On to the next one......

After over three years the time finally came to leave Cameroon. It was not easy to pack up everything that I had accumulated, say goodbye to the friends I had made and head back to the United States…. I thought about staying longer and looking for jobs but that got really complicated and I knew it was time to leave- I hope I can make it back someday to visit. I became really sad and knew that I was going to miss all the personality that Cameroon had to offer- the crazy interactions you have on a day to day basis that would never happen in the United States. During the last week or so, I knew it was time to go and I was ready for the next step.

London

I got nervous of the idea of moving back to the United States- I haven’t lived in the United States since I left in May 2010- close to five years ago. So…. I did what most people would do…. Start looking for more international opportunities. I ended up going on a whim and applying for a Peace Corps Response position in Vanuatu as a back up while I was also applying for jobs in the U.S.

Cleveland with the whole family

I left Cameroon and began visiting everyone that I could on my way back and used up a good chunk of my savings and all of my frequent flyer miles and got to see London, Cleveland, New York, San Francisco, Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Miami, and Detroit- it was really incredible to reconnect with everyone. Seeing all these places and people just confused me more about what I want to do and where I want to live….Then I got offered the position in Vanuatu at a point where I was starting to feel comfortable with the lifestyle and pace of the U.S. and the thought of leaving again to a country literally in the middle of nowhere sounded intense. And a bit overwhelming. At this point, I want some stability in my life….. but it will just have be put on hold for the next year.

Key West with my Dad

Niagara Falls 

Ann Arbor 

Sunset at the Big C in Berkeley

My next position is serving as a Documentation Planner working with the Vanuatu Cultural Center, The Office of  Government Chief Information Office and the University of the South Pacific in Vanuatu as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer.  Peace Corps Response is an extension of Peace Corps where after serving a full term, you have the option to apply for position that you get to pick the job and location which last for 6, 9 and 12 months. This time I will be living in the capital, Port Vila for the next 12 months, so life will be a lot different from my time in the jungle in Messamena. I will be based in the capital, Port Vila, of roughly 40,000 people.

Vanuatu looks crazy. I am excited to get to know this new island nation- it seems like it will fit my personality well. I always like to dedicate myself to what I get involved with so I worry about never coming back.

Vanuatu is a country in the South Pacific right on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is comprised of 83 islands, 65 of which are inhabited. If all the islands were combined it would be the size of Connecticut and with them spread the way they are, they span the size of California. There are 9 active volcanoes- 2 are still underwater, there are regular earthquakes (A 6.8 just 2 weeks ago) and they are currently in Cyclone season. There are 123 languages (aside from English, French and Bismala, a creole tongue, which are the official languages. With a population of about 240,000 people, there is a different language on average for every 2,200 people. How do so many languages survive and exist in such a small place? Some say Cannibalism played a big part to this as it was a wide practiced ritual up until 1969- people knew not to stray too far off into the jungle. This place sounds intense. But at the same time it is paradise.

I fly out in about week and it will take 4 planes and over 20 hours of actual flight time not counting the layovers to arrive. My flight was originally scheduled to leave March 15^th but due to cyclones passing through it has been delayed until the weather clears up.  The longest leg of the flight will be 11 and a half hours from Los Angeles to Nadi, Fiji… 11 and a half hours over the open ocean the entire way. I will spend 2 days getting oriented with the city then me and another Peace Corps Response Volunteer and I will spend a week in Bismala language training on Moso, an island just north of Efate, where the capital is located. I really don’t know what to expect. The best thing to do is have no expectations… it seems to work best in these situations and helps you adapt.