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INTRODUCTIONWEWEREINBOLIVIAWHENITHAPPENED,THEVASTNESSOFTHEPACIFICOCEANANDTHEIMPENETRABLEANDESBETWEENUSANDTHETOHOKUREGION.HOWEVER,SUCHISTHEWAYOFTHEMODERNWORLD,EVENINA$10-A-NIGHTHOSTELHALFAWORLDAWAYWECOULDSITANDWATCHTHETERRIFYINGLIVECOVERAGEOFTHEGREATEASTJAPANEARTHQUAKEOF2011ASTHOUGHWEWEREINJAPANITSELF.THETOKYOOFFICESSHAKING,THETOHOKUFIELDSBEINGENGULFED,THEFUKUSHIMAEXPLOSION:THESEWERETHEMOSTSTRIKINGNEWSIMAGESWE’DSEENSINCETHOSEBROADCASTFROMNEWYORKEXACTLYNINEYEARSANDSIXMONTHSPREVIOUSLY.WATCHINGTHEM,WEFELTJUSTASHELPLESS–LIKEEVERYONEELSEAROUNDTHEWORLD,ALLWECOULDDOWASWATCHANDLISTEN.WEDIDN’TLIKEWHATWEHEARD.MODERNMEDIAFEEDSONDRAMAANDHYSTERIATOFUNCTION–AMERICANNEWSNETWORKSWOULDBENOTHINGWITHOUTIT.MANICSPECULATIONATTRACTSVIEWERS,WHOINTURNATTRACTADVERTISERS;THEFIRSTTOTHEEXCLUSIVEMAKESTHEMOSTMONEY.INBOLIVIA,THEONLYNEWSNETWORKSWEHADACCESSTOWERETHEINTERNATIONALEDITIONSOFCNNANDFOX,THESQUABBLINGSISTERSOFTHEAMERICANMAINSTREAM.WOULDTHINGSHAVEBEENMORESOBERONTHEBBC?WE’DLIKETOTHINKSO,BUTWEHONESTLYDON’TKNOW.INSTEAD,THEREWERELUDICROUSCONVERSATIONSWITHAMERICANANCHORMENTALKINGTOAMERICANEXPERTSINANAMERICANSTUDIO.THEREWASVIRTUALLYNOWORDFROMJAPAN–JUSTTHOSEPICTURES,WHICHSEAREDINTOTHEWORLD’SCOLLECTIVECONSCIOUSNESS.MEANWHILE,THEON-AIRCONVERSATIONWASMAKINGITSOWNHEADLINES:“ISTHEREAMELTDOWNATFUKUSHIMA?”“IDON’TKNOW,BUTWECAN’TRULEANYTHINGOUT.”ASJOURNALISTS,WEFOUNDITSLOPPYANDEMBARRASSING.THEJAPANESEGOVERNMENTWASPERHAPSTOOSLOWTORELEASEINFORMATION,BUTTHEWESTERNMEDIAHADPRECISELYTHEOPPOSITEPROBLEM.SOMEDAYSLATER,WHENWENEXTSATINFRONTOFATELEVISION,PICTURESFROMTOHOKUSTARTEDTOEMERGE.LIKEMOSTPEOPLE,WEWANTEDTOGOTOJAPANTOHELP;LIKEMOSTPEOPLEWEWEREBOUNDBYPRACTICALITIES.ASBACKPACKERSOURBUDGETWASPLANNEDDAY-TO-DAYINORDERTHATWECOULDARRIVEBACKATHOMEPENNILESSBUTSATISFIED.FLIGHTSTOJAPANWERESIMPLYOUTOFTHEQUESTION.INSTEAD,WESPOKETOFRIENDSWHOWERELIVINGINJAPAN,READNEWSREPORTSANDHOPEDFORTHEBESTFORTHEJAPANESEPEOPLE.FOURMONTHSLATER,WEHADNAVIGATEDOURWAYNORTHTHROUGHTHEAMERICASANDWERECOMINGTOTHEENDOFOURTRIP.JUSTTWODAYSBEFOREWEWERETOFLYBACKTOTHEUK,INAWASHINGTONDCMOTELROOM,WEGOTANEMAIL.ITWASACOLLECTIONOFTRAVELSTORIESANDOPPORTUNITIESFORJOURNALISTS–TOPOFTHELISTWASTHETRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECT.HERE,FINALLY,WASOURCHANCETOHELP.INSPITEOFHAVINGNOMONEY,THISWASANOPPORTUNITYTOGETTOJAPANANDTOVOLUNTEER.IT’SNOTLIKEWEHADAJOBSORAHOMETOGIVEUP,EITHER.NOTONLYTHAT,BUTITWOULDUSEOURSPECIALIZEDSKILLS:JAMIEASAWRITER,KATYASAPHOTOGRAPHER.GIVENHOWTHOROUGHLYUSELESSWE’DHAVEBEENWITHAHAMMERORASAW,ITWASBETTERFOREVERYONETHATWEUSEOURTRAININGANDEXPERTISETOHELPTHEDEVASTATEDAREA.WESUBMITTEDANAPPLICATION,SAIDASMALLPRAYERTOTHETRAVELINGGODS,ANDPROMPTLYFORGOTABOUTTHEWHOLETHING.SOWHEN,JUSTTHREEWEEKSLATERINKATY’SHOMEINBRITAIN,WEFOUNDOUTWE’DBEENSHORT-LISTEDTOGOOUTTOJAPANFORTHEFINALSELECTIONPROCESS,WEWEREGENUINELYSTUNNED.WITHSUCHACARROTONOFFER–THECHANCETOSEEEVERYPARTOFJAPAN,ALLEXPENSESPAID–WETHOUGHTTHEQUALITYOFAPPLICANTSWOULDMEANWE’DNEVERHEARANYTHINGMOREABOUTIT.EVENFLYINGOUTTOJAPAN,WEDIDN’TTHINKTHERE’DBEAHOPEOFACTUALLYGETTINGTHEJOB.ANDWHENWEDID,ITTOOKSEVERALDAYSFORITTOSINKIN.NOTTHATWEHADTIMETOTHINKABOUTIT:THEPROJECTWASMANICFROMTHESTART,ANDBEFOREWEHADACHANCETOEVENOVERCOMEOURJETLAGWEWEREONTHEROADBLOGGINGABOUTOUREXPERIENCES.THANKFULLY,WEWEREWELCOMEDTOTHECOUNTRYBYHUNDREDSOFSUPPORTERSANDVOLUNTEERS,WITHOUTWHOMTHISPROJECTWOULDSIMPLYNOTHAVEBEENPOSSIBLE.THEIRGENEROSITYANDSPIRITARESOMEOFTHETHINGSWECHERISHMOSTFROMOURTIMEINJAPAN,ANDTHEMEMORIESTHATMAKEUSMOSTHOPEFULFORTHENATION’SFUTURE.WE’DSAIDINTHEFINALINTERVIEWTHATWE’DAPPROACHTHEPROJECTSASPROFESSIONALS,ANDWELIKETOTHINKWEACHIEVEDTHAT.BUTITWASDIFFICULTTOREMAINJOYLESSLYPROFESSIONALWHENTHECOUNTRYSURPRISEDUSWITHSOMUCH,SOOFTEN.WHOARETHETRAVELVOLUNTEERS?
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