Brittany's Adventures: Sharks, Octopus & Rays...Oh my!

The past few months have flown by & I can’t believe my time here in the Marshall Islands is almost up. I’m unsure how to really summarize all that’s happened since my last post. The 3^rd quarter came to a close, and 4^th quarter has come & gone so quickly—I have 2 more days of classes and then it’s time for our final exams. Teaching has gotten easier over the course of the year, especially after Mid-Service. At that time, I was warned that the second half of the year would go by much faster than the first. So true. I’ve gotten to know my students on a more personal and individual level which has been the biggest highlight of this year. At first everyone was shy, but now it’s hard to get them to quiet down and act calm for the course of a class period. Their individual personalities are hilarious, and they are so much fun to watch and be around.

April was a month full of excitement. I celebrated Easter on the base with some friends. On Easter Sunday I went on a boat trip & saw dolphins!!! Being able to call the US is an addition perk that the base has to offer-- hearing my mom’s, sister’s, and grandma’s voices really goes a long way, especially on holidays when I’m missing home. J Back on Gugeegue, I tried spearfishing for the first time. This usually isn’t something that women do here, but one of the watchmen from the school was nice enough to take me. It was really fun; I saw squid, beautiful reef fish, a ray, an octopus and even a stonefish—the most poisonous fish in the world.

As far as school goes, April had of a lot of action. The greatest day of all was probably my birthday. My students were amazing and really made my day perfect. Some made cakes to share with the class, others brought soda and snacks, and some even got me gifts. It is tradition to give speeches on occasions like birthdays, so needless to say, I cried in at least one class! I was so thankful for their kind words and gestures, especially being so far away from friends & family back home, that it just really made my day. They have been the biggest constant in my life here so far, so it’s definitely nice to feel like I have a ‘family’ here—a huge family of my students. (I have to say I love them so much more on days that we have parties, rather than when I’m trying to force them to listen & behave J--regardless, this day made up for it all). Besides my birthday, there were 5 other staff members that had birthdays, including the Principal so it was a busy month! We also had the prom for the Junior & Senior classes a few weeks ago. This was a night of dancing, singing, and letting loose. Like any prom, the students pulled some shenanigans. As a teacher, sometimes I feel more like a police officer or drill sergeant. Some occasions are definitely more enjoyable than others… Luckily, we were also able to teach the students Sex Ed. We separated boys & girls, and I think it was successful. The most interesting thing was teaching the 9^th grade girls, who were shocked more than anything at some of the facts we told them! Additionally, I analyzed the data we had collected from the Sex Ed pretests, and some of the data was definitely startling more than anything… My last update is that the yearbook is finished & is on its way from Palau! This was my big project for the school year, so I’m really excited to finally see the finished piece. For awhile there, I was very nervous things might not work out & the students might not get their yearbooks before school ended, but it looks like I’ll get my wish!!! All the hard work will most definitely be worth it when I see how happy the Seniors are with a book full of memories of their year.

I am scuba certified!!! This has probably been the biggest highlight this year outside of teaching. I’ve dove three different islands so far, including the island I live on. Our first dive was 30 feet; I saw some new fish & coral. The second dive was 60 feet. It was unbelievable. We swam and swam and finally came to a place where we couldn’t see ahead of us—there was just a huge drop. All ahead was a steep slope downward into the darkness of the ocean. While there wasn’t much to see as far as aquatic life, but I feel more comfortable the more & more I practice. My third dive was 100 feet. We dove a Japanese shipwreck off the beach of the neighboring island. Amazing how much history lies below sea level! Today I was lucky enough to go on a boat trip across the lagoon to dive the Prinz Eugen, a German ship from WWII that endured the nuclear testing at Bikini and was sunk in the Kwajalein lagoon about 60 years ago. The screws and rudder stick out of the water & are visible from my side of the lagoon. It was a beautiful day, and to top it off I finally saw a shark!! Actually I saw 4 or 5 sharks. Luckily, they were calm & curious, so I was calm too just watching their slow, graceful movements.

This place is full of so many amazing things. I am looking forward to the free time I will have after this coming week, just so I can soak up & appreciate it all. Graduation is next Monday, but before that I’m planning a sleepover on Gugeegue with all of my 10^th grade girls (their idea J) and a picnic with the entire 10^th grade. I’m excited to spend more time with my students before I leave!