This Thursday

As I gulped down the first of my anti-malarial tablets this morning it all became 10 times more real and I figured now was the time to share the news I've been dying to tell.

Do you remember in my post about George and Crystal how I shared about my desire to go back to Papua New Guinea one day? Back to a place that holds a special place in my memories. No. Back to a place that holds a special place in my heart. 

Well as it turns out I'm heading back. Much sooner than I ever would have anticipated. In fact I leave this Thursday! That's right in two short days *insert excited squeal here* I'll be heading back to the international airport to jump on a plane bound for PNG.

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More specifically I'll be heading to Mougulu in the Western Province. This is where my grandparents have worked and lived (off and on) for... well... as long as I've known them - plus a whole lot longer. They have built an airstrip, a school, a hospital, translated the Bible into the native language and a whole lot more. To think about everything they have accomplished is mind boggling to say the least. Pretty amazing people hey?

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For me Mougulu is... the words escape me currently. Hopefully I'll find them while I'm away so I can accurately convey all that it was, all that it is to me. Suffice to say it's a place of memories (both good and not so great) and a place of much significance and history - not only for me but for a lot of people.

This all has really only come together since I've been back from New Zealand and to be honest my brain has taken a little bit to catch up. I keep walking around (and now packing my bag) in a bit of an excited daze with my brain on a constant loop of "I'm going to PNG. I'm going to PNG! I'M GOING TO PNG!!!!" To say my excitement level is sky-high is a complete understatement.

I'm so excited about everything about this trip not the least of which is the amazing photographic opportunities. My camera and my favorite lenses will be making the trip with me for sure. As if there was ever a question. There is such phenomenal beauty up there I simply cannot wait to capture as much of it as I can. So you can bet when I get back there will be a few posts about my time away. 

I'm so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to go back to such an important place. Again words fail me when I try to express how grateful I am. Just to say my excitement levels are matched only by the level of my appreciation for the chance to go back.

So for two weeks starting this Thursday my Twitter shall fall silent, my Instagram will not be updated, my emails will go unanswered and Facebook will never know what's on my mind. As a pretty avid social media sharer it will certainly be strange to go silent for two weeks but the experience will be more than worth it. So I hope you can bare with me and stick with me through the two weeks radio silence... I look forward to telling you all about it when I return.

Until my next post I hope this finds you safe and happy.