What I’ve Done (Written 12/16/07)

When I first arrived at Chanel College, I wrote a list of things that I wanted to accomplish during my 2 years in Samoa. This was a suggestion given to us during training as a way of marking our progress in the country outside of the terms of our work assignment. With only a few more hours left in country for myself, I think I'm pretty much done with the list – so for your viewing pleasure, I present my accomplished personal goals during my 2 years in Samoa (the goals are between short term and long term):

1)       * Cook at least 50 meals from Peace Corps recipe book (I may not be able to cook on my own, but I can follow directions as well as anyone)

2)       * Bike around Savai'I (I've only biked around ¾ of Upolu)

3)       * Visit New Zealand

4)       * Read entire Old Testament (which means I have now read the entire Bible)

5)       * See sunset at Falealupo

6)       * Visit Manono Island

7)       * Visit waterfall behind my house

8)       * Visit Moamoa Theological College Church

9)       * Go to Teuila Festival 

      * Visit American Samoa

11)    * Take a picture of parliament house (Fono Fale)

12)    * Visit Museum of Samoa

13)    * Visit Vaiala Beach

14)    * Go to Robert Louis Stevenson Museum / Mt Vaea Scenic Reserve

15)    * Visit Lake Lanoto'o

16)    * Visit Paradise Beach

17)    * Go to Aganoa Black Sand Beach (Went to the one on Upolu and Savaii)

18)    * Visit O le Pupu-Pu'e National Park

19)    * Go to Togitogigia Falls

20)    * Visit Tafua Peninsula Rainforest Preserve

21)    * Visit Falealupo Rainforest Preserve

22)    * See Alo fa'aga blowholes

23)    * Bike to my house 30 times (this meant biking from my house and back up; I biked home a total of 104 times)

24)    * Get a Samoan Flag (last year when I looked for this flag, it cost 250 tala and was only available in one place. I decided I would wait until the SPG came around because demand would make it more widely available. I was right and ended up only paying 100 tala for it)

Also during my time here, I have affectionately called the mountain I live on 'Mount Doom'. Over time various people have taken the 'Mount Doom Challenge' which meant they were willing to bike up to my house from town. It may sound like an easy challenge, but trust me – it's not if you're not prepared. So I would like to congratulate all the folks who took the Mount Doom Challenge and passed:

Bryan (Group 75, Rode up 3 times)

Julya (Group 75)

Candice (Group 75, Rode up 2 times)

Sara (Group 75)

John (Group 75)

Maka (Group 74)