The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was, is lost, for none now live who remember it.
-GALADRIEL
The past two weeks have flown by, faster than any other time of my life. As usual, I will try to update you all on my on-goings.
These past two weeks have been devoted to my God and Nature class. Our two professors have flown in from Canada where they teach at Regent. The title of my blog is an excerpt from our morning prayer (Christ all around me, to my left and my right). We spent our 5 hours a day of class talking about the Christian call to stewardship, examining the corrupt food market of America, and working on research projects. It was a compelling week. I probably won’t eat meat when I get back to the US, but as some have pointed out, that isn’t really much of a change.
On Wednesday I had one of the greatest experiences of my life. We had the chance to swim with wild dusky dolphins in the Pacific Ocean as the sun rose over snow capped mountains. Mind blown. We geared up in full wetsuits (hood, socks, gloves, snorkel, mask, etc) When I say swim with dolphins, I literally mean dive down and swim in circles as 4 or 5 dolphins play within 2 inches of you. I mean being accosted by a fur seal with bared teeth. It was so great to be in the freezing water with such amazing creatures, creatures that actually are what they were meant to be. We got to sit on the back of a speeding boat, flippers hanging out into the ocean. After our dive was over we changed and moved to the front of the boat. We raced albatross and hutting’s shearwater as the dolphins did back-flips next to the boat. Everything about the experience was exhilarating and amazing.
Class this week was intense, mostly because we watched some powerful documentaries and had a huge research paper to accomplish. We also had our first rugby game. Although we lost 7-4, we still had a blast. All of that is building to our 9-day “spring” break. Kayla, Josh, Ben, and myself (what is the proper grammatical structure for that anyway?) are heading out to hike the Milford track. We are renting a car and road-tripping there and back--camping, bungee jumping, and exploring along the way. Needless to say, I have never been more excited for anything else in my whole life. Every moment of life is exhilarating.
Some things I have learned:
1. Sometimes you really, really need to act your shoe size and not your age (thanks Lisa ☺)
2. Seals are scary.
3. Living in a community is extremely difficult yet incredibly rewarding. Who knew doing the dishes produced by 30 people could be so much fun?
4. The only way we can truly be ourselves is by offering all we have up to God.
5. Loving people you like is great. Loving people you don’t like is more difficult. Loving people you know are only passing through your life is one of life’s greatest challenges.
6. The only bad part about New Zealand is the massive amount of man-thigh visible.
7. Lavender and honey ice cream is the best ice cream in the entire world.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Clarence Reserve
“Come! We will go now. Leave all that can be spared behind! We will press on by day and dark!”
-Aragorn
Man, New Zealand just gets better and better! This past week brought about “Environmental Literature” class. I opted out of this elective, as did a few other people. Instead, I spent the week backpacking in the Clarence Reserve with Josh and Dan. Here is a run down from one incredible week.
Tuesday:
We woke up at 6 am and Tyler dropped us off at the base of the mountain by 7:30. We stepped out of the van and were lost immediately. Somehow, in our tired daze, we missed the trail markers and began wandering. An hour later we finally figure out where we are and find our way to the start of the track. Tired and slightly frustrated we began the ascent. The climb was beautiful, but very difficult. We stopped often, taking a few naps. We hiked through rolling hills and green meadows, along snowy ledges and down muddy mountains. Approximately 21 km and 8 hours later (accounting for getting lost) we finally arrived at Warden Hut. It was an incredible hut. Clean, new, with lots of big windows. Dan read, I napped, and Josh fished until it was time for dinner. We made dinner and read “The Two Towers” out loud as the sun went down.
PS Massive sunburn occurred (I’m sorry mom).
