.: Feeling Blue

I have been gone again and I have not written much lately… I was in a fantastic world far away from this island, a world were my past, my present and my future life mix together to give shape to something meaningful. But it is like watching the Nazca lines from ground level. You know there is something in there, but, unless you find a way to get up to the sky, you won’t be able to get much out of it.

Maybe that is really what I need. Fly high into the sky. I want to open my wing and take off from some mountain. I miss that terribly. The hikes up to the mountains, the waiting for the perfect wind conditions to come, and then there you are, a short run just before you take off, a day of fun, fun, fun! Even though I am a terrible passenger on a plane, when I am in control with my paraglide, I feel good (although, when I am not in control, I am not happy at all).

I miss adventurous weekends in the outdoors, small groups of friends willing to get lost in a wood, or to climb a mountain. Maybe this has to happen when your present changes so much, like when you start a new relationship, or maybe that limoncello I made after all was not that bad.

(the Alps, my wing, and myself, on a late September day...)

But mainly, it is just island-sickness.

For how beautiful this place can be, it is still a rock in the middle of the ocean, far away from everything and everybody! And sometimes you just wish you could be in a continent, where you get so much more options of things you can do!

Island-sickness is not that unusual among ex-pats, this is why it is so important to take a trip off-island once in a while. It is essential so that, when you come back, you appreciate living in a place with no traffic lights, nearly no stop signs, silver-painted coconut and frozen vegetables at the store.

The Pacific Art Festival silently finished and the island returned to be that quite relaxed place it used to be. On contrast, the Olympics are on, but there is not much rumor here about it. Sometimes somebody pays the television company to put some events on, otherwise the all event is between you and your computer.

American Samoa has its own team too! There was a contractor here that left about 1 year ago, Virginia, that was a good swimmer. This is her time to shine!

Now, I am imagining the scene: it is a day like many others. Virginia is getting ready to go to work in her new house in California, when she receives an unexpected phone call: “Hello, is this Virginia? Hi, we were wondering if you would like to swim for us in few in the Olympics in Beijing representing American Samoa”. Now, what would you do?

Virginia trained hard in this past few months, and took of to Beijing! You see, after all, we, island ex-pats, have to staff to go to the Olympics! So proud for you Virginia! Kick asses!!!

And, who knows, maybe I will renew my contract again (and finish in 1012), get a horse and represent AS in the equestrian competition! Uh, uh! And what about a bob-sledding team? Like in that “cool running” movie… ehy, after all, the winter Olympic committee chose this own island as their meeting place!