Living the Life I've Dreamed Of: I’m in America for the Holidays, Surprise!

I purchased my flight to America in August, which was the day I found out I get to stay in Samoa. Since October I’ve been writing a continuous blog post, leading up to my big trip home. I told everyone that I was going to Fiji for Christmas, so the blog post talks about my surprise. It’s quite long, so as soon as I edit it, I’ll post it on here.

I left Samoa on Friday December 13th, at 5:25 pm. I was going through a personal matter, so the timing of the trip couldn't have been better; I was ready to leave the country for a while. My friend Dan and I shared a cab to the airport, meeting up with Kiri and Michelle (two PCVs in my group) who were on the same flight. Being at the airport was so surreal. On several occasions I imagined that moment, but when I was finally living it, it felt like a dream.

Off to America we go!

Fa soifua, Samoa!

Because of the International Date Line, we arrived in Honolulu the night of Thursday December 12th. This meant that we experienced (and survived) TWO Friday the 13ths, in just a 48-hour time span. I don’t think many people can say that. It’s a good thing I’m not a superstitious person, otherwise I would’ve been nervous flying on these days.

After 14 months, I'm on American soil!

Kiri has a cousin named Aaron who’s in the Navy and is stationed in Hawaii. He was kind enough to pick the four of us up from the airport and take us to the hotel he booked for us. I was happy that we arrived in Honolulu around 11 pm because the roads were empty, so it was a good way to get used to being on a highway, in a large and I mean LARGE city. Kiri, Aaron, and I left together, to take Aaron to the Naval base. On the way back to the hotel, Kiri drove, while I navigated the GPS on her iPhone. When I lived in America, I owned an iPhone, but the last time I had my hands on one was 14 months ago, and it felt brand new to me. After about 20 minutes of feeling electronically-challenged, I got the hang of using the Maps app. During this time we got the idea that we wanted to go to Taco Bell. If you’re not familiar with Taco Bell, it’s a fast food chain, serving delicious Mexican dishes. I love Taco Bell. Frequently readers of this blog may recall me mentioning that I occasionally dream about food. Well, Taco Bell has made an appearance in my dreams. We drove around for over an hour, looking for an open Taco Bell at 1 am. They were all closed, so we settled for Jack in the Box instead. I ordered tacos and a vanilla milkshake. I can honestly say that at that moment, I experienced genuine happiness. Yes, it’s the little things in life.

Dan had an early flight the next morning, so he didn’t get to roam around Honolulu with Kiri, Michelle, and me. The three of us started our morning at Starbucks. I didn’t order anything, instead was thrilled that I was back in America, the land of free WiFi. I took advantage, using up my time sending messages to a couple of people. I limited my Facebook usage because I didn't want my location (Honolulu, HI, United States) to accidentally pop up in a message, ruining my surprise.

Santa Claus in front of Starbucks! America!

Our first proper meal in America: MEXICAN FOOD!

Then we met up with a friend of Kiri’s who lives in Honolulu. The four of us ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant. I ordered my favorite Mexican dish: cheese enchiladas and we all drank margaritas. Our next stop was at the Naval base to pick up Aaron. He took us to a shopping mall, and let me tell you, I definitely experienced reverse culture shock there. I never thought it would be a problem for me, but it was. Boy, it was. The mall on the base is huge, with so many colors and options. My eyes didn’t know where to look. So I focused my attention on my phone, taking advantage of the free WiFi.

This was me in Honolulu!

We took Michelle to the airport, and then headed back to the Naval base. Kiri, Aaron, and I talked, listened to music, and watched music videos. Then we went to the bar, and met up with one of Aaron’s friends for a few hours. That night I got my Taco Bell! Hallelujah! Some people have asked me if I went to any beaches in Hawaii. The answer is no. I was in Honolulu for 23 hours, which is plenty of time to catch some sun, but the truth is, I live in paradise. Samoa is absolutely breathtaking, so going to a beach in Hawaii wasn’t appealing to me. I wanted to see a little bit of the big city, and that’s what I did. I realize that I sound so spoiled living in Samoa. And indeed, I am.

Our "welcome to civilization" drinks

The time came to go to the airport. My original flight to Phoenix was at 11:50 pm. I was able to get an earlier flight, leaving Honolulu at 11 pm. The moment I sat on my seat, I was sound asleep. I didn’t even make it past take off. Six hours later, I was in the mainland. I needed to catch another flight to Albuquerque, so I quickly lined up on the aisle, waiting to depart the plane. This is when I met a lady named Terri. Turns out she’s from Albuquerque and had the same connecting flight as me. I told her how I’m a PCV and am surprising my family and friends for the holidays. She asked me how I’m getting from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. I told her that I was using public transportation. After our meeting, I went into the bathroom to change into jeans and other “warm” clothes I had with me, which wasn’t much because I live in a tropical climate, so winter clothes are not necessary. I must add, when I got to Albuquerque, I put on my bright orange water shoes to keep my feet warm because I didn't take proper shoes to Samoa. Talk about a Beach Corps problem!

