back to Satowan

Well today is July 15 - which marks only 5 months before I am back home in the US for Christmas and New Years! Until then, I plan on being at-site (Satowan) until my mid-service training conference, which will be the first week of December. That's roughly 4.5 months at site, which will be the longest span of time for me out in the Mortlocks. I am really looking forward to this long-haul, so I can further develop my language and make more of a connection to my island. Pray that I am effective and happy!

Coming to Weno, the capital island, is always a mixed bag. It's nice for the first week or so - air conditioning, pizza, pop, cars, more people, INTERNET! But, I seem to empty my wallet more regularly and lose my exercise routine. Most disconcerting, however, is the drifting feeling I get, in-between houses/sites/families and waiting in limbo to "go back home." The transition feeling is nice for a short bit, but it can be tiring. So I am happy to be heading back to my home away from home.

Richard, my host father, is back on Satowan, and the students have returned to their own islands for the summer. The "troublemaker" has returned to his island, too, so I am already feeling much safer and more secure. I also have guests to look forward to: fellow PCVs will be coming for a week or two, to tour the other Mortlocks islands, do some PC site development, and just relax and enjoy the outer island culture. The only thing I'm not looking forward to: the Satowan dogs. But I've purchased a machete from ACE Hardware to deal with that problem...

And so, life goes on! It is easy to be excited and peppy now, and times will undoubtedly fluctuate when I'm there, but Satowan is where I'm supposed to be and it's where I'm happy to be headin!

Sipwap pwal chu (until we meet together in the future...)
Alex