2014: A Year In Review

Well, needless to say, it has been awhile. Sparing all of the excuses for why it has taken so long to write some words about our lives here in Papua and posting a few pictures, I will try to give a brief synopsis of the past year...

Upon returning to Papua from New Zealand, Dave recommenced work at YPJ and I head over the mountains to the village of Bokondini, where Adventure-Based International had the opportunity to do some team building for the staff of Ob Anggen School.

A creative undertaking in early February...

After climbing in New Zealand, it was time to retire my old rope. With so many great memories, this was a great way to give it a proper retirement and a new life!

The first 6 months of 2014 were challenging for us, as they were marked by distance for Dave and I. In March I travelled back to the US for a month to re-certify my WEMT and reconnect with some friends and family.

It was so good to reconnect with L and meet E! Many laughs. Also, I feel in love with Dolores, CO!

Love this beautiful family!

Enjoying Mexican food with my family before taking them to their very first Banff Film Festival!

In April I headed to Chadwick International School in South Korea to begin a 2 month contract with the Outdoor Education Dept. there. While this was a particularly challenging time to do OE in Korea due to the Ferry incident in April, overall, I enjoyed the opportunities for strong and creative leadership. Although we were not able to take students into wilderness settings, we were able to facilitate powerful experiences and growth for the students at CI. 

Urban adventuring with CI 8th graders!

Facilitation training with OE instructors.

In June I returned home to Dave and Bulan in Papua! It was a sweet reunion and I have vowed never to be separated from the love of my life for so long again!

It was also so good to be back in the jungle with fresh air, mountains, culture, etc!

After 3 short weeks home, it was the end of the school year for Dave and we were off to circumnavigate the globe... again.

First stop: Prague for 2 nights! Unfortunately I am unable to access photos from our time in Prague, but just think old, resilient, beautiful and you must see it for yourself!

Next stop: Connecticut and the greater New England region + Quebec!

South Eastern Connecticut's birding expert, Dad Spinelli with his proud so, at Wild Birds Unlimited!

24 hours after arriving in New England, we packed up with the Spinelli family for a road trip north! We stayed just under 1 week in Burlington, VT where we walked, cycled, ate and toured the Magic Hat Brewery! Then we headed further north for Montreal and Trois Riviere, Quebec for culture, Cirque du Soleil, more cycling(for leslie) and family history for D's Mom! Unfortunately I also don't have any photos from our time in Burlington, VT or Canada at this time. 

After an incredible Spinelli Family vacation, we headed home to New London to reconnect with dear friends. 

A private Secret Societies walking tour with J & J in New Haven. 

Annual homecoming poetry fest at Chateau St. John's. 

Fixing up and turning over our condo between renters.

Saying farewell to New England family and friends, we hopped on over to the west coast for a week in San Diego with family and friends. Once again, no photos... sorry! :(

Leslie's Mom and Dad recently finished their home in Kenai, Alaska, so we flew up to check it out and spend some time with them!

Fishing reds on the Kenai River. Dave caught us a delicious dinner that night!

A chartered sea fishing trip in Seaward Alaska!

Mom & Dad's new place and fresh eats!

Alaska was our final North American stop before heading back home to Asia. We made a brief 3 day stop in Japan to adjust back to the timezone and see some Japanese baseball. 

He caught the ball, but broke his finger. 

As always, it was good to be back home with our dog, friends, routines and familiar bed! D spent the next few months trying to explain how he broke his finger as a spectator at a baseball game and I started working on an online K-6 teaching certification. 

D and I led a group of 28 middle school students from the national and international schools in Adventure Leadership activities for an after school program and I resumed my volunteer work with the dorm kids. 

In October we went to the island of Sumba. This was our 3rd visit to Sumba since moving to Indonesia 4 years ago. We enjoy living so close and getting to see these good friends about once per year! 

Ata & Henjang showing off their Kain Ikat pieces that they wove. 

Dave helping with the corn in Prailieu village.

Henjang weaving at her loom in the cool of the day.

Beach day with Ata, Henjang and their kids!

After Sumba we flew to Sentani, Papua to visit dear friends. While in Sentani, Dave visited Akhy in Wamena, we led some adventure team building activities for Tammy's Papua United girls soccer team and we joined Dan on his surfing explorations!

Dan contemplating the break.

...the approach...

Closing circle with the PU soccer girls.

Team unification and contract activity.

Our last 8 weeks in Tembagapura of 2014 were full with work, studies, Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations and wrapping up our various commitments with volunteering and after school activities.

Here are some last few photos and commentary on happenings here in Tembagapura in 2014.

This year I have made some friends who are in the coffee business in Indonesia. I started buying green coffee beans from Papua and Sumatra and roasting them in our kitchen, YUMMY!

A successful ladies hike in late October with these courageous and ambitious women!

Heavy rain from our front porch.

Volunteer appreciation lunch in December for the ladies who work with the kids at the dorm each week.



Happy New Year!

That's all for this post on 2014: A Year In Review. Stay tuned for pictures and stories from our adventures in Italy over the holiday. Thanks for joining us on our adventures!