Pohnpei is a Micronesian paradise.  It has a barrier reef encircling the island that, in calm weather, keeps the lagoon as flat as glass.

I know what you are thinking.  I’m skipping a few parts.  How did I all of a sudden go from Kwajalein to Pohnpei?  Well, that’s easy.  By airplane. (rim shot) Continue reading →

12.25.12

I know that I never finished regaling you with the excitement of my holiday in the Marshalls and Micronesia, but as it is now the end of my first Christmas away from the hearth and home, I figured I would go out of order for a change and talk about Christmas in Thailand.

I have had a difficult time wrapping my mind around the reality that it is, in fact, late December and Christmastime.  It could be because I am not with family for the first time in 32 years.  It could be because it’s not treated as particularly special here in Thailand. It could be because it’s still 85 degrees most days.  Most likely it is all these factors and more that have conspired together to make this the “Christmas That Wasn’t”. Continue reading →