Meet Me in Micronesia: Seasons and the Second Year

I went to the airport 19 times this summer. Nineteen. In the span of less than 2 months. Goodbyes and hellos, more goodbye's to those I'd just said hello to, then finally hello to my two new community mates. Thankfully the airport's a quick 4 minute drive down the causeway from our apartment, otherwise I'd have been in trouble. Once my airport runs got into the double-digits the guys from Budget Car rental and the hotel shuttles started recognizing me. I bet they were thinking something along the lines of, "What the heck is the white girl doing at the airport again?"

It's been over five weeks since I've been to the airport, but yesterday I was running some errands in the priest's car and almost drove down there, just for kicks. But that season is over now, and a new one has begun. Summer was that perfect, bittersweet mix of good and sad and wonderful. I said goodbye to my second years and many Peace Corps friends who finished their service. I showed off Pohnpei to family, friends, and volunteers here for summer programming. I smiled a lot and I laughed even more. I also cried, a number of times, when it really hit me that someone had left and wasn't coming back, or that I had to say goodbye to my parents for another year.

One of the bummers about being a onesie (not having any other volunteers come to Pohnpei with me when I came) is that I don't have one or two other people to share my full 2-year experience with. The three people I shared my first year with are back in America, and I feel like I've had the rug pulled out from under me. I've lost my comfort zone. In those moments when it's still hard I let myself have two minutes. Two minutes to breathe or mope or say "this is hard and I miss so-and-so" before picking myself up and going on my way.

It is a new season, and in many ways I feel like I am stronger than ever.

The new community Natalie, Nicole and I are forming is supportive, simple, and life-giving. I have a new job description at school that is energizing and matches my strengths with the needs of the school.

Magically, now that I am a second year, everything feels normal. The staff at PCS trust me more and share more with me. I have friends. I feel known and feel like I know people. Everything isn't new because I did it all last year. I'm figuring out what the new normal looks like and I like it.