Busy as a bee, busy little beaver, not me.

I'm the sort who thrives on busyness. Loooves my to do lists, loves running around, waking up early, staying out late, having every second of my day full, full, full.

There is a small and growing sense of overwhelming claustrophobia as I attempt to adjust to life's new pace.

Slowness. Idle time. Huge amounts of idle time. I am reading books by the library full. I have killed approximately 100,000 bugs. I am sore to the point of immobility from p90x. I have eva pe'd to every house in Nuapapu. This is hard for me.

I like to think I'm a person who just loves people, who is fascinated by their stories, who delights in shooting the breeze...and I do love people, don't get me wrong. I just really struggle with pointless, meaningless conversation....I suppose one could argue that no conversation is meaningless...I am forming connections, relationships. I am learning how to slow down. How to enjoy the small things. How to talk about nothing (in Tongan, no less).

Send a prayer for me as I settle into the rhythm of life here. I have a lot of undoing of myself to thrive here. I'm looking forward to it and I'm also dreading it.

On the other hand, Mark and I have never gotten to eat breakfast together on any days other than Saturday. I look forward to every morning, sitting across from each other, enjoying our coffee and talking.

The view from our porch is absolutely stunning. You will have to come see for yourself. As soon as the hammock is up, I could stare at the ocean for hours.

Mark and I are enjoying romantic candlelight dinners and conversations. There's not much in the way of "entertainment" around here, and we are discovering that we are very much entertained by each other. Something we always knew, but never had so much time to explore.

I am really learning how to play the uke. And harmonize with Mark. Because...that would just be cool, right? He's definitely the kind of guy who needs some sort of musical wife...

There is a loto kolo, a center of town, in Nuapapu. It's this gorgeous green hill and field. In the evenings, the girls play netball and the boys play volleyball. The kids sit and play cards. We all laugh at each other and talk about the day. Sometimes I feel like there's nothing to talk about...the women weave all day, the men go to the uta. But I am discovering there's a lot to tell. Though mark and I are currently the new cool thing and most
laughing is at our expense, sitting around, enjoying everyone's company, it's something I hope I grow to love.

And, one last thing, the stars. Because there's no electricity here, and because we are a little island in the middle of a big ocean, the stars and moon are breathtaking.

Lisi