Home.

Lately, I often find myself wondering why it is that we can’t live like nomads. 
Wander from place to place, with no citizenship or passport. No titles. I feel that destitution exists there which we allow ourselves to be trapped by. Living solitary lives, rather than branching out and away from that which we are familiar with. Gypsies are shunned in most societies for their lack of normative behaviours; but it is they that I envy, as their capacity to move and live freely is both rare and courageous.

Some days, I want to be a gypsy.

It is exactly one month since I left Fiji. Coming home has been more than an end to a semester abroad for me... it has meant leaving behind a life that I deem preferable. North America has too long been regarded as the ultimate destination for provisions and the achievements of hopes and dreams. This incorrect assessment of a place which I "should" feel fortunate to be living has become more clear than ever upon my return.

Over the years, I have made all sorts of plans for life after the completion of my Bachelor’s Degree, and yet as I approach its completion I am learning that plan-making is futile, as we have absolutely no idea where our paths will lead to. 

All I can hope is that someday I will find myself back on the sands of the South Pacific, where I was happier than I’ve been in all my life.

Vinaka vakalevu for caring to keep tabs on me during the last few months... until next time, xoxo.

Departure

[bits from my final journal entry; July 5]

It's nearly 9 pm, which means my flight will begin boarding within the next 25 minutes. 

I just underwent what was the absolute hardest goodbye of my life.

Despite how tough this all is, I find solace in knowing that from the very moment I first stepped foot in Nadi until now, I have LOVED Fiji.

I have always known that traveling will be among the pinnacles of my life – it's partly why I chose to major in International Relations. I know I should feel nothing short of grateful that my first time living away from home was in a country as incredible as this one. I arrived here a girl who thought she knew so much, but leave having learnt far more through a wealth of experiences that epitomize love, culture, knowledge and joy. My last few days in Fiji were spent in my Fijian home, with a couple of my best girls and with my favourite person in this world doing what we do best – having fun & loving life =)

I can honestly say that I will be back in the South Pacific someday... with arms wide open <3

Natadola

I’m currently on the bus ride home from Natadola Beach with Maka, Ang & Laura. Although it’s uncommon to do so on Fijian buses, I have my laptop open. This is due to the fact that it’s already dark out, and the bus has no light on for me to read to. I figured it’s a good time to get some blogging in!

The four of us, along with Christy, Kevin & Johana, all spent the last four nights at beautiful Natadola Beach – a wide stretch of suede-soft sand that rests along pristine, turquoise water. Our days there consisted of sun bathing and swimming, both of which Natadola was perfect for, as its waters weren’t shallow like most of the other beaches I’ve been to in Fiji. Also, the waves on Natadola break on the beach, rather than on reefs far out, so it was a great place for body surfing! We all had a blast playing in the waves and even tried out paddle boarding on Ang’s birthday. We stayed at Yatule Resort where we had two little wooden homes to ourselves – the architecture of the resort reminded of me Whistler’s cabins because the design was very homey, and the buildings were made of wood. 

I ended up extending my stay in Fiji by eleven days at the start of the month in order to do some post-finals traveling and relaxing. Natadola was a great place to spend time with friends and left me feeling so glad that I decided to stay in Fiji longer! 

-

Just after completing our term papers and before beginning our final exams, Ang, Jennie, Patrick and I went to Nananu-i-Ra (a little island just north of Viti Levu) for a few nights. The best word to describe Nananu-i-Ra is serene. It was an absolutely beautiful, laid back place to spend a few nights of calm before the storm of finals. I really enjoyed our time there and met some cool people who'd been lucky enough to embark on heaps of enviable travels. 

The weekend before we left for Natadola consisted of post-exams/final-weekend-in-Suva/Ang-and-Laura's-birthday PARTYING! It was a great time for all of us internationals, as we relished in our final days as a group. I can honestly say those two nights out were a perfect celebration of what was an incredible semester, at an an incredible university, with incredible people :D 

I've had a wonderful June. Let's see what my last 5 days in Fiji bring... I'm sure they will be bittersweet, as I'll be aching to hold on to each precious moment, whilst aiming to continue having the time of my life <3

Food & Friends

Bula!

So I leave in exactly 30 days... time is running out, but I’m trying my best to stay in the present and get over the anxiety I feel about having to leave so soon.

Things have been lovely as always. I went into town today for some groceries since I was feeling deprived of fruits and veggies. I stocked up big time! Got 3 papayas, 2 coconuts, a pineapple, half a watermelon (which was brought to Suva from Lambasa – the vendor told me it takes them a whole day to get to Suva in an effort to make their sales!), bok choy, green peppers, ginger, garlic, and the list goes on.

Our res hall held a ‘hall activity’ tonight, which was a cultural potluck/pajama party! I made a pasta with lots of garlic, ginger, herbs & veggies! I know I should’ve tried my hand at some Afghan food, but without the proper spices and such it's unlikely things would have worked out. Thus, pasta-a-la-Canadienne it was :p Everyone else on our floor made some really tasty dishes as well – Ang made chicken wings from a recipe that her momma passed on to her; Johana made homemade salsa with chips; Cinta & Ola made traditional Tongan dishes; Pari made Indian chicken palau; Hernandia made a Solomon dessert out of fresh coconut. The girls from the other two floors all made some tasty meals as well – it was great to try foods from different parts of the world! I’ve really enjoyed getting to know these ladies... they’ve made my time at USP so special, so it was wonderful to spend a night celebrating our cultures and friendships :)

Passionfruit.

It’s been months since I’ve been in Fiji and unfortunately I have only JUST tried passionfruit for the first time. It’s amazing... can’t get enough of it!

