Letter on pretty stationary
Dear Mom,
I made it here in one piece but I’ve got lots of bumps and bruises now after a week. We got in Sunday night late but still in time for dinner, the nightly entertainment, and party. I crashed after I called you but because of jet lag, I was up at 5:30am ready to go. I have the opportunity to learn to scuba and decided to try. I almost quit once because I don’t like being underwater. I’m not sure if I’ll complete the course.
Saipan is beautiful. The first day we had off, so a bunch of us clubmates went on an island tour. The water here makes Hawaii look sad. The colors are amazing. Roads suck. They go from poorly paved asphalt to dirt roads to 2 tracks through the jungle with foliage growing all over. We 4-wheel drove all over the place. I tripped on a coral ridge and tore my knee open – welcome to Saipan. Injuries don’t heal well because it’s damp outside all the time. I’ll live.
The clubmates are fun. There’s about 30-35 and so far only 9 of us are women. I like those odds. They’re all good looking clean cut young men. I’ve just been training this week in all areas. I gave an archery lesson to a group of Japanese guests. Since I don’t speak Japanese, it was a riot. I must have gotten my point across enough because they all did ok. Some duties include archery lessons, handing out tennis balls/rackets, pool attending, getting the guests involved in scheduled activities (volleyball, beach games) and handing out snorkels/windsurf boards, and kayaks. I’ll be in the shows so rehearsals start next -this week. They want me to sing – right, this should be fun. I was scheduled for aerobics everyday but the recorder fell into the water so I have no tunes. It’s fun but hard sometimes. I’m having a heck of a time communicating and feel frustrated with my inability. I’m learning a few words to survive. The language on top of new chores is stressful. After I know the daily routines, I’m sure I’ll do fine.
The weather is as expected 80-degrees and humid 24 hours a day. You can wear a bathing suit at night and be comfortable. It rains almost daily which cools things off.
I went mountain biking off a jungle road (about a half mile from here) and found an incredible cliff of lava. I love the environment. I’m really in the middle of nowhere. I get KTLA from L.A. ten days later. I have no clue what’s going on in the rest of the world. I work 6 days a week 40-45 hours/week. Minimum wage on the island is $2.60. Slave labor. Luckily I don’t have to buy too much. I’m already tan and my arm hair is blonde. I don’t have a roommate yet but 6-9 people are coming in July so I’m sure I’ll get one then. There are some clubmates my age so I don’t feel too bad although I am in the minority. It’s a combination of being an R.A. in the dorms, in a sorority, and camp counselor. The food is amazing. 3 meals/day of gourmet buffet. I watch what I eat or I’ll balloon. It’s weird not to be able to talk to anyone at home. I don’t have a close friend here yet to kvetch about things. There aren’t many women and the men are too – something. I’m glad I’m here and want to take advantage of every opportunity. So except for my cuts, bruises, and sunburn, I’m doing great. WRITE!!
What is this post about? Here’s an introduction
2025: here is the first description I gave of my new life to my mom. I was excited, overwhelmed, and happy to be there.
