It's Wednesday--four days to go until Sunday when I set sails for Borneo. Like I said yesterday, I've been thinking a lot about life and death...I feel like I've been treating these past few days as if they're my last, ever. Which I know if ridiculous. I've been savoring every sunset and goodnight hug with Mom and Dad. I've been enjoying my bed, driving with the windows down, blueberries, CHEESE. I'm stressing about not being able to eat cheese for three weeks! Cheese is not one of those things you can really bring with you on long trips, unfortunately.
On top of Borneo/end of my life stress-I still haven't finished packing for school. Yuck. After packing, I need to clean up everything as well. Yet here I sit, procrastinating once again...it's only a matter of time before I start playing Tetris!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Being Dramatic
It's Tuesday before I leave. I got my final shot today, my daily contacts have been picked up, my Indonesian Rupiah (money) has been ordered. The tickets have been printed. Bags have been packed (mostly!). I'm excited but scared. There's been a lot of focus on life and death in my life lately. A boy I graduated with just died last week, the Aurora Colorado shootings occured and I watched a movie called Harold and Maude, which is all about life and death, with my boyfriend. The first two points just stress the fact that you never know what could happen to you or when your time will come and that's terrifying. In the movie, Maude focuses on living and being happy in who you are. I need to focus on being happy and being me during this trip. This could be my last trip of this kind, ever! I damn well better enjoy it! This trip could also be the start of many--but you just never know. Along all of these lines, I was listening to an old Death Cab for Cutie CD in the car and one of the lyrics is that "every plan is a tiny prayer to father time." It's strange to think how true that line is. I don't know what's better though, thinking about how quickly your life could be over or completely forgetting about it. I don't think you should live in constant fear of dying, but I think people need to take the time to enjoy their life and find happiness. I apologize if this is an annoying post, but if you read to this point, it must not have been that annoying. : )
Also, I am completely in love with my dog, Hunter. As I write this on our back porch, he is laying down in the dead, yellow grass, soaking up all the sun he can. Hunter is a dog that enjoys his life. Right after I typed that out, he started rolling around on his back and flipping back and forth from one side to the other. He is a good dog. I'll miss him a lot. And the chickens, who are clucking around him.
Also, I am completely in love with my dog, Hunter. As I write this on our back porch, he is laying down in the dead, yellow grass, soaking up all the sun he can. Hunter is a dog that enjoys his life. Right after I typed that out, he started rolling around on his back and flipping back and forth from one side to the other. He is a good dog. I'll miss him a lot. And the chickens, who are clucking around him.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
12 days....when did that happen?
I haven't written in almost a month, but I'm not really surprised. I have a way of putting things off, for example, I still have not packed, and I leave in less than two weeks. Smart, Erin. Packing for both Borneo and UConn is the goal of the day, yet here I sit, writing on my nearly abandoned blog instead.
I think I've been avoiding writing because of my growing anxiety surrounding this whole trip. Three weeks isn't very long at all, but it's long enough to give me some stress. I had a lot of trouble falling asleep last night when I realized I'll be leaving NY next Sunday. What if I can't navigate through the airports? What if I hate everyone I'm working with? What if I hate being in the jungle? And what will I do when I feel overwhelmed by homesickness and just want to go home? Those are some worries among many others. As for the airports, there are people to help me, and unfortunately I might have to test some people's patience, but I can figure it out, I'm sure. I'm betting that I will not hate everyone I work with, as they will probably be very similar to me--adventurous animal lovers! If, by chance, I do hate them-I'll only be with them for three weeks, and I have dealt with some pretty horrible living conditions before (foreign college roommate, Cherry). If I hate being in the jungle, again, it's only three weeks, I'll live, and probably learn to love it by the end. And if I'm homesick, UConn, again, has forced me to deal with it, this time will be different though because I can't make any desperate phone calls. Maybe I'll be better off totally isolated, and not hearing people's voices--it would probably just make me miss them more!
Okay, it's 9:06 AM, time to get moving and packing! First I thought I'd post a couple emails regarding the trip. First, my flight schedule! Bad idea, maybe, but I don't think I'm going to share this blog with many people until after the trip ends, so then no stalkers can get me! =)
Second is part of an email from our volunteer coordinator, regarding my group's time in Borneo!
Its a good size group with a couple of welcome volunteer returnees and I am excited to say we will get the chance to finish off the amazing start our team 1 made on a new release bridge at our satellite day release Camp Rendell. We will be finishing the ~200m of swamp bridge left to a patch of dry ground and hopefully building a much needed feeding platform for the ~30 orangutans that are housed in camp now. This sight is our newest daily release camp and is approximately 45 mins from the Main Care center. This means we will be living in what I like to think is somewhat isolated luxury. Be prepared for swampy walking, wielding hammers, saws, and chisels; bathing in a river, and sleeping in a year old Camp House. Electricity is generator only so flashlights and candles at night, but cell service is relatively reliable. We will be there for the length of the team, with the potential for limited days outside of camp so please be prepared to come with all you need.
We will also have the opportunity to work with one of our long term enrichment volunteers Wendy to do some improvements and make additions to the new and old sleeping cages at Camp Rendell. This work will likely be worked out as we are there and we will split into teams to work on this as well as the bridge building every day.
