I Found My Heart in FIJI

As I've mentioned in a previous blog, these next three posts will be dedicated to my travels after Peace Corps service, which took place in December 2014 (I know, I know... I'm a day late and a dollar short!).

Instead of going into detail, my posts will be photos with captions, steering away from long writing. I am choosing this route because my trips took place several months ago; therefore, not all details are fresh in my mind. Additionally, all the countries I've visited are so gorgeous that I'd rather fill my blog with photos than text. So without further ado, enjoy photos from my #1 travel destination... FIJI!

Note: When I add captions to each photo, the link to enlarge it gets deleted, therefore I've added descriptions beneath each row of photos.

Photo 1: I've dreamt about that moment for a very long time! Tofa, soifua, Samoa!

Photo 2: Hello, Fiji!

Photo 3: First stop: Hard Rock Cafe for mac & cheese and nachos!

Photo 1: Off to Mamanuca Islands, west of the main island Viti Levu.

Photo 2:  After dreaming about Fiji for years, I couldn't believe I was living my dream!

Photo 3: This blew my mind! These are boat taxis, where resorts from every island pick up their guests from the ferry, in the middle of the ocean... ON TIME! This would never fly in Samoa.

Photo 1: Funky Fish Resort, Malolo Island. A nice environment, with free welcoming drinks and free WiFi!

Photo 2: We had a private room in this dorm hall. We were quite excited by the showers... hot water!

Photo 3: Lovely ocean views

Photo 1: It's 5 o'clock somewhere.

Photo 2: Off to Cloud 9.

Photo 3: If you're ever in Fiji, you must go to Cloud 9! It is purely amazing!

Photo 1: This party boat is in the middle of the ocean, has free WiFi, AND pizza!

Photo 2: That entire pizza was mine!

Photo 3: A lot of room to sit and lounge around.


Photo 1: It's kava time! About the same strength as Samoan ava.

Photo 2: I was the spokeswoman of the kava ceremony and demanded several rounds of kava... "Taki!"

Photo 3: Midway through the trip, we island hopped to Beachcomber Island (known as a party island). This island would change my life forever! (More on this in future posts)

Photo 1: We stayed in a giant dorm.

Photo 2: Great food, with buffet-style setup.

Photo 3:  I had a great time with Mille, Michelle, and these ladies! Two are Aussie and one is Canadian.

Photo 1: ...and with this group!

Photo 3: A perfect shot of me pointing at a school of flying fish! The white line across the water are the fish!

Photo 2: Drinking Fiji water in Fiji.

Photo 3: With our new friend Asha.

Photo 1: Cultural night.

Photo 2: Fire dancing on the beach.

Photo 3: Goodbye, Beachcomber Island! Next stop, Suva, the capital of Fiji.

Photo 1: Our "VIP" bus. VIP because it had air con haha.

Photo 2: Suva

Photo 3: Samoa wins the cool bus competition.

Photo 1: Millie and I spent our last night together. Michelle stayed in Nadi. Unfortunately, Millie was a victim of pickpocketing. Luckily her passport wasn't with her, but she did loose cash, credit cards, and her camera that had all her photos from Samoa... A sad situation!

Photo 2: We took a stroll through the market... Mango Heaven!

Photo 3: Taro. Something I can live the rest of my life without ever eating again! Two years worth was more than enough.

Photo 1: It's incredible to see the sun hit the horizon and then disappear.

Photo 2: A zoom-in of the previous sunset photo. Beyond beautiful!

While Fiji has officially been checked-off my list, I will be back one day!

Two Years of Samoa in a 10 Minute Video

Since this blog is still getting quite a bit of traffic, I thought I’d share a video I made documenting my Peace Corps service. I started making the video while in Samoa, and had plans to finish it once I was home. Unfortunately, my MacBook died, delaying the finished piece.