Wednesday:
Another early morning-We woke up at 6, made breakfast, and were back on the trail by 7:30. The morning was freezing and the river crossings were especially frigid. We walked silently along the riverbed, crossing a river every 10 minutes. After a series of confusing signs we headed up from the rivers into the hills. Cows crossed our paths and the sun finally broke over the mountains in the valley. We crested the hill and saw the most incredible blue river I have ever seen (we also realized that we had taken the wrong path). We eventually found our way to Seymour hut. It had only taken us 4 hours, so we had the rest of the day ahead of us. Once again, Dan read, I slept, and Josh fished. I spent an hour or two exploring the river and surrounding waterfalls. Hours crept by, sunburn intensified, and the three of us really had a good time. Dinnertime rolled around and as we were reading aloud from LOTR, two DOC officers (department of conservation) arrived in their SUV. They were cleaning up the trails through the Clarence with their bulldozer. We had a great chat with them as they cooked dinner. The two men told us they were surprised to see footprints and guessed from their size that they were from “two blokes and a kid”. The night was filled with laughter and the smell of Cheezls.
Thursday:
I woke up around 6:30, Josh was fishing, and Dan was still asleep. I spent my morning eating breakfast and talking with the DOC officers. I decided that if my heart wasn’t in PA, I would totally move to NZ and become a DOC officer. These guys were just so awesome! They packed up and were on their way. After lunch, Josh constructed a hat for me to wear (out of a survivor buff and a cardboard box). The three of us headed out through the valley, along the river, back to Warden Hut. We made a pit stop at an old slab hut, but made good time back. The evening was filled with reading out loud, cooking, and climbing foothills to see the view. Exhausted and nervous about the next days hike, we blew out the candles, closed the book, and went to bed.
Friday:
6 am and the alarm goes off once again. We packed up and hit the road! Back up the 1200m mountain! The way up wasn’t nearly as bad as we expected. The snow had melted and a cloud settled in. We hiked through the mist, stopping little. We arrived at the car park around noon, ate lunch, and napped. Tyler arrive 4 hours later (much to our dismay) and took us to the base of Mt. Fyffe. At 5pm, after 18 km of hiking (approx. 11 miles) we began our ascent up the 1600 m Mt. Fyffe (Hannah and Tyler now with us). This hike was brutal, almost exclusively a 45 degree angle and very, very hot. We arrived at the hut around 7:30, exhausted. We made dinner, read out loud, and watched the sun set over a cloud covered Kaikoura.
Saturday:
4 am! Time to get up! With two headlamps the five of us tramped through the pitch black to the summit of Mt. Fyffe (with the intension of seeing the sunrise). The weather was beautiful and the stars were incredible. We made it to the top in an hour and sat to watch the sun rise. For those of you who heard my story of the summit last time, this time it was completely different. There was no snow, no wind, and the ground below was covered in cloud. We explored and took pictures as the sun rose. It was a beautiful, incredible, awe-inspiring morning. I couldn’t ask for more. Our hike down was painful-6km of steep drops, that eventually led to jogging, took a toll on our feet and hamstrings. By the time we got home all we were able to do was eat ice cream and watch “Into the Wild”. What a good week
Things I learned:
1. Always, always, always wear sunscreen. Even if you got a base tan in Samoa, even if it is cloudy, wear sunscreen!
2. I should live every day so intensely that when I finally reach my bed at night I cheer and run to it.
3. No matter how old you are, reading out loud is one of the most fun things ever (even if your Elvish is rusty).
4. Peanut butter, dry oats, and chocolate chips make the best snack (or breakfast or dinner)
5. We have so much to learn from other people. Other people’s life experiences are so fascinating and have much to offer-we gotta make sure to listen.
6. Get your feet wet, your clothes dirty, and your legs sore. Laugh hard, eat lots of good food, and experience all of life all the time.
7. Fish are bigger and more elusive in rivers that look like ones from Lord of the Rings.
8. I can’t begin to retain all that I have learned. But that won’t stop me from learning-it will all be worth it if even one thing sticks.
9. A sunrise on a mountain is pretty. A sunrise on a mountain with friends that you have spent a week hiking, climbing, stinking, and laughing with is amazingly, awe-inspiringly, heart lift-ingly (yeah, it’s a word) beautiful.
10. Tolkien actually had Josh, Dan, and myself in mind when he wrote LOTR. I’m pretty sure Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli were based on us.
-Aragorn
Man, New Zealand just gets better and better! This past week brought about “Environmental Literature” class. I opted out of this elective, as did a few other people. Instead, I spent the week backpacking in the Clarence Reserve with Josh and Dan. Here is a run down from one incredible week.
