6 months later and I end up in Orem, Utah!
Lets rewind 6 months and start where the adventure begins....
little did I know my new life was beginning as well.
I could start out with ONCE UPON A TIME...but that makes this adventure
seem soo ancient and impossible to have again.
so im just gonna jump into it from the get go.
In January of this year I had just received my Associates Degree
and had been accepted to Utah Valley University for fall semester.
So i decided i was going to stay home this semester and work and save
up money. After a month of no luck with job hunting
my parents proposed that since I have a couple months
to spare i should go to Samoa and spend time with my
Grandma and family out there.
SPEECHLESS! that's the best way to sum up my reaction.
It sounded like an amazing opportunity....
I was soo excited and my parents were surprised at how quickly
i said yes!
The more i thought about it the more I second guessed myself.
I kept asking myself is this what I am supposed to do.
Then came doubt and worry.
I began to worry about school,
will i be ready for school when i come back?
how will i adjust coming straight from Samoa?
my parents assured me that I would be fine.
So i trusted them, like i always did.
March came and it was time for me to go.
Bags packed? check
Passport? check
travel money? check
i was ready to go!
Anyone who knows me, knows when it comes to family I am very
sensitive. So goodbyes are REALLY hard for me.
Saying good bye to my mom and dad for the next 4 1/2 months was KILLER!
I think i cried all the way from security to my gate, as i boarded the plane, and as we took off!
There was NO turning back.
The plane ride was great... I had a 9 hour layover in FIJI so I
was able to site see for a bit and WOW!
Fiji is GORGEOUS! I wish i could stay longer..
but onward to New Zealand i had to go..
Once i landed in New Zealand I was greeted at the airport by
my Aunt marina(moms younger sister) and my cousin jeremy and his
lover mate Brie and my cousin Netrina! I was soo happy to see them.
I spent about 3 days in NZ before i flew to samoa.
I loved NZ i got to meet all my family there. My mom has 3 sisters In NZ
that live about a mile apart from each other.
My moms youngest sister Rona, then Legalo and Marina.
I got to meet my cousins too and they are AMAZING people!
Theres my baby BEN HUR we were the closest.. then
Paulo
Rudolpho
Jane
Reuben
Rina
Mara
Siah
Alisha
Jeremy
Joseph
Nina
Lua
Love my cousins! Sad it was only a 3 day stay but i had to head off
to Samoa.
Ill admit I was extremely nervous.
It had been 7 years since I was last in samoa.
things definately changed over those 7 years.
When i landed in samoa i could feel the humidity while i was still on the airplane. It was about 100 degrees there.
My grandma Onopene was at the airport to greet me.
We had used a neighbors SUPER SMALL truck to pick me up from the airport. and when i say small i mean SMALL!
To make a Long story short SAMOA WAS AMAZING!
the BEST experience of my life.
I was able to meet ALL of my family in samoa and NZ.
(I am the only person in my extended family to meet EVERYONE)
I was able to learn the samoan Culture ( Fa'a samoa)
I was able to discover myself as a person and change things a bit.
I was able to lose a lil weight! haha
I was able to strengthen my testimony,
It was here in samoa I had TRULLY gained a testimony of prayer, it was
such a sweet and spiritual experience.
I was able to learn the value of hardwork..
In samoa if you want to survive you have to be willing to work hard.
Heres just a little taste of the daily life in samoa...
530am -wake up, say prayer, prepare breakfast
7am those working go to work
kids are off to school
*as for those who stay home this is when the fun begins*
8am Go to the mountain check on the cows, move them to a
different grazing spot
11am return from the mountain and work on the plantation
-collect the coconuts
-shuck the coconuts
-shave the meat of the coconut and make coconut milk
-collect taro/yams for dinner
-Prepare the saka (boil the taro/bananas/yams)
-mow the lawn with a machete
-do the laundry
-clean the house
-weed the garden/grass area
-begin making dinner
5pm set up for dinner
6pm family prayer/eat dinner
7pm clean dishes and prepare the cocoa for tea
8pm shower and get ready for bed.
I think the most important part of my trip was the time I got to spend with my grandma.She is probably the Hardest working woman I know.
At the age of 74 she works full time as a Head Nurse at the hospitals, she attends the temple every friday by bus which comes at 430 in the morning,
she is primary president, runs 4 hospitals in the villages. She loves to work.
sick people come over at all times during the night; midnight, 2am 3am etc. She loves to serve others and thats why she is just AMAZING!
Life is no joke here. I love samoa because it teaches young children
the value of hard work. Something i feel is almost lost In the US
It teaches the importance of family unity.
Respect, Love, Compassion, kindess.
Though the people in Samoa may not have much.
The fact that they still honor these simple values, to me makes them the richest people on earth.
