I've been home for about a week now. It's nice to be back, but I miss Palau.
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| Last day at Orrak |
We were very fortunate on our flights back. We left Palau Tuesday night for the airport, and our flight left around 2:30am. We had a 2 hour flight to Guam, then had to go through immigration and security on our short layover, but we made our flight to Hawaii. In Honolulu we had to go through customs, and then through security again. We stopped for Starbucks, and barely made our next flight. But that frappuccino was worth it. We had the shortest layover in DC, but easily made our flight to Raleigh. We got into Raleigh Wednesday afternoon. The traveling totalled about 27 hours, so I was relieved to be home. I didn't sleep much on the flights, so I was mostly awake for over 48 hours. Wednesday night I slept for 12 hours. It look me a while, but I've adjusted to the jet lag.
It's good to be home. Although it's hot, I'm glad to be back to air conditioning, functioning and free internet, texting, and warm showers. It's been great to see my friends and family, and I was happy to be in the US for the 4th of July.
But there's so much I miss about Palau. The archaeological dig, the excitement of a special find and working on burials. The adventure of snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, and exploring the rock islands. I miss the people, the amazing staff and students of our group, as well as the Palauans who made our fantastic experience possible, and the other world travelers with whom we shared conversations and laughs. I miss the colors of Palau. The vibrant blues of the Pacific ocean and the sky, the greens of the plants, and the rainbows and sunsets. But I'm thankful for my thousands of pictures and incredible memories.
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| I miss it |
I don't know how to express what a great experience this was. It sounds cliche to say that it changed my life, but it definitely had a significant impact on me. It contributed to my growth as a student and as an individual. It helped me confirm my professional goals and gave me experience and skills to help me achieve them. It introduced me to an area of the world and a fascinating culture, and gave me a new perspective about my own.
So Palau, I sincerely hope that we met again. Thanks for everything.