Tuesday:
We woke up at 6 am and Tyler dropped us off at the base of the mountain by 7:30. We stepped out of the van and were lost immediately. Somehow, in our tired daze, we missed the trail markers and began wandering. An hour later we finally figure out where we are and find our way to the start of the track. Tired and slightly frustrated we began the ascent. The climb was beautiful, but very difficult. We stopped often, taking a few naps. We hiked through rolling hills and green meadows, along snowy ledges and down muddy mountains. Approximately 21 km and 8 hours later (accounting for getting lost) we finally arrived at Warden Hut. It was an incredible hut. Clean, new, with lots of big windows. Dan read, I napped, and Josh fished until it was time for dinner. We made dinner and read “The Two Towers” out loud as the sun went down.
PS Massive sunburn occurred (I’m sorry mom).
Wednesday:
Another early morning-We woke up at 6, made breakfast, and were back on the trail by 7:30. The morning was freezing and the river crossings were especially frigid. We walked silently along the riverbed, crossing a river every 10 minutes. After a series of confusing signs we headed up from the rivers into the hills. Cows crossed our paths and the sun finally broke over the mountains in the valley. We crested the hill and saw the most incredible blue river I have ever seen (we also realized that we had taken the wrong path). We eventually found our way to Seymour hut. It had only taken us 4 hours, so we had the rest of the day ahead of us. Once again, Dan read, I slept, and Josh fished. I spent an hour or two exploring the river and surrounding waterfalls. Hours crept by, sunburn intensified, and the three of us really had a good time. Dinnertime rolled around and as we were reading aloud from LOTR, two DOC officers (department of conservation) arrived in their SUV. They were cleaning up the trails through the Clarence with their bulldozer. We had a great chat with them as they cooked dinner. The two men told us they were surprised to see footprints and guessed from their size that they were from “two blokes and a kid”. The night was filled with laughter and the smell of Cheezls.
Thursday:
I woke up around 6:30, Josh was fishing, and Dan was still asleep. I spent my morning eating breakfast and talking with the DOC officers. I decided that if my heart wasn’t in PA, I would totally move to NZ and become a DOC officer. These guys were just so awesome! They packed up and were on their way. After lunch, Josh constructed a hat for me to wear (out of a survivor buff and a cardboard box). The three of us headed out through the valley, along the river, back to Warden Hut. We made a pit stop at an old slab hut, but made good time back. The evening was filled with reading out loud, cooking, and climbing foothills to see the view. Exhausted and nervous about the next days hike, we blew out the candles, closed the book, and went to bed.
Friday:
6 am and the alarm goes off once again. We packed up and hit the road! Back up the 1200m mountain! The way up wasn’t nearly as bad as we expected. The snow had melted and a cloud settled in. We hiked through the mist, stopping little. We arrived at the car park around noon, ate lunch, and napped. Tyler arrive 4 hours later (much to our dismay) and took us to the base of Mt. Fyffe. At 5pm, after 18 km of hiking (approx. 11 miles) we began our ascent up the 1600 m Mt. Fyffe (Hannah and Tyler now with us). This hike was brutal, almost exclusively a 45 degree angle and very, very hot. We arrived at the hut around 7:30, exhausted. We made dinner, read out loud, and watched the sun set over a cloud covered Kaikoura.
Saturday:
4 am! Time to get up! With two headlamps the five of us tramped through the pitch black to the summit of Mt. Fyffe (with the intension of seeing the sunrise). The weather was beautiful and the stars were incredible. We made it to the top in an hour and sat to watch the sun rise. For those of you who heard my story of the summit last time, this time it was completely different. There was no snow, no wind, and the ground below was covered in cloud. We explored and took pictures as the sun rose. It was a beautiful, incredible, awe-inspiring morning. I couldn’t ask for more. Our hike down was painful-6km of steep drops, that eventually led to jogging, took a toll on our feet and hamstrings. By the time we got home all we were able to do was eat ice cream and watch “Into the Wild”. What a good week
Things I learned:
1. Always, always, always wear sunscreen. Even if you got a base tan in Samoa, even if it is cloudy, wear sunscreen!
2. I should live every day so intensely that when I finally reach my bed at night I cheer and run to it.
3. No matter how old you are, reading out loud is one of the most fun things ever (even if your Elvish is rusty).
4. Peanut butter, dry oats, and chocolate chips make the best snack (or breakfast or dinner)
5. We have so much to learn from other people. Other people’s life experiences are so fascinating and have much to offer-we gotta make sure to listen.
