A little perspective...

As time creeps on and going home to visit gets closer everything seems to be like a festering splinter. All the little things are getting bigger and bigger and more annoying. It's not bad here it's just the isolation that gets to me every once and a while (probably the times I mostly post)! I was thinking this as I was walking from the school to the store in hopes to buy block or shredded cheese after three weeks of the store being out (yep, annoying, right? Just as annoying as my phone telling me every five seconds that my internet connection is unstable.). As I was walking two Papuan women were crossing the rocky unpaved road and there was my perspective. These women, one who had no shoes and the other shoddy flip flops, were carrying their heavy nokens on their heads and their hands were full (pictured below). They emanated such strength and devotion. They do whatever they have to do to survive (some stories are worse than others) and I had some self-reflecting perspective. Life always has a way of working out and at times we have to do what we have to do to survive and my selfish anger for needed cheese didn't seem that important anymore.

Hannah had to go to the doctor today as she hurt her arm. All checked out well and the convenience of the hospital again soothed my festering splinter. I spoke with the doctor and he mentioned going to the local village next week and I asked to tag along. So very excited to see and experience the local Papuan village but so very nervous about it.

My countdown mental note: exactly three weeks from today we will be on our way to Phuket, Thailand and six more after that we will be headed to the States where Hannah says she is going to cry in the grocery store isles and I will be crying over my chile rellano. The anticipated weird looks won't faze us -- we're plenty used to it here.

As always, to be continued!....