So underneath is the e-mail i sent to most people yesterday, but i thought today was worth a post too. Ok, so today was ridiculous. As most of you know, i'm not very physically fit, yet we took a 4.5 hour hike from my school to the school that the other JVs are at...through mud, trees, forest, and up hill. I was miserable. I actually started wheezing at one point...i've never done that before. I took some pictures before that happened that everyone wants to see, the really beautiful ones of the clear blue pacific ocean. That and the stars are really great, but in general, that's not what i see every day when i walk out my door. I can see the water over some houses, but the water close to me is unswimmable because of the polution and docks. There is not beach all around the island. It is poor here, but not as poor as some of the other places i've been, or maybe it is, i'm not really sure. i also have yet to learn the culture better. Really i still know little other than it's hot and when it's that hot it's just plain stupid to take a 4 mile hike. I did it with machines too...i'm proud of myself now that it's over but i got so craby and NEVER want to do that again unless i can get myself into much better shape which would be great too.
Anyhow, i know that sounds like crabbing a little, but i am really glad i'm done. It's something i can say i did once, i saw the island a little better, and it's done...thank God. I'm just glad i'm no longer walking...haha. The view was beautiful though at lunch, and i got to see the true beauty of Chuuk as i have missed until now.

In general though, i'm doing well. still trying to put my feet on the ground. There is a lot to learn. I think school and community is going to be great, it's the heat and such that i need training for. One of the other JVs from the other island calls Chuuk Boot Camp...i think i experienced Chuuk boot camp today. So onward, the rest of this is the e-mail i sent yesterday. Hope all of you are well, love you and miss you!

Jessica

Hey everyone, How’s it going? I’m doing well. So not everyone is
getting this e-mail right now because I lot the list I created before,
but I just put as many people on the list as I could think of. Things
are going well for me now though. The first few nights were a little
hard because I got bit by something on the lip the first sweaty night
and my lip swelled to the size of a cherry tomato. Then the next 3
nights we got deathly ill, ok, I exaggerate, but we were really sick.
I’m better now though. I am meeting people which is nice and getting
slightly more used to the heat. Slightly. We’ve had teacher meetings
the last 3 days. One full day and 2 half days. Teaching is going to
be pretty demanding but if I can keep up with it I think I’ll like it.
I’m teaching English Skills to juniors which is more less writing,
English lit in which I get to read Anne Frank and To Kill a
Mockingbird along with other things from textbooks. That’ll be fun.
Then I’m also teaching Creative Writing which I could do a lot with I
hope…including some stuff for the school newspaper which I’d like to
start up again through journalism club which I sort of volunteered
myself for unknowingly. Oops.
Outside of school, we’re going to an outer island this weekend for
something….i don’t really know what. Haha. But we are. We’ve also
been having people over to talk about different things going on here
in Chuuk. One of the things that is really interesting and sad is
that the suicide rates here are really high. That might be a topic
of some of the papers in my English classes.
Additionally, the people I’m living with are really cool. Matt is in
his second year now and showing us around. We call him dad.
Caroline, Tyler, and I are all first years, and around the 20th Megan
should be coming. She will be volunteering for a 3rd year but this
will be her first year in Chuuk. She was on another island in FSM
before. I don’t really know what else to say. Hope you’re all well.
I’ll post on my blog and such as soon as I can figure it out!!!
Love ya’ll!
Jessica