Last weekend we went to a picnic island and spent two nights there. I'm sure it is the kind of place where everyone pictures me living when they think of me in the Pacific. It was very small, with white sand and coconut trees. Hammocks made of fishing net were strung between trees, encouraging people to relax and enjoy themselves.
The trip was organized by the current Chuuk Peace Corps volunteers and I am so thankful they wanted to do this for us (the new trainees). We arrived Friday afternoon and stayed until Sunday, giving us plenty of time to talk, swim, eat, play games, get advice, and explore the reef. I say plenty of time, but I could have stayed there for a week.
Never before have I seen water that was so many shades of blue and green. Looking out over the water I first saw a light sea-foam green with the white sand below, further out a is was blue, then changed to bright turquoise. As the ocean met the sky it was a navy blue. For the first time in my life all those paint colors made sense: aquamarine, sea-foam green, pacific blue. I was seeing them all in their true form.
Little hermit crabs were everywhere. When I stood still I watched the crabs make their way across the sand. As I walked the shells would drop down to the ground, in an attempt to convince me that they weren't crabs at all, just shells in the sand. If you picked one up, it would hide inside it's shell. To encourage it to some out, and much to my amusement, Ben demonstrated that you could stick your tongue out and say, "bladle bladle blodle." Sure enough the crab would crawl out of its shell and reach out into the air. It reminded me of humming to snails on the coast of Maine.
The first night we were there the moon was full. It shown down on the water, creating a rippling moonbeam trail reaching to the horizon. It was so beautiful and bright! I was turning in circles in delight and pure satisfaction when I noticed a moonbow over the island. The moon was shining to brightly through the sprinkling rain that a full moonbow was arching over the entire island. The sight was magical. We were shouting, laughing, hugging, and dancing in excitement over the moonbow.
Being on the island allowed us to relax and connect with everyone. The current volunteers have been so helpful and honest with us. Their stories have made me laugh and cry, filled me with anticipation and excitement as well as apprehension and nervousness, and have given me true insight into what lies ahead. Each of them has shared their stories, hoping to make our experience just a little better, giving us a heads up and tips for things we may encounter. It will be so sad to see them leave and head back to the US.
Next week all of the current trainees will become Peace Corps Volunteers and then will head off to our own islands for service. After creating all these wonderful friendships it will be so hard to say goodbye. I have become so close with everyone that being the alone on my island is a bit intimidating. I know I'll make connections, but initially I'm sure I'll feel lonely and crave the closeness of other Peace Corps Volunteers. Spending an weekend together on our little island was a gift. Thank you M77's, you are so wonderful!
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