6. Get your feet wet, your clothes dirty, and your legs sore. Laugh hard, eat lots of good food, and experience all of life all the time.
7. Fish are bigger and more elusive in rivers that look like ones from Lord of the Rings.
8. I can’t begin to retain all that I have learned. But that won’t stop me from learning-it will all be worth it if even one thing sticks.
9. A sunrise on a mountain is pretty. A sunrise on a mountain with friends that you have spent a week hiking, climbing, stinking, and laughing with is amazingly, awe-inspiringly, heart lift-ingly (yeah, it’s a word) beautiful.
10. Tolkien actually had Josh, Dan, and myself in mind when he wrote LOTR. I’m pretty sure Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli were based on us.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Prayer and medicine
We must take a hard road, a road unforeseen. There lies our hope, if hope it be. To walk into peril — to Mordor. We must send the Ring to the Fire.
-Elrond
Just a quick update. I am feeling much better, though not 100% yet. I went for a run and ate breakfast this morning without feeling sick, which was a good sign. The cool thing about New Zealand for me is that it has really been revealing the power of prayer to me. I know this healing wasn't all medicine alone (although I think it helped greatly). Maybe it's the lack of pollution or the hole in the ozone layer, but God's work is much clearer to me here.
The quotation I chose summed up last weeks Sustainable Community Development class. It is basically a call to be a true follower, not just believer, of Christ. Even when the journey is difficult (because I know I won't always be having an amazing time in NZ, the real world will hit sooner than I would like) I still need to be a follower and a servant.
For this next week, Josh, Dan, and myself will be heading off to the Clarence Reserve for some backpacking and fishing (and when I say fishing, I mean Josh and Dan will fish and I will probably read). Friday Tyler and Kayla will pick us up and hopefully we will tackle Mt. Fyffe once more!
Thank you all for your prayers and supports. I miss you all greatly. And also, happy 22nd birthday Jason :) After all, it is the 11th here already!
-Elrond
Just a quick update. I am feeling much better, though not 100% yet. I went for a run and ate breakfast this morning without feeling sick, which was a good sign. The cool thing about New Zealand for me is that it has really been revealing the power of prayer to me. I know this healing wasn't all medicine alone (although I think it helped greatly). Maybe it's the lack of pollution or the hole in the ozone layer, but God's work is much clearer to me here.
The quotation I chose summed up last weeks Sustainable Community Development class. It is basically a call to be a true follower, not just believer, of Christ. Even when the journey is difficult (because I know I won't always be having an amazing time in NZ, the real world will hit sooner than I would like) I still need to be a follower and a servant.
For this next week, Josh, Dan, and myself will be heading off to the Clarence Reserve for some backpacking and fishing (and when I say fishing, I mean Josh and Dan will fish and I will probably read). Friday Tyler and Kayla will pick us up and hopefully we will tackle Mt. Fyffe once more!
Thank you all for your prayers and supports. I miss you all greatly. And also, happy 22nd birthday Jason :) After all, it is the 11th here already!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Reflections and Antibiotics
This past week has been a bumpy one for me. In Samoa it seems that you are constantly running on adrenaline, thriving on little sleep, bad food, and a constant language barrier. In normal life you would be expecting the onset of some various virus but not in Samoa! We landed in NZ, celebrated the cold weather and quickly settled into the routine. But that is when your body gets you! It’s tricky-staying strong in high stress situations but crumbling once it knows it’s in a safe environment. Anyway, enough of the ideological and back to the reality. I had started to feel ill the second to last night in Samoa. When I got back my mild stomach pain and nausea turned into stomach pain so intense I couldn’t breathe well. So it was off to the hospital in Kaikoura. A diagnosis of mega-super-ultra acid reflux (that’s the official name, just kidding), a prescription, and a couple hundred dollars later, I was back in the convent feeling mildly better. I awoke the next morning to discover that my lip was swollen, painful, and oozing just a small amount of pus. It was back on my bike and off to the hospital once again. Lo and behold, I have a staph infection on my lip. Another couple hundred dollars and a dose of penicillin and I am on my merry way.