Also, this blog will be retired soon, but I’ll leave it active since it has useful information for prospective PCVs and Peace Corps Samoa invitees. Before it reaches retirement, I have a few posts to write. I had promised my readers updates of my travels. I’ll get those posts and photos up soon. Additionally, I’ll dedicate a post about being interviewed for the local news station, and end with talking about my upcoming adventure! Here’s a clue: I won’t be living in the US for much longer!

If you want to follow me on Instagram, my username is @angelinaaugust. I update that account more often than this blog.

Back to the video: Below is the final product… Better late than never!

Be prepared for many (hand)waves! Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/ZfyZOouu63k 

My Final Post From Samoa

After living in Samoa for 26 months, tonight is my final night.

I’ve heard that Peace Corps is a life changing experience, and indeed it’s true. Samoa has been quite the ride, full of a roller coaster of emotions. There were a few occasions where I wanted to quit and go home, but I’m glad I stuck it out because while I’ve faced many hardships, some of the hardest times of my life, the Peace Corps and my time in Samoa has been one of the best experiences I’ll ever have. The biggest lesson I’ve taken from this experience is: If I can survive two years in a developing country, 5,482 miles (8,822 km) away from home, without privacy and sometimes without basic amenities, then I can do anything.

Over the past two years I’ve met and formed relationships with not only fellow Americans, but with Samoans and people from all over the world; people I can’t imagine never meeting and not having in my life. And for that, I’ll forever be grateful to this country.

Samoa will always have a special place in my heart. Alofa atu, Samoa! Toe feiloa’i… Tofa soifua!

So now I can officially say: Join the Peace Corps and complete two years of service, check!

What’s next? I’m off to Fiji, Australia, and Thailand to celebrate this milestone! Expect updates of my travels.

My pastor threw a to'ona'i (Sunday lunch) in my honour and lavished me with gifts

Happy Prize Giving

The map is now the photo taking headquarters

This island girl is a taupo 

Doing the traditional dance for the villagers

Final night with my host fam :( I love and will miss them dearly

Utulaelae is my village and has been my home since I arrived in Samoa. This is the village where I had Peace Corps training and moved to after I left Savai'i. 

The World Map Project

The World Map Project was done during my final school term in Samoa. The Years 7 & 8 students helped with the painting part. It came out great and was an excellent way to end my service in this country. Below you'll find photos of the process... Enjoy!

Making the grid (968 squares) was the most difficult part of the project, and reconfirmed how much of a perfectionist I am

Hello, Africa!

Time to start painting!

All done painting the countries!

I have zero artistic ability, but I have to say: not too shabby, eh?

Painting the Peace Corps symbol, ya!

Writing on a cement wall isn't the easiest thing to do

Ladies and gentleman, the map is complete! Yaaa

The Years 7 & 8 rockstars who helped with the project

One-Hundred-Fourteen Weeks Down, Only One Week to Go!

My first week in Samoa, I wrote a blog post titled One Week Down, Only 114 Weeks to Go, so now with just one week left in this country, the title I’ve chosen for this post seems appropriate. Although due to my COS (Close-of-Service) date, it is more like 112 weeks down, but same difference.

Regardless of 114 weeks or 112 weeks, I’ve been here for a long time. It is mind boggling, actually, to think that I have just one week left in Samoa. ONE WEEK. Not one year, or even one month. No. I have one week to make peace with the fact that I’m leaving Samoa and won’t be coming back for a very long time.

Peace Corps provides countless trainings during Staging (a two day event before the trainee arrives in their country of service), PST (Pre-Service Training) and the numerous IST (In-Service Trainings), but leaving Samoa is one thing Peace Corps trainings did not prepare me for. Sure the topic of leaving has been addressed, but regardless of how much training there is, I will never be ready.

