Fiji_Day_3

Day 3 

Brian

We felt the crisp wind of the Fijian breeze rush past us, music blasting in the back of the Toyota land cruiser. The bumpy roads tossed and turned us, as we kept on singing and laughing. After many days of travel, we were going to arrive to the village. I was excited, but also nervous at the prospect of one month away from home. 

As we drove up the gravel path, we saw mountains, then rivers, bridges and schools. The van rolled to a halt. Dozens of children and parents gathered around the community center of the village, waving, and smiling. As we got out of the car, we were engulfed by a wave of welcoming smiles and greetings. We went into the community center. Inside there was a painting of the space needle labeled Seattle, next to it was an island labeled Nanuku. On one side of the room sat our circle of Lakeside students. On the other side is a crowd of residents. Two sides that now meet, but would soon forever be joined. One by one our names were called. And then it was my turn. As I stood up, I received a necklace made from flowers, and was paired up with my family. I introduced myself to my family - we were both really excited to see each other.


We then proceeded to the kava ceremony. We all held bowls carved from coconuts. The villagers poured us some kava, the ground roots of a south pacific plant. Kava ceremonies are meant for celebarations and special events. For us, this was their ritual to welcome us into the group. We went in a circle, each person recieving their share of the drink. Until it came to my turn... I held my bowl, nervously waiting for my turn. The mayor poured the drink, and I sipped a few drops. Then before I knew it I drank the Kava. The spirit of the Fijian people was now part me.


After the ceremony, the kids gathered around on the field. All of the children from the village ran around, playing with the other kids. I had never seen this sort of community back in America where kids from different households felt this comfortable interacting with each other.  


I think back to the time yesterday when I met Mr. Beast in the airport. I had a short conversation with the winner of the Beast Games show. And though it was only a few seconds, to me the entire world lit up for me. I thought this would overshadow the entire trip, that it would be my number one experience. But, as I ran around the grassy field, barely visible under the faint light of the moon, without a worry in sight, I realized that being famous doesn’t make you more important. What sticks with you are the experiences with people who truly care about you, and make you feel at home. 


As I embraced my new host parents, and my younger brother, I looked toward the two paintings of Seattle and Nanuku. I realized that although I live in Seattle, Nanuku was my home also.








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