leaving on a jetplane
All my bags area packed, I'm ready to go. it's close to 5 AM, and the tingling in my body is starting to turn all this potential energy into kinetic movement. Like a train pulling out of the station, I can feel pumping in my body, and the deep breathes that tell me these next two weeks will change my life. That force inside, instinctively pushing out of the plane, trusting to God your parachute opens.
I'm leaving for Papua New Guinea tomorrow night to do the fieldwork component of my senior research project, and the fear I feel is equal to the anxiousness and anticipation of what is to come.
My greatest emotion is simply chilling fear. I've never done anything remotely this ambitious, and 90% of the time I doubt I can do this one. I sometimes laugh at how a proposal can make you look so good, but if they told me to be honest, I'd have to melt into the truth and admit that I have little idea what the heck I'm doing.
The Western Province is the most remote part of Papua New Guinea, which will be an interesting experience to say the least. I'll hang out with mine officials for a few days, then go to a conference with 50-100 community leaders that will be meeting to see what they should do about the impacts of the mine for a week, visit villages affected by the mine, and visit government office in Port Moresby.
The weeks leading up to this have been trying. Going to bed at 3 AM every night, and generally forgetting about reality and school and what it is like to sit down in the grass and let the sun bake you like a snake.
I got four different shots in the nurse's office plus malaria pills, and an even bigger one when I had to pay for it at the cash register. There was one pill that give some users hallucinations and turned them semi-psychotic for awhile, and I was tempted to take that one because I've never really exhibited either of that behavior and thought it would be nice to try. haha.
But it's past 5 AM now, and I my need to catch three hours is overwhelming all sensibilities.
I will write when I return, (provided I'm alive of course). Hope everyone is doing well, I'd really like to hear from you.
Cheers,
Teddy
I'm leaving for Papua New Guinea tomorrow night to do the fieldwork component of my senior research project, and the fear I feel is equal to the anxiousness and anticipation of what is to come.
My greatest emotion is simply chilling fear. I've never done anything remotely this ambitious, and 90% of the time I doubt I can do this one. I sometimes laugh at how a proposal can make you look so good, but if they told me to be honest, I'd have to melt into the truth and admit that I have little idea what the heck I'm doing.
The Western Province is the most remote part of Papua New Guinea, which will be an interesting experience to say the least. I'll hang out with mine officials for a few days, then go to a conference with 50-100 community leaders that will be meeting to see what they should do about the impacts of the mine for a week, visit villages affected by the mine, and visit government office in Port Moresby.
The weeks leading up to this have been trying. Going to bed at 3 AM every night, and generally forgetting about reality and school and what it is like to sit down in the grass and let the sun bake you like a snake.
I got four different shots in the nurse's office plus malaria pills, and an even bigger one when I had to pay for it at the cash register. There was one pill that give some users hallucinations and turned them semi-psychotic for awhile, and I was tempted to take that one because I've never really exhibited either of that behavior and thought it would be nice to try. haha.
But it's past 5 AM now, and I my need to catch three hours is overwhelming all sensibilities.
I will write when I return, (provided I'm alive of course). Hope everyone is doing well, I'd really like to hear from you.
Cheers,
Teddy