I will say that while I was warned about how difficult two years is in a foreign, developing country, I was not prepared for how hard it would be to say goodbye and leave. It was difficult to leave home in 2012, but at the end of two years, I knew that I’d be going back home. Back to my family. Back to my friends. Back to my culture. Back to my country. And while I am aware that life isn’t the same as I left it in 2012, I’m still going back to that life. But in order to go back, I must leave this life behind. I must leave all things I’ve known for two years. I must leave Samoa behind, and that’s the one thing I am not prepared for. One thing I didn’t anticipate would be so difficult to do. So if any future or current PCVs are reading this: You have fair warning that saying goodbye to your country of service is one of the hardest things you’ll ever have to do. This is coming from someone who’s gone through and survived two of the most challenging years of her life. Someone whose Peace Corps service hasn’t been all sunshine and beaches like her Facebook and Instagram accounts depicts. (Okay, time to switch back to first person…) In fact, on several occasions my time here was complete hell, as frequent readers of this blog may recall. And what you’ve read is the censored edition. There are many things that I’ve chosen not to write, due to personal reasons and respect for Peace Corps and the Samoan culture. But despite all that, it doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier.

The next week will be filled with countless (tear-filled) goodbyes. As I wrote in my previous post: many goodbyes will be to people I’ll most likely never see again, which are the worst kinds of goodbyes. On top of that, I need to pack. Luckily I got about 80% of my packing done when I went to American Samoa to ship my suitcase home. Which is LOST, by the way! It’s beyond me how an item that large (45lbs) could get lost, but indeed it is a goner. So if you’re a religious person, please pray that it makes its way to my parent’s house. If you’re not religious, then send positive vibes my way! Most of the items in my suitcase are irreplaceable, like my journals depicting everyday from the last two years and a ring I’ve had since I was a child…

Another thing I’ll be finishing is the World Map Project. It has turned out so great! My next post will be dedicated to the map, so look out for it. And finally, my last days will be centered on Peace Corps and tying up all loose ends. It was a headache to get into Peace Corps, and it’s a headache to end Peace Corps service. I just finished the two official documents Peace Corps require which are the VRF (Volunteer Reporting Form) and the DOS (Description-of-Service). A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I feel a need to celebrate, but before I do that I must complete additional PC forms relating to my site, school, suggestions, etc., get a checkup, close my bank account, have an exit interview, and… I’m sure there are more to add to the list! It’s exhausting and I’m staying up late each night doing necessary work, but soon it will be over… in only one week!

Below you’ll find photos from GLOW (Girls Leading Our World), my group’s big farewell party, and others from the last few weeks… As always, enjoy!

Selfie with my GLOW girls and a village matai

Being the head of the Food Committee is A LOT of work

My awesome committee members

'Cause sometimes life is about being silly during serious moments!  Captains!

GLOW girls and PCV's Representing 20 rural primary schools around Upolu and Savai'i

At my group's farewell at Lusia's, located on the island of Savai'i... The last time we'll all be together in a social setting

Time to watch the digital memory book

I moved 6,000 miles away from home and met two friends who will be in my life forever

This was in my classroom!

...But I had no fear cause my student's knocked the beehive down, killed the colony... Then posed with the remains!

My school threw me a surprise farewell party, gifting me with several Samoan souvenirs, and a breakfast feast. I'm truly touched by the kindness of my school's principal, co-teachers, and students. 

A closeup of my gifts! A grand total of 31 lavalavas!

My first turkey-less Thanksgiving, so compensated with pizza and a Pina Colada at a beautiful resort... Happy Thanksgiving!

A breathtaking sunset on my village's beach. I often forget that I live on a beach. Looking at this sunset reminded me of how blessed I've been, and how sad it makes me to be leaving.

I can stare at the sea for hours, and will miss doing so.

A Bridesmaid in My Host Sister's Wedding

My host sister Alofa got married and wanted me as a bridesmaid, so she had her wedding before I leave Samoa. Congratulations Alofa and Sio! Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day.

In a Samoan wedding, the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony begins 

Getting ready to strut my stuff down the Methodist church aisle, which by the way:  If you're in a Samoan wedding, this walk must be in sync with the music, taking some serious skills! Ha

My host mother walked Alofa down the aisle

Congratulations, Alofa and Sio!

Wardrobe change for the reception

A bridesmaid's role in a Samoan wedding: passing out cake to all the important people