I did go forward with the lap top, and I must say, I already feel like my world has significantly changed. It reminds me a bit of how I didn't have a computer at my home in Korea my first 8 months and once I had one it felt like the world had kind of opened up for me. Actually, that might have been when I first started blogging. The biggest difference with having one's "own" computer is, I think, a sense of ease. There is no rush, and the hours can waste away with no one waiting to use their "own" computer that you are on, or with no fees or 30 minute time slots. Now I feel like I can blog :)

On that note...I have this random friend and he will know who he is... but this random friend who I met in the Peace Corps emailed me today. He actually reads this thing, and I always feel like I know he will be reading it. Most people know that I consider my friends from PC to be very close friends, especially all the Chuuksters. A couple others too, but especially the Chuuksters and even those not in Chuuk are special in this way that is so completely indescribable. Anyway, I have not seen this guy since I left Chuuk but I feel closer to him now than when we were there in many ways. I think partly because we stay in pretty good touch, and partly because we have taken similar paths since PC with the teaching thing and even with stints in the US. We just kind of did them in reverse order. Anyway, referring to my last blog he said he could see me as a carny, said he thinks I would be good at it. So ok, I could just email him back, lol, but it struck me as so peculiar that I wanted to blog about it. I mean, I don't really think it is every person's dream to be a carny or to be considered good carny potential. I am sure they are out there, but this too seems random. So of course I had to ask myself, what does this mean? What makes someone "good" at being a carny? What makes someone a good match for this position? Surely we all want our carny's to be good "people people" yes? Ok, check. What else? And how can I not think of the stereotypes from youth? Even my own family say "yeah Mis, just knock out a tooth or two and you can get a job as a carny". Where did this stereotype start I wonder? Anyway, back to serious considerations...I think of ride operators and parents putting their children's lives in the hands of these operators... so maybe someone with some attention to detail, someone able to learn the intricacies of appropriately operating machinery. Ok, Umm, well, I CAN do that. Oh, and of course... someone willing to travel. Someone with no roots :) Someone who doesn't mind bumming from town to town. Check. Apparently. So, now that I have processed this out a bit, ok sure, I get it. And as I know my dear friend is even more rootless than I; I further understand his rather tentative statement along the lines of being somewhat envious of my future carnyness.

A couple random thoughts and then some not so random... I haven't been traveling with my brother long, but long enough to remember he is my brother and can annoy hell out of me. Interestingly though, things that used to annoy me about him before I started traveling overseas are really just no longer applicable. And some things, for example, one's ability to make plans, now annoy him where his ability or lack of used to make me nuts. Now it seems I am the less organized person plan wise. Regardless of changes, regardless; I think, of who one travels with 24/7, people are bound to get annoyed. But there are moments in the annoyment that rock. For example, we were driving and both kind of crabby and we passed a sign for "Monkey Jungle" (a town I think) and we both kind of glanced at each other to see if the other noticed and then we both just cracked up laughing. We do this a lot with silly little things. It makes me happy to have a companion on this trip. Another thing, we were marveling at the fact that there have been no speeding tickets; but then we noted how my car shakes in convulsions if you get much over 70 and we were like "oh yeah, that's why we haven't got any speeding tickets" (knock on wood).

Being in Florida, near the sea, makes me miss (I almost wrote "home" omg, what is that?) Pollap and Chuuk. I love the sea and I am always thinking I am going to do all these things with her. I think I will swim with her currents, dive within her depths and enjoy her holdings, fish for the sustenance she may offer... and then I get a reality check... those things are not as easy here in the US as they were in Micronesia where I first truly met the sea and got to know her a little. It's frustrating, but I know I will strive to continue this relationship. I remember the rewards, and even here in the US I get tastes of those rewards. It's worth it. But I do miss my sea home, where all I had to do was wake up, throw on a snorkel and walk 15 yards to the shore and stick my head in the water to see wonders. That's a far cry from a $70 snorkel tour where you have be hauled out to sea to where things are not so damaged and the sea life isn't non-existent as a result. Lol. I am spoiled so bad. I know this to be true, but I can't help it when so many of my firsts were in such a wondrous place, ya know? I am spoiled. I must constantly remind myself I am truly blessed to have had that experience... but still, it shouldn't be that way, should it?
Off to the carnival ;)

Update

Wow. So much time has passed since I last blogged... and with time comes experiences!

