Site Placement

I’m staying on Pohnpei! I’m teaching 1^st -8^th grade, with an emphasis on 6^th -8^th grade at a small Elementary School (Elementary is K-8 here). Unfortunately, due to safety reasons, I’m not allowed to post any further details about my permanent location on my blog. However, if you email me, I’ll gladly give you more information. Mom and Dad—I’ll call you on my Sunday at our normal time.

I’m super excited about my placement for numerous reasons:

1. I won’t have to get on a plane again! I’m still not over how excruciatingly long the flight here was, and I am definitely not interested in even looking at a plane again anytime soon. 

2. Inherently Pohnpei has the most volunteers, as it is the capital state of FSM. I am located within a 1 hour’s drive of 6 other volunteers and the closest two are only 15-20 minutes away. 

3. The Pohnpei volunteers tend to help with training. So in a year when the next batch comes, I’ll get to be part of the welcoming committee, help show the new trainees around, and perhaps teach a few sessions, which sound sweet to me!

4. The trainee that I’ve become closest to, Diana, is located 20 minutes away from me. Hurray!

5. I have easy access to internet! 

6. I’m close by to the Peace Corps office, in case I need anything, medically or otherwise. 

7. I can visit my current host family somewhat frequently.

8. Staying in the capital makes is exponentially easier for people to visit me!!! (hint- start saving up now)

Basically I’m super pleased. Language training starts Monday, and I can’t wait. It should be fun. 

I move to my new site mid-August. Prior to that I will be sworn in as a full Volunteer, which will result in two very important communication upgrades:

1. I will be given access to the Volunteer lounge, which has free internet access. So no more paying $1/min to use the public internet (aka rarely using the internet)
2. I will be given a cell phone, which means I will have a phone number I can be reached at. So no more $0.70/min to call home on the pay phones! Hooray!

As a result, I’m considering reinstating my Facebook once I move. I’ll keep you updated.

Yay, M78 Team Pohnpei!

In other news, I finally got sick! I’m a real Peace Corps Volunteer now. I had a wonderful stomach thing paired with a fever (and let me just tell you, a fever in a tropical climate is literally hell on Earth) from last Saturday night until Wednesday, which is why I wrote the previous two entries so long ago but never posted them. I had absolutely no desire or energy to walk to internet. I’m all better now, so no need to be alarmed. My Nohno worried enough for all of you back home. BUT, get alarmed, because as a result of my being so miserable, I FIGURED OUT HOW TO SWALLOW PILLS!!!! Only my family and close friends will appreciate what a big deal this is. But it came down to me desperately wanting my fever to break and having no other option, so I did it. I still struggle a bit (occasionally I can get the pill down on my first try), and I’ve only swallowed small 200mg pills, but still. This is a huge deal. Yay! I’m a grownup!

With love,

Christy