Bula bula everyone!
We’ve been in Fiji for a little over a week and we are loving it! During the first four days we stayed in pure paradise. The Mango Bay Resort was the perfect place for orientation and to get to know everyone. We left the resort and was a little nervous, but definitely excited about our home stay families. We were very humbled when we saw the homes we would be staying in for two weeks. We are staying in Rewasa village. The Fijians welcomed us with open arms and hugs. They are some of the nicest, happiest people I have ever met.
For my home stay family, I am paired with Gabrielle. Our family consists of three girls and the mom and dad. All of the girls are close to us in age. We’re definitely starting to get close with them.
As a group, we went hiking around the mountains surrounding the village. Some of the little kids decided to join us. We had on our hiking boots and were stepping carefully while the kids were running up the mountain without any shoes. They, of course, were the pros. They kicked our butts and beat us to the top of the mountain. The kids are so cute. They treat us all like we are celebrities. They are also so willing to help us with out service projects. We are currently building side walks. The kids help us with gathering water and dirt to mix the concrete.
So far, our overall experience in this village has been indescribable. We have one week left full of activities such as a trip to the sugar cane mill, downtown RakiRaki, Fiji’s water plant, and the village’s Rugby game. There are plenty more stories to be told and all of us cannot wait to share our complete experience in Rewasa village. All of us on this trip cannot thank our parents and the people that made this possible enough. Much love and talk to yall soon!
-Tia