovah's Witnesses who stop by every week. Any time I come in from the Mortlocks I am really going to make an effort to see that family.
For Thanksgiving, a bunch of volunteers came in to Weno from their various islands (everybody else has gone to their permanent sites by now, so I don't see them very often any more) and we had three Thansgiving dinners, one on Thursday one on Friday and one on Saturday. None of them involved turkey or mashed potatoes, but they were all pretty tasty. Although I expected to become friends with my fellow PCVs, I didn't think we would become this close. It's a little hard for me to believe that I have known these people for less than three months. They are all awesome people and we have become not only a support group for one another but also really good friends. Needless to say, it was great to see everyone one more time before I head out to Satowan.
Living here in the Pacific, there are many things that remain constant no matter what. It is always hot. It is always humid. The sun rises and sets at the same time no matter what time of year it is. That being said, there are times when I briefly forget where I am or what I'm doing here. If I get absorbed in a book, or am checking my email or Facebook, or am watching a movie, there's always a moment when I snap out of it and think "Holy crap! I'm thousands of miles away from home on a timy island in the biggest ocean in the world." I don't know if it still hasn't really sunk in that I'm really here, or if that will just be a constant feeling.
I'm doing my best to keep my mind in the present and focused on what I am doing here. It's hard though. I often find my mind wandering back to Colorado or Silver Spring (or sometimes my fellow PCVs) and wondering what everybody is up to. I'm hoping that once I get out to Satowan, I will be able to focus a little more on my work and my community. But maybe not.
Overall, my first three months of Peace Corps have been absolutley increadible. I couldn't have asked for better host familys or better Peace Corps friends. I am of the opinion that I can do anything and be anywhere as long as I am surrounded by poeple who I care about and who care about me, and I have that here.
So this is probably going to be the last post for a while. I'll be back in Weno next February or March (there's a chance I'll be able to access the internet before then, but no guarantees). Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah everyone, and I'll catch you up on my adventures in 2011!
Lots of love,
Ben
P.S. My old SAT Phone wasn't working properly, so Peace Corps issued me a new one. The new number is 8816-4141-9876. Same instructions as before to send a message, but new number.
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