Well, it’s mid-4th quarter: the final stretch of my final semester here at Xavier and in Micronesia. Looking back on my entries, it seems like only days ago I was sitting on my bed during a bland, hot middle-of-August night, packed up and ready to take flight the next day. In latest news, I tried to make it work for another year since I don’t really feel ready to leave, but it doesn’t seem like it will work out for various reasons. I might end up swinging into Pohnpei for a few months next year, but right now who knows. I’m too preoccupied mentally preparing myself to leave Chuuk in a little less than 2 months.

Easter was fun. We had a few days off which were mostly spent relaxing. On Sunday, we went downtown for mass and a pretty decent Easter brunch at Truk Stop. Now that we’ve successfully and significantly entered April, the school is focusing mostly on Track and Field events which are a pretty huge deal among the different schools, and the islands in general. There’s some kind of faculty relay which I think I’m meant to run in, but for the first time since I’ve been here I’m a little sick with a persistent cold and cough, so it might not happen for me.

This past weekend the faculty and staff went to Pisar for our retreat. Some of it was meant to be spent in silence, but one of the Australians and I mostly went off on our own: we waded out to other, smaller islands and walked along the reef to watch the waves break on walls of rock and coral. I did some snorkeling, ate a bunch of coconuts, and lounged around in the hammocks. The last time I went to that island, I was two months into school and now I’m basically two months out. I’m hoping to make it back there once more before I leave, maybe with only a few people so it can be a more intimate experience. I would hate to not be able to see it again. I think it’s really what most people would envision when told about paradise tropical islands or secluded, untouched land.

Speaking of which, there’s so much I want to do before I leave! I guess that’s simply just more incentive to come back and visit sooner rather than later.