But the good news is that the week was actually pretty awesome. I went for a few good runs (slowly, as to avoid making myself sicker) learned to play rugby, practiced rugby, and planned some pretty sick trips (details to come). This week also marked the second week of sustainable community development. The focus of this week was on the practical application of caring for the impoverished. Mick recognized that most people will not go into mission work and so we discussed the ways in which to care for the emotionally and spiritually impoverished.
I’m pretty sure that God is super crafty, because he tied in my “illnesses” with this week of class seamlessly. After Mick’s first class and my trip to Samoa I doubted whether I was capable of caring for the poor in the way we had discussed. Those of you who know me well, or just know me at all, know that interpersonal skills are not exactly my strong points nor is patients. The combo of this week’s practical application and my ecstasy over taking modern medicine pointed me more firmly back to the path I have already started to build. I think what I finally realized is that since I am not an ordinary person, I will not live an ordinary life. I can still be pretty darn radical even if I get my PhD and work in a lab. I can still get married, buy a house, drive a car, and run recreationally and be a follower of Jesus. I still don’t know where I’m going, but I plan to go where I am most needed.
Things I learned (apart from the above paragraph):
1. I really do think antibiotics are incredible.
2. I miss and love my family and friends so much. But I can’t live for my family.
3. How you behave at your lowest shows who you really are.
4. No matter where you go, there will always be stress. Life isn’t about eliminating stress, but learning how to deal with it. (or maybe see things as not stressful?)
5. Doodling in class is still ridiculously fun.
*PS. For more stories about my semester check out www.ccspsouthpacificfall2010.blogspot.com
*PPS. I apologize to every geography teacher I ever had. I do know that Africa is a continent ☺
But the good news is that the week was actually pretty awesome. I went for a few good runs (slowly, as to avoid making myself sicker) learned to play rugby, practiced rugby, and planned some pretty sick trips (details to come). This week also marked the second week of sustainable community development. The focus of this week was on the practical application of caring for the impoverished. Mick recognized that most people will not go into mission work and so we discussed the ways in which to care for the emotionally and spiritually impoverished.
I’m pretty sure that God is super crafty, because he tied in my “illnesses” with this week of class seamlessly. After Mick’s first class and my trip to Samoa I doubted whether I was capable of caring for the poor in the way we had discussed. Those of you who know me well, or just know me at all, know that interpersonal skills are not exactly my strong points nor is patients. The combo of this week’s practical application and my ecstasy over taking modern medicine pointed me more firmly back to the path I have already started to build. I think what I finally realized is that since I am not an ordinary person, I will not live an ordinary life. I can still be pretty darn radical even if I get my PhD and work in a lab. I can still get married, buy a house, drive a car, and run recreationally and be a follower of Jesus. I still don’t know where I’m going, but I plan to go where I am most needed.
Things I learned (apart from the above paragraph):
1. I really do think antibiotics are incredible.
2. I miss and love my family and friends so much. But I can’t live for my family.
3. How you behave at your lowest shows who you really are.
4. No matter where you go, there will always be stress. Life isn’t about eliminating stress, but learning how to deal with it. (or maybe see things as not stressful?)
5. Doodling in class is still ridiculously fun.
*PS. For more stories about my semester check out www.ccspsouthpacificfall2010.blogspot.com
*PPS. I apologize to every geography teacher I ever had. I do know that Africa is a continent ☺
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Lord of the Rings didn't go to a tropical island, so i don't have a quotation :)
The past two weeks have absolutely flown by. Much of my experience can’t be told through electronic media. The best way to really find out about my time in Samoa is probably to spend some time with me when I finally make my way back to America J However, I know that my return is still a few months away so I will do my to convey my experience through this limited blog post and a few pictures on facebook.
