The Adventures of Yapman: Be Prepared

The Boy Scout Law

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Of my 22 years of life, nothing could have possibly prepared me more for life on the island of Yap than my time with the Boy Scouts of America. The scout motto is to “Be Prepared,” and my many years in scouting have set me up to endure the challenges I will face this next year in my own personal “Survivor”-esque environment.

I have already used dozens of taut line, two-half, and clove hitches. Lashings have somehow managed to tie (GET IT!?) their way into my life once again. Cooking creative meals with limited resources and in unconventional ways has become a mandate of proper nutrition. Adapting to situations unknown and unique to my experiences, knowledge, and comfort marks an hourly endeavor. Bottom line, every single moment of my scouting career – from my early days as a young Cub – to my transformative years as a Tenderfoot – to my summers and weekends spent building platforms, cabins, friendships and most importantly character at Camp Minsi – to my proudest achievement of Eagle Scout – has prepared me for this adventure in Micronesia, and the many other exciting, daring, unknown exploits that promise to follow.

Only half-jokingly, I have been comparing my life in the village of Nimar to my days and nights living in the wilderness, by the beautiful Shores of Stillwater Lake, at my beloved home away from home – Camp Minsi. After further explication into this analogy, I discovered that my daily life on the island is actually astonishingly synonymous to my unforgettable years at the greatest Boy Scout Camp this side of the Mississippi in an absurd number of different ways.

First, when I look out my bedroom window, I am mesmerized by a gorgeous view into the drop-off of an endless, tropical jungle – a view that reminds me of opening the back flaps of my tent in the Staff Site of Minsi – the trees and wildlife are worlds apart, but they still carry such a peaceful simplicity. One minor difference, I do not try to pee out of my window here in Yap like I used to out of the back of my tent in the middle of the night – it is considered improper.... plus, there is a screen.

Second, I live in a home that is strikingly similar to one of the cabins at camp, particularly the Health Lodge (almost identical before we painted). We have agonizingly slow internet – which truly it is such a blessing to have any connection to the world wide web whatsoever. Unfortunately, we do not have a Scott Best here to call whenever we have computer issues. The roads are identical – pot holes that get deeper by the day, dust flying everywhere when a car drives by, trucks that are used and abused far past their normal life expectancy – it is a grand reminder of my home away from home.

Our neighbors take care of a multitude of little boys. I believe I have spotted at least 7 different ones depending on the day. (quick update: my little friend’s name is actually “Thafrad” – which means “foundation” in Yapese - He. Is. Awesome.) Anyway, there are numerous screaming, sometimes crying, always half-naked boys running around our village. I don’t even have to say it… but I will. I am still living in the staff site… just 9,000 miles away.

The dirtiness becomes an accepted way of life. We shower when we can, or when we feel like it has been a little too long since we last saw soap (the girls do a much better job at this than myself) – and then we hop into our graciously refreshing cold showers (if you thought camp was bad – try this). We frolic through the rain as though it does not exist. Sadly, we do not have your stereotypical first-year campers with their bright ponchos and giant walking sticks that drag helplessly behind them. We just keep on going through the rain – it will be a perfect blue sky in a matter of minutes anyway, just like the weather on the Pocono Plateau. I am yet to find any swamps that I can go on a 2 mile hike in muck over my head, but I still have a lot of island to explore…