I am an Aussie with ancestral blood from the British Isles. But I’m currently an expatriate living in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Ukarumpa is the name of the place where I live. It is a valley often referred to as the ‘Centre’, but I don’t tend to use this term as it sounds somewhat businesslike, although for some people it may well be. Regardless, some, if not all, of the community would consider Ukarumpa to be a unique and sublime place in the world.
I recently re-watched The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey, starting with Bilbo Baggins’s chill life in The Shire. The cinematography captures evergreen, rolling hills and the sense of a tranquil rural life. It immediately reminded me of the place I now call home.
For me and some of my family, we live in Ukaumpa and work under a humanitarian organisation. My husband and I are residential hostel managers where our purpose is to give high-school students the opportunity to get a good standard of education while enabling their parents’ work in providing aid to those living remotely in Papua New Guinea.
Moving from a developed country to a developing country has been a major transition for me. Some highlights include the privilege of looking after teenagers while supporting humanitarian work. The natural environment comes with springlike weather all year round and is lush from high rainfall, perfect for growing fruit and veggies. And what’s not to love about the warm and friendly Papua New Guineans and their culture, enhanced by the richness of mixing with people from various nationalities?
I have also had to navigate some confronting aspects of life in a developing country. Some include: observing nationals living in poverty and other effects of political corruption and unrest, a lack of conservation, safety risks like violence from tribal conflict and crime and potential devastation from earthquakes, flooding and landslides.
Getting back to Bilbo Baggins, he was living a contented life in The Shire, only to courageously embark on a purposeful and exciting adventure. I also consider myself to be on an adventure with purpose but only as a guest in an extraordinary country, albeit startlingly challenging at times.