If this was an audiobook, now is the time i'd tell you to close your eyes and imagine with me the scenes that are about to unfold. Unfortunately (and maybe fortunately for some), my voice will not be narrating the following events. In light of this minor problem, do your best to block out your surroundings and put yourself in my shoes as you read. What we experience on a daily basis is extraordinary, but our brains cease to process the routine information after the first few interactions. Let the following bi-weekly event be an example:
Late again, i run down the stairs, sprint after the truck and hop in. i nod at the passing church member or neighbor, wish that Ryan had driven around that puddle instead of through it, and then settle in for the drive to ACE for groceries. More head nods, some glares from a few protestants, two speed bumps, and we're on our way. i spend most of the trip staring at the surf, wishing either the swell was a better direction or the tide was high/low depending on the spot. When i can't see the waves, a few words and stories are exchanged between me and River. At ACE we run through our list, add some things not on our list, and spend too much money. We hop back in the truck for the ride back. About 100 more head nods and we're home. Simple.
The beauty (and ugly) that i'm surrounded with has been lost to the streamlined routine of life. Allow me retell the story as if it was my first time experiencing the trip:
Late again, i struggle locking the door. The deadbolt doesn't quite line up. I fiddle with the door as Ryan and River amble down the road in our toy-like mini truck. The lock finally slides in and i turn to run down the stairs. i'm careful to not trip down the extra tall first step, reach out for the deck above and swing down the remaining 4 steps being sure to duck under the chiseled out headboard that is still a few inches too short. Grabbing onto the burnt red four-by-four i spin around and then off the foot tall cement base; right into a puddle. Barefoot, i sprint across the gravel drive skimming above the worn out concrete that is now merely left over congregate. Hopping over the newly formed puddles i take a flying leap into the back of our moving truck to join River as "captain". Ryan is left driving because he is the only one who still has a valid drivers license (sucker). The pungent smell of flowers hits my nose as we pass the bushes in front of our coconut tree. The aroma is a mix between a bold gardenia and the sweet smell of pancake syrup. It is quickly overtaken by the smell of burning leaves with the faint, lingering stench of trash. Holding my breath as we pass, i give my usual nod and "len wo" to June and he returns with his predictable blank stare. i make a comment to River about how June never acknowledges us, he agrees, turns, and waves at Nelly-Sonia (one of his students) as we pass. Ryan hit three puddles that could have been avoided if he had just turned left, right, and then left again, but at this point, what's one more bump when the driveway is filled with them?
As we turn onto the main road, River and i head nod a few more times at the myriad of Neth family members sitting under the tin roofed "bus stop" that is actually just a place for them to sit and talk. We're then met with the condescending death glares of the protestant members who are just getting out of a church service (at 3:15 on a tuesday?). i do my best to grin and nod at each person we pass, but the judgement of a hundred women in ill-fitting (thankfully) local dresses is nearly enough for me to take the next plane home. After making our way through the herd (yes, contrary to what you thought in high school English class, the author does have a deeper meaning to their selection of words. Please read deeply into this) of people, Ryan, with copious amounts of protest from our 660cc truck engine, accelerates to our typical and blistering, cruising speed of 55kmph. My eyes bounce from the ocean, to the abandoned cement structure that used to be someone's home, back to the surf, and then to a local walking alongside the road. i nod as we pass, mutter "len wo", and proceed to duck quickly as a coconut tree branch nearly slices my face. We pass a small roadside stand; no green beans or papaya today.
The drive continues peacefully as we near Lelu (lay-luh). Ryan honks to pass a slow car, women are out sweeping leaves in their yard, a few people are cutting their grass with a weed-eater, and there are children playing in the middle of the road. The sights are picturesque, as if you were living inside of a National Geographic. The landscape and culture we live in here is like paradise, but i want to let you in on a little secret: where you live right now is paradise too. Take a moment to step outside (or look out of your window for the feint of heart). The weather, the geography, the people, and the culture you're in at this moment is amazing. The intricacies of your surroundings go unnoticed to your routine programed brain. For the sake of efficiency, you're missing out on the small nuances of your day to day life that make your life special. This week, pay attention, look, smell, feel, hear, experience something "new" that may have been there the whole time.
Updates: i need to blog more. School is in full swing again (a little routine is nice). Construction has started on the school! i'll be working on a short video to send to GMM (Guam-Micronesia Mission) as a report on our progress: woo. SPEAKING OF VIDEOS: we finally uploaded a video of Kosrae. Watch here. i'm wearing a hoodie and have goosebumps, acclimation is complete. Had a sore throat for 2.5 weeks, nothing a little amoxicillin can't fix. Thank you to whoever donated a complete collection of NatGeos to the school here (or Sam Robinson), our kids LOVE them (if you know who the donor was, thank them for us).
Enjoy your surroundings, keep exploring,
Tyler
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