Departure for American Samoa!

This Saturday, I leave for LA at 8 a.m. out of Newark. Saturday evening, I'll be meeting up with the teachers in my program at a hotel, and then Sunday morning we all depart for Pago Pago via Honolulu. I'll be in Pago Pago (the capital of AmSam) for two weeks participating in teacher training and orientation to the Islands. The rest is a mystery! Right now, I'm finishing up packing: two large suitcases, one backpack and one laptop bag. Not bad considering I probably used to take this much for a week of spring training in florida during high school (sadly not an exaggeration). I'm feeling very excited, slightly nervous- right now I'm excited to see what the island's vibe is, but pretty soon I'm sure my nerves will shift to my role as a teacher. Though I've had some teaching experience in my life, it's been minimal, and I've certainly never taught ESL or elementary school. The nice thing about the program I'm going with is that they train us very well, and I'll have great social support from my group. Though having very little idea what to expect personally or professionally from this experience will really make this quite an adventure! Thanks to everyone for their support throughout this transition- it's going to be an awesome year <3. Talofa lavalava!