One thing to be aware of that some may not know is that you will all be arriving in Indonesia in the midst of Ramadan. This means that most of the country will be fasting during the day and only eating while the sun is down. For those of us not Muslim, we will be eating during the day while working (most of OFI's staff are Dayak and will be eating with us) however while you are traveling just be aware that most will not, and it is considered good practice to not be seen eating out in public during these days.
Also at near the end of our three weeks will be Idul Fitri a national holiday in which our Muslim carpenter staff will not be working. This holiday on the 19th lasts 2 days and involves a lot of eating after the fast and may mean that work will slow and we may even get a chance to participate in some of the festivities. As this is the first time Idul Fitri has fallen during a construction team, we will just have to do our best to work hard at the beginning and earn this break at the end! ;)
To finish of the post, here's a picture I thought was pretty funny that I found online when I typed in jungle explorer. She's got red hair and everything!
I think I've been avoiding writing because of my growing anxiety surrounding this whole trip. Three weeks isn't very long at all, but it's long enough to give me some stress. I had a lot of trouble falling asleep last night when I realized I'll be leaving NY next Sunday. What if I can't navigate through the airports? What if I hate everyone I'm working with? What if I hate being in the jungle? And what will I do when I feel overwhelmed by homesickness and just want to go home? Those are some worries among many others. As for the airports, there are people to help me, and unfortunately I might have to test some people's patience, but I can figure it out, I'm sure. I'm betting that I will not hate everyone I work with, as they will probably be very similar to me--adventurous animal lovers! If, by chance, I do hate them-I'll only be with them for three weeks, and I have dealt with some pretty horrible living conditions before (foreign college roommate, Cherry). If I hate being in the jungle, again, it's only three weeks, I'll live, and probably learn to love it by the end. And if I'm homesick, UConn, again, has forced me to deal with it, this time will be different though because I can't make any desperate phone calls. Maybe I'll be better off totally isolated, and not hearing people's voices--it would probably just make me miss them more!
Okay, it's 9:06 AM, time to get moving and packing! First I thought I'd post a couple emails regarding the trip. First, my flight schedule! Bad idea, maybe, but I don't think I'm going to share this blog with many people until after the trip ends, so then no stalkers can get me! =)
AA 17 29 JUL JFK /SAN FRANCISCO DEP 7.40P – ARR 1105P
AA 6117 30 JUL SAN FRANCISCO/ HONG KONG DEP 1.10A - ARR 615A 31JUL
OPERATED BY CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
AA6109 31 JUL HONG KONG/JAKARTA DEP 920A -ARR 105P
OPERATED BY CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
AA 6104 26 AUG JAKARTA/HONG KONG DEP 2.50P ARR 8.40P
OPERATED BY CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
AA6124 27 AUG HONG KONG/JF KENNEDY DEP 12.30A ARR 7.00A
OPERATED BY CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
AA 6117 30 JUL SAN FRANCISCO/ HONG KONG DEP 1.10A - ARR 615A 31JUL
OPERATED BY CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
AA6109 31 JUL HONG KONG/JAKARTA DEP 920A -ARR 105P
OPERATED BY CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
AA 6104 26 AUG JAKARTA/HONG KONG DEP 2.50P ARR 8.40P
OPERATED BY CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
AA6124 27 AUG HONG KONG/JF KENNEDY DEP 12.30A ARR 7.00A
OPERATED BY CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
Second is part of an email from our volunteer coordinator, regarding my group's time in Borneo!
Its a good size group with a couple of welcome volunteer returnees and I am excited to say we will get the chance to finish off the amazing start our team 1 made on a new release bridge at our satellite day release Camp Rendell. We will be finishing the ~200m of swamp bridge left to a patch of dry ground and hopefully building a much needed feeding platform for the ~30 orangutans that are housed in camp now. This sight is our newest daily release camp and is approximately 45 mins from the Main Care center. This means we will be living in what I like to think is somewhat isolated luxury. Be prepared for swampy walking, wielding hammers, saws, and chisels; bathing in a river, and sleeping in a year old Camp House. Electricity is generator only so flashlights and candles at night, but cell service is relatively reliable. We will be there for the length of the team, with the potential for limited days outside of camp so please be prepared to come with all you need.
We will also have the opportunity to work with one of our long term enrichment volunteers Wendy to do some improvements and make additions to the new and old sleeping cages at Camp Rendell. This work will likely be worked out as we are there and we will split into teams to work on this as well as the bridge building every day.
One thing to be aware of that some may not know is that you will all be arriving in Indonesia in the midst of Ramadan. This means that most of the country will be fasting during the day and only eating while the sun is down. For those of us not Muslim, we will be eating during the day while working (most of OFI's staff are Dayak and will be eating with us) however while you are traveling just be aware that most will not, and it is considered good practice to not be seen eating out in public during these days.
Also at near the end of our three weeks will be Idul Fitri a national holiday in which our Muslim carpenter staff will not be working. This holiday on the 19th lasts 2 days and involves a lot of eating after the fast and may mean that work will slow and we may even get a chance to participate in some of the festivities. As this is the first time Idul Fitri has fallen during a construction team, we will just have to do our best to work hard at the beginning and earn this break at the end! ;)
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