Sorcha in Micronesia

For many Americans Climate Change is not something that is thought about everyday. It is not something that is currently affecting their lives. In Micronesia it affects everything. Communities on low lying coral islands or atolls will soon have to move off their islands, their family’s home for generations, because it will be flooded and will become part of the ever expanding Pacific Ocean. Since arriving in Micronesia a little over 14 months ago I have experienced a severe drought, flooding, and higher king tides than ever before. I have heard first hand of what is happening in small coral islands. One of my fellow Peace Corps volunteers told me how the ocean, at high tide, was flooding his island’s taro patch. For those of you who do not know taro is a staple in this region and is a major part of the diet. Losing an island’s taro patch, especially an outer island’s patch, is a huge blow to food security and preventing malnutrition. In February this year the majority of my communi...

The question where are you from has always been my least favourite question. In my 11 months on this island when people ask me “Kom Mwet Oyac?” I always answer I’m from Ohio or “Nga Mwet Ohio”. Whilst, at least according to my driver’s license, this is true; I have never lived in Ohio for longer than 3 months at a time. So where am I from? This is a complicated question as my mother is American and my father is Irish. I myself had lived in 7 different countries by the time I was 19. I do not necessarily consider myself to be from one place. Instead I consider myself to be an amalgamation of all of the different places I have lived in.  Another common question I get asked is “So where is home”? To borrow a common phrase “Home is where your heart is”. My heart belongs to so many places. London, Akron, Ennistymon, Algiers, Richmond Indiana to name just a few. Kosrae, however, has also stolen a part of my heart. Whilst there have been ups and downs during my time on this island I am ...