homeward bound

So here it is, the big 2015. Can't believe a new year has begun! Another year of saying yes to adventure, digging deeper into myself, and just enjoying this gudfala place. My 2015 has kicked off with some great travels so far! Laura and I went from Vila town down to Aneityum and then to Tanna, two southern Vanuatu islands. The best part about in-country travel is seeing how vastly different each place is. Every island has a different feel to it, both with the culture and the environment. The people are always the same with their friendly smiles, but each island definitely has its own fashion. Different skin tones, languages, styles of cooking island food, community layouts. The earth is different, too. Ambae is a jungle island- very bush with black sand beaches and rocky cliffs. Aneityum has much more coral and a forest full of pine trees! It's been a fun game of observations, learning about how the ni-Vanuatu communities have adapted to their dealt hands throughout this island nation.

And of course traveling with good friends has made it that much better. Laura and I have been great travelin buddies. Over these past two weeks, we've checked out Jen, Charlotte, Brittany, Dave, and Kirk's lives, with all the good local trails and sites along the way. A tall glass of laughs, delicious local food, kava, and going with whatever way the wind blows- the usual means of motion these days. Man I love island life.

I remember when preparing to come to Vanuatu, the current volunteers kept telling us "hemi depen" or it depends about just about everything because of the range of island living. It's slowly made more since to me over the past year- each person's individual experience relies on where you're placed and how you work yourself into the community. It's fun seeing your friends' digs and meeting their host families and whatnot. It's natural to get some site envy, too. For example, Brittany swims in Ivanjamp river every day for her bath! Dave does yoga in an inch of sea on an old coral reef! But traveling has also reminded me of how incredibly good home is. I love my little Ambae life and can't wait to get back in my own groove.

Speaking of home, I'm about to embark on some travels to the US! Talk about home! Looking forward to sharing some happy times with great people, filling my belly with good eats and a few extra cold beers, and treating myself to some forgotten luxuries. It's been almost a year (January 26!) since I've slept on a real mattress, taken a proper shower, or worn pants. Should be an interesting 3 weeks of readjustment! And I get to hang out with my new niece Lyla. That's about as cool as it gets. On the way back to Vanuatu, I pass through New Zealand for 5 days with the lovely Emma and Cameron, two friends I lived with in Oakland before I came here. Man!

I found this excerpt from a poem by Elizabeth Bishop called Questions of Travel in one of the New York Times magazines that my Aunt Gerry sent me. Thanks Gerry!

"Think of the long trip home. Should we have stayed at home and thought of here? . . . But surely it would have been a pity not to have seen the trees along this road."

I think that's beautiful. When I'm home in the states, I'm gonna try my best to describe the trees and wild flowers and ups and downs and goods and bads along my current road, but not sure if they'll ever be articulated or justified to satisfaction. And you know what I think? It's better that way. What a kick ass world we've got!

Until next time