Decisions, Decisions

My goal in writing this blog was mostly to present a picture of what goes on as a PCV to people at home. I remember when I realized that I was going to be doing PC here, I read everyone's blog I could find. It was really helpful for me to see pictures and read posts, even though I definitely didn't know then that literally everything depends. 

Some people work in offices. Most people don't.

Some people are super tight with their host families, have babies named after them, are bridesmaids and babysitters and so on. Some volunteers actually don't relate very well with local people and act like shut-ins.

Some people drink tons of kava all the time. Some people are not into that.

Some volunteers have electricity and cold showers. Some have electricity and hot showers. Some have nothing but well water from a bucket.

Some people have markets; some people have banks; some people are close to airports and have lots of ships that service their islands.

Some people basically sit around on mats eating breadfruit all the time.

I'm thinking about extending for another year. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it yet, but I would like to. What to me is most interesting is that I have had one specific style of experience and I could have a different one. 

I'm really glad to have had the Tongariki experience and to know that, short of going to do Pis Kop Matthew Island and teach English to the seagulls, I've had a seriously legitimate bush experience. I only very, very rarely imagine what my life would be like if it was more off the edge of the map. I live out in Tongariki by myself without all of the creature comforts that I've learned I don't really need.

It would be exciting, though, to do something else. I feel really constrained by circumstances sometimes and I'd like to feel like I could not have to worry about transportation or materials or timing. I would like to never, ever, ever again have to do worst case scenario stuck on Efate budget calculations. I'd like to have a job where I felt like my talents were being used and I could put more energy into it. Teaching isn't it for me. I don't dislike being in the classroom here and I think I would like it in the States more, if I had the freedom (and the resources) to have a really creative, material-rich class. But right now I'm looking into different opportunities. I don't want to say yet what I'm thinking because I haven't signed anything yet, but it would be a great opportunity and really, really different. If Tongariki is like AMANDA RUSSELL: CLUSTER OF ONE this would be more like AR: C o PLENTY. My lifestyle would be really different. I keep joking oh, extend to the Torres, but really this place would be great and interesting.