Combining families

Best. Three. Weeks. Ever! I just got back to Sili after a whirlwind 5-island trip with my wonderful family. I can’t even explain the joy involved in seeing my mom, sister, Anna, and Rich. It’s only been 6 months since I last saw them, but having them on my side of the world was incredible!

Our first two weeks of the trip were spent in Samoa learning all about my life. It was so fun showing everyone where I’ve been living and giving them some perspective on this experience. Combining my Samoan family and my American family was indescribable. We spent every evening at my house for prayer and dinner. After dinner, we would spend the night dancing or playing Jenga or just chatting. It was so cool to watch these two cultures and families combine. My Samoan nieces and my American sister have been penpals for over a year and a half now, so watching them meet in person was amazing! My American family was a huge hit; I dressed them up in traditional Samoan wear and they fit right in! The dancing was a little rough, per usual. One night I was dressed in a fine mat and had to solo Samoan dance for everyone – not my best skill.

One big, happy family!

During the days, I got to show my American family my school! Since we had two weeks here, we decided to do a project for Sili Primary School. We painted the world map in the assembly hall! It was quite the process getting supplies in Samoa, but we somehow pulled it off. After school, my students would come to help us paint. Although there was a language barrier between my students and my family, we had tons of fun painting together. We painted a Pacific-centered map so that Samoa is in the middle and it gives perspective of the world beyond this island. I can’t wait to use the map with my students! So many of them have never left Sili, which isn’t even visible on the map, so this will show them how big the world is.

Showing my village the world.

Leaving the village, my school, and my host family was very tough. Everyone fell in love with my American family! We had lots of goodbye ceremonies and gift exchanges. Naturally, this meant that my poor family had to dance in front of all 300 students and then again in front of all 40+ host family members. They were champs! I was in charge of translating all of the goodbye speeches. I probably haven’t mentioned my Samoan language skills in a while because they’re practically non-existent. Needless to say, the speeches were a little rough, but everyone could feel the love in the room so it didn’t even matter. As we drove out of the village, we had crowds surrounding the car saying goodbyes; it was so sweet!

Sili Primary School saying goodbye to our four additional helpers.

We also got to be Samoan tourists during our off time from school. We drove fully around both Upolu and Savai’i! Just driving around the islands is almost the best part – they’re so beautiful! However, we did stop at some very neat spots. On Savai’i, I took them to Afu Aau Waterfall, Alofa’aga Blowholes (used in Moana), Letui Peapea Cave, and Saleaula Lava Fields. On Upolu, we got to see my first two houses in Sa’anapu and then To Sua Trench. Playing tour guide makes me love this country and my American family seemed to love it as well. We had the perfect combination of cultural time and tourist time. They got the full experience of Samoa in just two weeks, which is very impressive!

Casual swimming break.

After a jam-packed, exhausting two weeks in Samoa, we all flew to Hawaii together for a week!! This was my last trip out of Samoa as a volunteer and it was amazing. We only had one week, but we went to three Hawaiian Islands. We arrived in Honolulu, Oahu and stayed in Waikiki, where we had an amazing American meal after two weeks of Samoan food. Then it was off to the big island! I had never been to the island of Hawai’i, but I loved it! We flew into Kona and then drove around the northern half until we got to my uncle’s house in North Hilo. It was so great being reunited with Uncle Tom and Aunt Mary! They hosted us and were incredible tour guides. They live in a Quonset hut up a mountain, so the view is just remarkable. It was my first time there and I fell in love! While on Hawai’i, we got to see Waipi’o Valley, Akaka Falls, and the active volcano of Kilauea. I had never seen active lava before, so that was super cool! I’ll definitely be making a trip back to the big island because I loved it so much.

Loving the big island of Hawai'i!!

From the big island, we flew to Maui for the remainder of our trip! My uncle Peter owns a charter boat business there and my two cousins, Maile and Wili, and their families both live on Maui as well. It was another great reunion! We stayed on Napili Bay and had such a relaxing few days. It was the perfect wind-down. We spent the evenings with family and the days snorkeling – the best combo! I also had my first American 4^th of July since 2013! We spent the 4^th at Wili’s house and set off mini fireworks and sparklers. He lives in a valley between two mountains, with goats and lots of taro fields. It’s neat because it’s so far removed from the touristy Maui. It was so nice bringing everyone together.

Wood family reunion in Maui for the fourth!

To end our whirlwind three-week Pacific adventure, we spent our last day on my uncle’s boat, the Hula Girl. We got to swim with the coolest turtle ever and scream at some fish that came questionably close (okay, maybe that was just me screaming). Between Upolu, Savai’i, Oahu, Hawai’i, and Maui, I had the time of my life these three weeks! I got to reunite with so many family members and be surrounded by so much love. This trip definitely rejuvenated me for my remaining 6 months in Sili. Seeing how my village took care of my family so well, I realized that I’m fully integrated and truly belong here now. It’s a lovely feeling. I’ll spend the next 6 months finishing off strong and then I know it’ll be impossible to say goodbye to this community!

Goodbye Maui, goodbye my sisters!

THANK YOU Mom, Sam, Anna, and Rich for the best three weeks ever!