I can’t believe our time here is already over, and in the least cliché way possible, it truly feels like just last week when we were first greeted by our new families, flowers adorned around each of our necks. Our time here has been so invaluable, and each of us has formed lasting ties with this community and each other. Since this is our last blog, as a way of wrapping up our trip, I wanted to catalogue some of our group’s best memories. For those of you waiting for our arrival home, this can act as a sneak peak to all our adventures that I’m sure you’ll hear about soon.

Brian: getting his haircut to match with our other fellow rugby stars, rocking what we call the “Fijian fade”.

Iveta: learning to make pie with her Nene, and little Faith (her baby sister who btw has the cutest chubby cheeks) finally letting her pick her up.

Nate, Wilson, and Alex: learning the game of rugby and playing at the school with both the kids and adults, trying not to fall on the muddy side of the field, and attempting the “ankle slap” move that is sure to take out any opponent if done correctly.

Audrey: sitting at the edge of our transport, looking up at the starry sky as 2016 songs blast from the heavy-duty speaker zip-tied to the ceiling of the truck.

Dionnah: eating soursop for the first time. The chilled slimy texture quickly climbed the ranks of what we all consider our favorite fruits.

Emre: the bonfire that reached two meters tall, where we shared laughs, dance moves, and even a poor moth (about the size of one’s palm) that the kids tried and succeeded in throwing at us.

Ellis: the July Fourth celebration at the school where we shared national anthems and cake and participated in a hug, fist bump and high five line; each kid did something different, so you never really knew what was coming next (they def kept us on our toes).

Chloe: watching the kids bust out some insane drum beats and dance moves while we tried and failed to match their swagger. 

Abi: our first dance party in the community center with all the kids where we learned the worm and broke the initial ice of what would soon be lifelong friendships.  

My own favorite memories are cataloged in my notebook, and I fear it would take too long to recount everything here. What I found from this trip, though, is the ability to find joy in the simple things (painting my niece’s nails, getting my hair done, and the long chats that accompany every dish washing session). Laughing even when it’s embarrassing (singing thinking no one else can hear and falling often: while beatboxing, playing flyers, and in the treacherous rugby mud, etc), this trip has made what would have been lows my favorite highs and has taught me the importance of not taking myself too seriously. I only hope that we can all bring these memories with us and the selves we have become back home to our families.