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Fijian Update

Some big news from my soon-to-be-official Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji....

His final site is Namarai Bay!

This is where he will be living and working for the next two years.

They are building him a traditional Fijian house called a "Bure." It is essentially, a structure of pounded bamboo and local grasses. He'll have no electricity, but will be getting solar panels to charge lights and his computer. 

Its a pretty remote place and unfortunately he's been told that the cell service there is questionable. He will either get service, or he won't, but until he actually gets there we won't know. We're trying not to worry about it till we see how the situation is.

He is currently spending his last night with his host family before heading out for his last week of training in Suva (one of the bigger towns/cities). He will get hot showers and quality American time with other volunteers before he's dropped off in Namarai Bay and on his own. By Friday, he will be officially sworn in and no longer a trainee.

Meanwhile

Time. 

I'm frustrated with it. Its strange how I've spend so much of my life wishing for more hours in a day to get things done and suddenly wishing for less. I feel guilty for wanting time to speed by. But really, I am leaving for the PEACE CORPS in 217 days. I hit submit on my application over a year ago. I am past the point of impatience for my departure date to come already.

I'm normally such a go-getter, a live-in-the-moment type of person, but for the time being, I'm kinda stuck in limbo. My future is much more exciting than my day to day life and its hard to focus on the now. I continually daydream about visiting Max or Mozambique. My American life pales in comparison.

BUT there's not much I can do about Time. Its just kinda there and continual ticks at its constant steady pace. In the mean time I plan to keep busy (my not so secret ploy to make time fly).

Between now and May I hope to:

-run a half-marathon in December (maybe a full in April)

-study for and take the GRE

-work work work

-learn Portuguese

-and fill my remaining hours with volunteering, friends, and family

Time doesn't make the long-distance stuff any easier either. I try to always be honest about my feelings in this blog because I know other volunteers or future volunteers may be searching for long-distance advice as well. I try to stay positive (despite all my complaining in this blog, I'm really quite a glass-half full person), but at times its tough and when I'm feeling really down, writing it out helps.

My life is continuous ups and downs now. I'll be fine one day, but then find out that Max can't call tonight, or realize that I still have so many months till I leave. It's just hard; really hard to be separated from the person I love most in the world. I want to share and hear every detail of his day and my day, but sometimes he only has a few minutes to talk which is rough. Enough to say a quick "I love you" or "Good night". He is busy as a trainee; his schedule is packed and with the time differences and lots of rain in Fiji, finding time for him to call has been lacking the past few days. I miss him, a lot. The worst part is that this isn't exactly going to get easier. I said that I was training for a half-marathon, will long-distance relationships are like a marathon as well. Its hard at the beginning we're only 1.75 months down the 27 month total and that's not including the additional separation with my service. I don't see us quitting, but I'm already struggling, not with keeping up the relationship, but with general feelings of sadness and longing for him and we've barely begun.

Right now I am cheering on the sidelines while Max has his 8 month head start. I just really really miss him and its tough knowing we'll still be separated for 2+ years.

Senga na Lega

Senga na Lega: It means "no worries" in Fijian. The first time I heard this, I, of course, had to continue the classic tune from the Lion King. Its no surprise that Fijians have a phrase to match their laidback island lifestyle!

The boyfriend, ie: Max, continues to enjoy Fiji and I was finally able to procure some pictures!

Max is a kid magnet everywhere he goes!

Just hanging at a waterfall, no big deal ;)

I don't think Arizona even has the ability to contain this many shades of green!

Relaxin' in Paradise

Gracing a Rugby tournament with his presence

In less than two weeks, Max will learn where his final placement will be and then on November 1st he will be officially sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer! 

I'm proud of him. Although I often complain of my time stuck waiting for my own departure in the US,  he's struggled through ups and downs as well. Sure, its Fiji, the so-called "posh corps" of Peace Corps, but being separated from home and those you love can be tough too. Food is different, culture is different, and its hard to ever really feel comfortable when you have so little control over your immediate future. It'll be exciting to see where he's placed; there's a rumor he may be sent to an outlying island.

We are able to communicate almost daily (though I'm still figuring out the cheapest way to do this) and it is great to hear about his days. Stories of rats falling from the ceiling, crazy thunderstorms, cliff jumping, bucket baths, rugby, the paradise-type views around every corner. We drag out our conversations never wanting to be the first to hang up. We talk enough to capture our days together, but its not quite the same as being with each other.

Time is my greatest adversary at the moment. Luckily, it continues to drag on no matter what you do. A considerable amount of time stands between now and when I can visit Max, an even larger chunk between me and Mozambique, and years between now and when Max and I will be living again in the same country. But pass it will, albeit at a glacial pace. I'm just impatient with waiting and ready to get started on an adventure of my own. But "Senga na Lega," no worries, life will continue and each day is an opportunity for an adventure in itself!

The Price of Love

Relationships in general are expensive. Dinners for two, movie dates, concerts, gifts....love doesn't have a price, but the money sure seems to disappear more quickly! Long distance, even more so.

Email/Skype: free but not accessible at moment

Text to Fiji: $0.03

Call from Fiji to US: $0.18/min

Text Fiji to Phoenix: $0.19

Letter to Fiji: $0.48

Call from US cell to Fiji: $0.50/min

Call from US landline to Fiji: $3.51/min

Package (small padded envelope): $12

Package (8x10 padded envelope): $18

Package (small box): $24

Stuff in packages (candy, mac n cheese, magazines, cookies, Halloween goodies): variable

Roundtrip airfare Phoenix to Fiji: $1150

That day I get to have my hollywood airport reunion moment: Priceless

What brings up this post? Well, lets just say I made a huge tiny mistake. I foolishly used my landline phone to call Fiji all through the month of September not knowing the rate because it had the best connection and fewest dropped calls. Long story short, the phone bill was nearly twice the cost of roundtrip airfare!

Luckily, I was able to get it reduced by backtracking to an international calling plan, but its still a lot of money that could have been spent elsewhere!

Wake Me Up When September Ends

It has finally been a month....1 month and I am still in Phoenix, the boyfriend is still in Fiji. But we have made it this one month, which I count as an accomplishment. I don't know about anyone else, but September is my least favorite month of the calendar year (December is top...birthdays and Christmas can't be beat!). Every other month seems to have something going for it, but September, nothing, nada. Its bordered by the beginning of the school year and Halloween. It always seems to crawl by only to be forgotten.

October though, October feels positive. Pumpkin spice lattes, boots, and Hocus Pocus; October has reasons to get excited! 

Every morning I woke up excited to cross off another dragging day.

Any other Peace Corps volunteers looking for advice about long distance relationships: its not easy. The first month is crappy, plus it was September so double crappiness. But we're figuring it out. We talk on the phone almost daily. I'm able to text him for 3 cents a text. Though its expensive for him to text back, these one-sided conversations keep me sane. Knowing that I can tell him things throughout the day makes me happier and makes his absence not quite as pronounced. We are committed to staying connected, whatever it takes. International calling is expensive, but I would pay anything to hear to his voice everyday.

Its just weird that I haven't actually seen his face in a month. Unfortunately, I won't be able to visit till February :( The Peace Corps doesn't allow visitors during training or your first 3 months at site. February cannot come soon enough!

 But its exciting to know that all the experiences I get to hear him gush about will be my experiences, in some way or another, once I get to Mozambique! Plus I have tons of time to save up for more plane tickets to Fiji and learn some Portuguese! Tchau! (Goodbye!)

The countdown has begun...abeit a little early. 235 days to go!