Today has been so nice, regardless of the fact that it’s definitely the coldest day I’ve experienced since being in Suva - 22º with wind & rain. It’s been nice because so far I’ve stayed indoors all day with my favourite Tokelauan, listening to the rain and relaxing, and then with Ang, having "deep and meaningful" chats about spirituality. It’s been, as Christy said in a Facebook status earlier today, “a Saturday of simple pleasures” :). The stormy weather has come at a bit of a bad time, as the big USP Social is tonight... pretty much everyone I know here is going to be attending it and we all plan on going into town after, so let’s hope the skies clear up come nighttime! 

Last weekend was Mother’s Day and my Geography TA invited the international students from our class to join his family at their church and home for the occasion. We had a wonderful day with Alex and his family, as they graciously welcomed us into their home and treated us to an amazing Fijian spread of local seafood, homemade cakes and more. Afterwards, we were all given pillows and instructed to take a nap on the mats of their living room floor. I'm not even kidding, I don't know of anywhere else where people are so hospitable and down to earth. Alex's parents explained to us that this is how they always spend their Sundays  – going to church, eating fresh food, and relaxing with their loved ones :)

Vinaka for now, xoxo.

Like Sand Through an Hourglass...

Well, there’s just over 6 weeks left of my time here in Fiji... can’t believe it. I think I’m officially in panic mode because I know I won’t be ready to leave when the time comes. I’ve formed relationships and have memories here that will be heartbreaking to turn away from... as much as I know that I have to return to Vancouver, where life will eventually go back to normal, I can’t help but feel discontented about it. I’ve fallen in love with the South Pacific... the lifestyle, the people, the nature, the beauty. I didn’t tell many people, but I was approved for a second semester here at USP... I wanted to stay longer so that I could explore the region further (I really would like to visit the Solomon’s, Tonga and New Zealand) and complete my degree here. However, after thinking and reflecting long and hard about it, I decided that it’s best for me to come home as planned... that way I’ll have enough money in my savings for the backpacking endeavors I have planned for next year, I won’t risk losing my job, and I'll be guaranteed to graduate on time – all very adult, somewhat boring considerations. I sometimes wonder whether I’ll regret this decision... and the panic I’m currently feeling doesn’t help... but I know I’ll be back in the South Pacific again some day, and I find comfort in that.

 This past weekend, I joined Greg and Lena (two lovely fellow Germans that are also studying here at USP) on a trip to Rakiraki, which is in the Northern part of Viti Levu. We took a 4 hour bus ride early Friday morning and arrived at Voli Voli Resort just after noon. It was a super chill weekend, where we read poolside and enjoyed our surroundings. I spoke to a diving instructor about the SSi and PADI diving classes, in hopes of getting certified while out there. Unfortunately, 2 days wasn't enough time to do so, so I'm hoping to perhaps get my diving certification elsewhere before I leave Fiji. I saw some neat insects/animals on our trip (a preying mantis landed on Greg, cows trekked on a road next to us, and a crab was chilling in our pool) which was fun. The mountains in Rakiraki were my favourite – so majestic and beautiful. It was a good place to be for a weekend, that's for sure!

 Since being back, I’ve begun to realize that I have a good amount of school work that I need to start on... I’m hoping to get it all out of the way so that I can go away to the Mamanuca Islands during our designated study break week. We’ll see how that goes! Other than that, all else is well here... sorry for the procrastination on my updates, it definitely lessens the quality of my posts, but I just can’t be bothered :p

From Fiji, with love <3

April Showers Bring May Flowers

It’s 12:30 am on the first of May – can’t believe how quickly time is flying – I’m already nearly four months into my trip. Some friends have been not-so-subtly reminding me that I haven’t written in forever, lol. I think it’s because I’ve just been so happy here, that I’ve lacked any motivation to sit and write about the past, instead opting to indulge in the present. April was a very happy month – despite the massive amounts of rain we got in Suva, things were all around good! We're finally seeing more sunshine than rain lately, which is thoroughly welcomed :)

 Today is Monday, which means I luckily have no classes. I decided to go into town for some groceries, and realized that it was the first time since being in Fiji that I’d gone into town alone. Back home I’m incessantly independent. Here in Fiji, I’ve come to realize that my habits have definitely changed. In my Lonely Planet and on Trip Advisor there are recommendations made that tourists should opt not to frequently go places in Suva alone. Despite feeling both safe and at home in Suva in the last few months, I guess my subconscious has lead me to take that advice to heart. It was great to have some alone time away from campus, even if it was mostly spent in Suva's outdoor farmer's market. Oh, that’s another thing that I’ve failed to mention here – the market in Suva is awesome! Countless vendors come from all over Viti Levu to sell their goods, so finding produce that's organic, fresh and well priced is common. I especially love the local papaya, ginger and green beens =)

 The last few weeks since Spring Break have been relatively uneventful. I’ve just been continuing to enjoy life with new friends & new surroundings (well neither are technically very new any more, but still). I went to a yoga class with Christy for the first time since I left Vancouver, which I was really excited about! It was great to be testing my strength again – that’s what I love about yoga – it makes me push the boundaries of my body in a peaceful environment. The class wasn’t bad, but it made me miss my regular instructor at home – can’t wait to get back into a regular practice of it. On Friday, Christy and I explored a bunch of side streets in Suva and came across some great finds – particularly at a thrift store, where I found a secondhand dress that is officially the greatest item in my wardrobe! That night, a flood relief concert was held at a park in Suva. A few of us went to it, not expecting it to be as big and exciting as it was! It was a great way to donate to an urgent cause whilst enjoying the company of Fijian music, dancing and locals.

 That's all she said for now... xo