Wheels Up!

With less than a week left in our Peace Corps service, we’re pretty anxious to move on.  Before we leave, here’s a brief recap of our last couple of weeks.

We both have finished up our work at the Pohnpei Department of Education.  For Roger, that has meant one last Principals’ Academy session.  He also facilitated another strategic planning session involving District Office leadership, principals, a couple of Pohnpei State legislators, and the Governor.  The goal was to give substance to the overarching challenges faced by the Department, along with identifying short- and long-range solutions to those challenges.  Similarly, Lin just finished up a final session with the newly formed Lead Teacher group.  These teachers have really taken hold of their new-found importance within the educational system and have been a fun group to help develop.  We have both been asked to return to Pohnpei occasionally to continue guiding some of these efforts.  For lots of reasons, we’re not sure that will happen, but it is gratifying to experience their appreciation.  Speaking of appreciation, we were honored by the Department with a dinner the other night—lots of food offerings and kind words.

Aside from work commitments we are hoping to get in one or two more hikes within the next week.  There is a waterfall Lin has yet to see, and we would like to climb to the top of Sokehs Ridge for one last view of the harbor and this end of the island.

(A few days later)  We did get in a last hike on Sokehs Ridge.  Quite fittingly for Pohnpei it rained for most of the hike.  When we climbed the look-out at the top, we saw absolutely nothing….everything was completely socked in with fog!  Lucky for us, we took our umbrellas.  

As most of you know, we are taking the long way home, heading west with an initial stop on the island of Biak, Indonesia where Roger’s father served during WWII.  From there, via Singapore, to Cambodia for several days at Siem Reap and the temples at Angkor Wat.  From there, via Bangkok and Qatar to Morocco where we will spend several days in Marrakesh and a couple of days trekking in the Atlas Mountains.  From there, home!  If all goes as planned, we expect to be back in the Adirondacks by April 20.

All of the above will likely generate one last blog post, once we are home and settled.  It has been fun sharing this Peace Corps adventure with all of you.  We look forward to reconnecting soon!