A Day in the Life...

Ever wonder what a day in my life is like here in Kolonia, Pohnpei? I'm gonna do my best to describe a typical day with the little details thrown in here and there, here we go!




6:50am Alarm goes off   (meinseng mwahu; good morning!)

7:15am Laura actually gets out of bed

7:17am Jump in the freezing cold shower (but feeling good since you woke up sweating already!)

7:30am Breakfast time! Heat up coffee, scramble up some                           eggs, eat a local carat (Cah-Rah-ch) banana






8:00am Get dressed in local skirt, throw hair up in a bun and head out on the 10 minute walk to PICS










8:30am Morning bell (aka old oxygen diving tank) is rung to signal start of homeroom. I'm already sweating profusely from my walk to school, better get used to it!








8:50am-12:30pm I teach four 45 minute classes of Algebra II students, sections A4, A5, A6 and V4 with some awesome students like these ones! I teach in all English, as most of my students are fluent in both Pohnpeian and English, and many speak a third language like Mwokillese or Kapingese from the outer islands.

Uh oh, raining again today!

Spider found outside my class, ick!

12:30pm Lunchtime! I can either eat lunch in the cafeteria (which serves mackerel soup everyday) or go home and fix something myself. Most days I opt to go home and make something quick like a PB&J or canned beans and corn- fresh veggies on the island are hard to come by!






1-3pm Time to run some errands. Check the Post Office for care packages from family, run to Palm Terrace and pray that the ship came in with fresh vegetables, but often I'm let down. End up going to Saimon's local market and picking up some fresh fish or bananas for dinner. If there's time, I can walk to the local laundromat and do some laundry and then let air dry in the sun.

3:30-5pm Story hour at the library! Spend about an hour reading stories, playing games, singing songs and doing crafts with younger local kids.







6:00pm Walk home from town, taking in the beautiful sunset over Sokeh's rock tonight.









7:30-8:30pm Time to dance! Local women's Zumba group is made up of women from all ages and body shapes. We dance to a mixture of new pop songs and local Pohnpeian music. My exercise for the day (not that I haven't sweat enough already!)


9:00pm Dinner tonight is some yellowfin sashimi, don't worry it's safe to eat! And very delicious, I promise :)


10-12pm Time to lesson plan, catch up on emails, and let's be honest a little bit of Netflix! So glad I have a roommate to spend these evenings with and have some company.


Midnight Pong-mwahu! (goodnight) 




Well I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my average day teaching on Pohnpei! It's not much, but my days are pretty low-key and relaxing, fitting in with the "island" lifestyle. Our weekends are filled with lots more exciting adventures, such as waterfall hikes, sunset cruises on the ocean, nightlife in Kolonia at Mangrove and Flamingo, and lots more! Although it's a small island, we've certainly found lots to do here. Thanks for reading, and that's it for now!

                                                                 Signing out- Laura V

Kaslehlie from Laura & Aaron!