Sat Nam Grounding

I made myself impervious. Any fear, any excitement, any overwhelming anxiety I was about to feel, I snuffed out with thoughts of being fully present. I enjoyed my last days at my hometown job. I enjoyed my last days in my same old bedroom, with my same old bed and my same old routine.

I even waited until the night before we left to pack. (Procrastination? Maybe.)

This strategy worked. Even on the three hour trip to the airport just after New Years, I admired the scenery and the banter of my sister-in-law and my mother. I fell silent, and took in the scene with a smile.

It was not until we hit the airport and were weighing our bags that a bit of anxiety hit me.

I had never been out of the country before. I had traveled quite a bit of the U.S. but never had I been “gone-gone”. Even my college was in a small Wisconsin town, just a two-hour drive from where I grew up.

I lucked out though. I knew my cousin would be at the airport in Micronesia waiting for me. My childhood friend, Andrew, had also accepted a position to teach Physics and Geometry. We were even able to book the same flights. Any time I began to feel overwhelmed, I just looked at my friend and smiled.

Especially once we hit Hawaii.

The trip had been long; draining. After about 18 hours of flying and airports, we were in Hawaii for a 22 hour layover.

We got a hotel room in Waikiki and basked in the last bit of U.S. culture we would see for the next 6 months.

After 3 hot showers, a short rest, and some yoga and meditation on the beach of Waikiki, we boarded another leg of the trip to Guam. From Guam, we had our final 45 minute flight.

We arrived in Chuuk, FSM, at midnight on January 3, 2016.

The air was musty and stale. My cousin and a few students were waiting at the airport for us with leis and a bus that would begin our journey up to campus, and a journey that I knew would mold me for good.