I stayed with Aunt and Uncle in Atlanta for about 3 weeks. I had a wonderful time with my Aunt Betty visiting many of the tourist attractions in that area. We also spent a fair amount of time just gabbing. By the time I left I was comfortable enough that I felt actually pretty sad leaving. At the end of my stay there, my friend Sara and my brother Jody flew into Atlanta for a visit. Sara only stayed a few nights and the three of us did a nice job of partying it up as well as seeing some sights. We went to the Georgia Aquarium, ate at fine restaurants and managed to find a huge bar/gaming room which we all decided Wisconsin really needs. The day Sara left Jo and I headed to Jacksonville, FL area to visit some friends of his. We spent a night in a small town near his one friend and the next day we hit the beach! It was lovely. We found the coolest camp ground, set up tent and went swimming. It was a sweet site, except the beach was always littered with big fat jelly fish, but even those were interesting to look at.
So, this camp site had a big ol' sign out front saying "Now Hiring" which naturally led to conversations of work. I think most people know that I had hoped to find odd jobs on this trip if for no other reason than to NOT blow my whole savings account on it. Well, to make a long story short, I have basically taken on a traveling companion, one that needs to work thus providing me with motivation to really sit still and just work as well. Now Jody and I are putting in applications from Florida to New Orleans and are planning to go where ever we appear to have options to work. There is also a girl he knows in a "traveling carnival" in Louisana right now, so when it gets to the wire, we have an option to find her. I happen to LOVE this idea. I wish I had being a carny on my list of things to do before I leave this lovely earth... I don't, but I am going to add it :)

Ok, so after making major life decisions I randomly got an email from a friend of mine I knew in Korea who I thought was still in Mexico and discovered he is home and home is Fort Lauderdale area. So that is where I am now. I am staying at his parents house and just chilling. It's a nice neighborhood. We are talking about heading down to the Keys, it seems logical being this close. I feel like there could quite possibly never be a reason for me to ever come back to Florida. Not that I don't like it, I just know it isn't hight on my list. We saw an alligator the other day at a park in the everglades; that was a bit hair raising although I know it shouldn't be. I really like seeing animals in the wild, I wish there were more to see.

So that's the quick on the updates for now. Oh, and I am going to invest in a lap top in hopes of having more consistent access to the internet and email. So hopefully I can email more often! Take care all and stay in touch!

Georgia

I've been staying with my aunt and uncle north of Atlanta for almost 2 weeks now. It's been very relaxing and fun. My aunt has always intrigued me because she is one of two of eleven kids who moved out of WI. But since she moved I have never known her well. She is the oldest and my dad is the youngest; I think we figured they span 22 years. So her children are my dad's age and her grandchildren are my age and some of them live down here too. I have had the opportunity to spend time with her daughter and with her grand-daughter (who is my age) and even with her great-grand-daughter who is 6ish. It's been a fun and enlightening experience getting to know this part of my family better. I love it. And my aunt tells great stories, so I have had the opportunity to go back in time and get to know some other family members from my aunt's memory as well. I love hearing about everyone, but I especially enjoy hearing about the women in my family. I try to trace hereditary personality traits; its quite fun. And I find I can identify with my grandmother in very significant ways after having this visit. Of course, there are ways I can't also... like the 11 kids thing. Nope, not feeling a connection there :) Although I have found myself missing my friends' children. Them and my mom's cats. Cats and children, those things make people happy right? So it makes sense.
I have also done a fair amount of sight seeing in Atlanta and Savannah. The south is different. This is my conclusion thus far :) Things seem a bit slower (this could be in part due to the fact that I am staying with a retired couple), people seem friendlier in general, and... I don't know how to describe it... random things will take me aback and I will find myself thinking "I didn't know people still did that" or "I didn't know people still thought that way". Someone told me southerns still believe the civil war is going on... maybe its something like that; although I haven't noticed this phenomenon first hand.
Thursday my brother and my friend Sara are flying into Atlanta to visit. We are going to drive over to Florida to visit a friend of my brother's and hang out near the lovely and vast sea. I love the sea and can't wait. After they are all gone I will head out again to places unknown... although I begin to feel pressure to go home, I just don't know why, lol. Yeah, that same old pressure... the readers of this must get sick of hearing my "what next" dilemma. But I am feeling that constant nag again. I am considering law school, but not until 2 falls from now... so even that concrete decision would leave me with "what next?" I will NOT spend next winter in WI, lol. So a year long job there is out of the question... but I am leaning towards settling someplace in the US until I either follow through with the law school thing or do something else. I can not help but laugh at myself when I reread this junk. That is just what it sounds like... junk. Wishy-washy hogsmaggle. For now... breath. I have money and I have a car and I have places to go... so I need to just .... be.
One last Georgia thought... since I know many of my readers are in WI... its warm here :) And green. And there isn't any snow. Not that snow is the worst, I know the cold is the worst but I also know most of my readers also have jobs (unlike myself) and must get to work, therefore making snow possibly worse than the cold... so, no snow, green, warm (today was low 50's though and people here were crying about the cold... doesn't that sound lovely? been high 60's though) and the trees are budding and flowers are out.... I could live here. Enough said ;)