About an hour later, I was in my home state. Seeing the New Mexico flag displayed in the airport was such an exciting feeling, and was another surreal moment for me. As I was waiting for my luggage, I ran into Terri. She told me how she had been thinking about me, and about the way I was going from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, and because of this, she felt it necessary to give me a ride to Santa Fe. She said that she called her husband Dave who was picking her up from the airport, and he agreed to drive me. This was such a blessing because like I’ve mentioned, Terri and Dave live in Albuquerque, so they were going out of their way to take me to my parent’s house, which is about a 50-minute highway drive, one-way.

I'm home!

During the ride, the three of us chatted about our lives and I told them a little bit about my time as a PCV in Samoa. I was really happy that I came across such great people. If my flight to Phoenix never changed, it’s likely that I wouldn’t have met Terri. It’s funny how life works out. Before we arrived at my parent’s house, we exchanged contact info. I’ll definitely be in touch with them in the future.

So now it’s time to talk about my big surprise! I arrived in front of my parent’s house at around 12:30 pm on Saturday December 14th. Dave had my video camera in hand, recording the encounter. Terri rang the doorbell, as I hid behind the gate. My father answered the door. Terri asked if my mother was home and told my father that she had a surprise for the two of them. My mother was busy arranging the living room area because I had set up a Skype date with my entire family for later that evening (It was my excuse to make sure they would all be home). I had told my mother that I wanted to be on Skype as I watched them decorate the Christmas tree. So she was preparing for that. A couple of minutes later, my father and mother came out, and Terri told them how she had a present for them. This is when I came into their view. It was a very happy, exciting, and emotional moment!

Moments after I surprised my parents!

The lovely couple who gave me a ride from Albuquerque to Santa Fe

The way I surprised my sisters, brother-in-laws, niece, and nephew was different. They arrived at my parent’s house at 5 pm. I was hiding in my parent’s bedroom closest, Skyping with them as originally planned. They thought I was in Samoa. It was awesome. I told them that I had arranged for their Christmas gift to be delivered at 5:15 pm, during our Skype date, so I could see them open it up. Then I told them, “Hold on one-second, I need to get my phone.” I left my computer, and that’s when I came into their view saying, "The Christmas gift is me!" Their reactions were priceless!

Moments after I surprised the rest of my family!

Below you’ll find a video I put together of the surprise. I apologize for the video quality with my second surprise reveal. I didn’t realize my camera was out of focus, but the audio is still good, so you get the idea.

I surprised the rest of my family and friends on social media sites. On Facebook I posted:

"I’m going going, back back, to Santa Fe Santa Fe. Actually… I’M ALREADY HERE!!! Until January 16… Surprise, family and friends!

P.S., like my song reference? And—I must apologize to those I lied to. I wanted to keep this trip a surprise and needed to keep all my lies straight; Fiji seemed like a great place to pretend I was traveling to for the holidays."

On Instagram I posted a photo of my family and me, with this caption:

"Round trip airfare from Apia, Upolu, Samoa to Albuquerque, NM, USA: A pretty penny. Total travel time: 38 hours. Traveling halfway around the world to surprise family and friends for the holidays: priceless! I'll be in America until January 16. Hope to see you guys! #family #surprise #christmas #iloveamerica"

So now you know how I surprised the people most important to me.

I’m in America for a total of five weeks. You may be wondering how I’m spending my time. Over the past week, I’ve seen a lot of my best and close friends, and some family. I made it home in time to celebrate my dad and aunt's birthday! I’ll see more family on Christmas day. If you guessed eating is another way I’m passing time, then you’re absolutely right. I’ve indulged in New Mexican dishes, covered in green chile, along with other food that I don’t have access to in Samoa.

Yes, this is 100% true!

Going from 85-90 degrees F (29 to 32 C), with high humidity, to 15-35 degrees F (-9 to 1 C) is a bit of a shock, so if I’m not out with friends, then I’m almost guaranteed to be indoors, keeping warm while spending time with my family. I’ve been spending a ridiculous amount of time on the Internet. Having unlimited access to Internet is a beautiful thing. And of course, I’ve been spending time on Netflix. Did I mention eating? I feel bad about eating so much, while being so inactive, so as soon as I upload this post, my P90X workout sessions will continue, for the rest of the time I’m home. I’ve yet to go to another shopping mall or grocery store. My one experience in Honolulu was enough for me. Plus, all my Christmas shopping is done, so it’s pointless to partake in the last minute shopping madness. Maybe I’ll face the retail world in a couple of weeks. Maybe not.

Manuia Kirisimasi ma le Tausaga Fou! (Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!)