...like a herd of turtles! Tonight we checked in and submitted our paperwork for departure. We also got to meet some of our cohorts that will be joining us as Peace Corps volunteers in Fiji. It was an interesting and exciting mix of personalities, ethnicities, ages, and cultures. In other words, it was truly representative of everything that makes America great. We were surprised to find out that there is even another married couple joining us on this adventure; a delightful couple from Minnesota who are almost as sure to melt as we Alaskans are when the plane hits the ground in Nadi (pronounced "Nahndi").
Tomorrow morning at 8AM we begin pre-departure training. We're not entirely sure what that means, but we're sure it involves more paperwork and probably some commentary about personal safety (which can be summarized in the statement "Don't be stupid!"). Shortly thereafter in the evening, we board an Air Pacific jet for a 10.5 hour flight to the South Pacific Island Nation of Fiji! Everyone is excited about the "swim test" that is supposed to occur en route between the plane and the training facility. We will also attend a traditional welcome ceremony (called a sevusevu) where I suppose some of us may try kava for the first time (Michelle and I already have and it's a little like sucking muddy water through a used sweatsock...but it makes you feel very relaxed!!).
Anyhow, we're slowly letting go of our lives in Alaska and getting excited at the prospect of living and working in an island paradise. For those of you who haven't bothered to research where Michelle and I are disappearing to for the next two years, I'll make it easy for you. Just go to this link for the basics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji
We may be sans interweb for a few days as we settle in, but look forward to pictures and posts soon describing our experience on the ground in Fiji!!
No comments:
Post a Comment