It’s been more than three years since I first applied to join the Peace Corps and what an adventure it has been.  I filled out my application on September 26, 2006, I arrived in Tonga on October 4, 2007 and today, November 23, 2009, I am leaving Tonga, no longer a Peace Corps volunteer.

Officially, I’m now called an RPCV, or a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, but since I haven’t actually returned yet, it seems a bit strange to use that acronym just yet.

A Video Journal

As of today, I’ve written 160 blog entries about my Peace Corps experience with the vast majority written during my two years of service and my 10 weeks of training.   But written words and still photos only allow me to share a portion of my journey.   Therefore, I decided for my last entry from Tonga, I would share with you a video journal about some of the things I’ve found most interesting and some of the things I’ve done.  The video is little long…almost 16 minutes but I just couldn’t cut anything else out.  I have more than 20 hours of footage, so it was quite an accomplishment to get this down to 16 minutes.  I hope you enjoy it.

I shot almost all of the footage in the video except for the interviews.  Those were shot by my friend Chad and I sincerely appreciate his help.

My Future Plans

When I left my job more than two years ago, I knew that once my Peace Corps service was over, I would be coming back to the USA with no job. That day has now arrived and I can happily say that I am now searching for my next opportunity.  I don’t know what that will be and I don’t have anything lined up.  The good news is that I’m very open to just about anything.  My hope is to find something that I will enjoy as much as I have enjoyed my time in Tonga.  I’m open to all suggestions and would love to hear from you.  All of my contact information and my resume are posted on my personal website at http://www.stephenhunsicker.com/. 

I’m also asked regularly if I intend to keep writing this blog.  The answer is no.  As much as I have enjoyed writing about my experiences, this is my final post.  I plan to keep the site active for a while to assist any future Peace Corps volunteers who have questions about the application process or about serving in Tonga, but at some point, I’ll stop paying for the domain name and everything I’ve written will go away.

Saying Good-bye
Much of what I've been doing for the past two weeks has involved saying good-bye to all the people I have met in the past two years.  My last three Sundays were spent at different Tongan homes eating umu, which is the traditional Sunday feast.  I have been humbled by the many thanks and gifts that I have received...too many to even begin to mention here.  And I was honored to have not one, not two, but three going away events....two in Vava'u and one at the head office of the Tonga Development Bank. 

The folks at the Vava'u branch of the Bank went "all out" to say good-bye last Thursday, my last day working there.  We had a a lavish morning tea ceremony and some really wonderful gifts. After everyone said their good-byes, we invited customers to come and join us and they helped us eat all the food the staff had prepared.

At our head office on the main island of Tongatapu, the bank put on another tea for me Friday with the managers and staff saying goodbye. In this photo, the Managing Director presents me with a whale carving made of sandalwood.

And on Thursday night, I spent my last few hours in Vava'u hanging out with my fellow volunteers and other friends at the Aquarium Cafe..


A Final Thought

Many years ago, I heard President Ronald Reagan give a speech and in it, he said something like this:  “We are not here to congratulate ourselves on what we have accomplished, but instead to challenge ourselves to accomplish more tomorrow”.  I’ve probably butchered the quote but the sentiment is sound.  As I think about my service in Peace Corps, I hope that this has just been the beginning.  I hope to challenge myself and others to accomplish more in the future.

‘Ofa lahi atu!  (With much love to you)
Steve

UPDATE:  February 17,2010

I worked at WTVC, NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga for 11 years. After returning back to the USA, I stopped by the station to say hello.   They interviewed me about my Peace Corps experience in Tonga. The station aired the interview over three days on its public affairs program: "This and That with Don Welch".

You can watch all three segments below.





NewsChannel 9 interviews Steve Hunsicker about the Peace Corps .



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