Apia:
We flew from Christchurch to Aukland to Apia (the capital of Samoa, on the smaller island of Upolo). After crossing the International Date Line, we arrived at sunrise on Friday morning. It was already warm and humid. We boarded a groovy bus, painted pink with some sweet spray paint art. Dazed and confused, we traveled 40 minutes to the Tatiana Motel in the heart of Apia. This motel wasn’t quite the same as an American motel. Chickens and cockroaches roamed freely through the hallways and rooms and roosters crowed 24-7. They did have showers, although they were ice cold. We spent the next 3 days or so in Apia. We explored the markets, bought a ton of ice cream, hiked part of Mt. Vaea, and visited National University of Samoa. We also go to snorkel in the most incredible place. I have never seen fish like this in the wild, although multiple trips to That Fish Place with my dad have exposed me to some in captivity J. I went snorkeling twice in those few days.
Apia is fairly westernized compared to the rest of the island, but we still wore lavalavas (long, wrap skirts that we bought at the marker). We all learned how to tie and wear the lavalavas, even the boys. There is mostly fried, processed food in the capital (so many of us ended up with stomach aches). While in Apia, I ate my first fresh coconut, took my first foreign taxi ride, and attended a church service completely in Samoan.
Safua Hotel:
So on Monday morning we headed to the ferry in order to get to Savi’i. The ferry was surprisingly nice (a gift from Japan). It had air-conditioning and even a movie playing. I spent most of my trip on the top deck, watching the waves and landmasses go by. An hour and a half later we landed on the larger of the two islands, Savai’i. Another groovy bus picked us up (This one had “<3 the playa, h8 the game written on it). It took us to our next destination, Safua Hotel. To me, this is where our experience really began. Safua provided amazingly delicious breakfasts and dinners for us every night. Tons of taro, bananas, bread, chicken, soup, and coconut everything. Every night was capped with a live band, dancing, and hanging out with people (Samoan and American). Our accommodations were a bazillion times better than at Tatiana. Six other girls and I shared a cabin (called a fale). We had our own bathroom and really nice beds, although the roosters did still crow throughout the night.
During the day we had “class”. In other words, we toured the island on a groovy bus. We saw lava fields and a town destroyed by the lava flow. We went to the blow holes and sea arches. We spent some time on the most westernly point in the world and took a walk through the canopy of the jungle. We also had culture day where we went to a meeting fale (Samoan for house, pronounced fa-lay), participated in a Ava ceremony, learned to weave baskets and climb coconut trees, and even help make a traditional Samoan meal (think: killing a pig, grilling an octopus in its own ink, and all the taro you could want). It was really interesting. We picked up a little of the language and made a few new friends, but eventually we had to leave.
Faga (Fong-a) Village:
After over a week of palagi (European foreigner, pa-long-y) activities we began our home-stays. Lauren and I were placed together in a beach fale. The water crashed about 10 feet from us as we slept in a completely open platform with a roof. While Lauren and I slept in the same place, we had all our meals separately. I was placed with Faamafa (the dad) Seloulele (the mom), Nora (12 year old daugher), Silea Jr (Nora’s 1 year old nephew), and Silea Sr. (Nora’s grandfather). I ate all meals at their fale in the jungle. As a guest, they would fan me and wait for me finish eating before they started. This was extremely uncomfortable but an impassable part of their culture. Nora spoke pretty good English and I spent most evenings talking with her, going on walks, and helping her with her homework. My host parents and grandparent spoke very little English; we spent most of our time talking about food, weather, and what my family was like. Silea Jr. was possibly the cutest baby I have ever met and when he said my name for the first time I melted. I even got to work on the plantation, weeding taro for the day.
Staying Faga was an eye-opening experience. Most of the mornings and afternoons were spent snorkeling, writing papers, or napping (as per the request of our host families). The children of Faga were at times very over whelming. They constantly chased us, screaming “palagi!”, “what’s your name!” and, “do you have a boyfriend?!”. Those are pretty much the only words the younger ones know. The kids could be rough, but in the end they were incredibly sweet and loving. My experience in Faga is so complex that even as I write this I remember more and more details. Please ask me any questions you want in emails or in person when I get back. It is difficult for me to explain a culture so radically different than our own, especially one that has such a great impact on me. In the end, my family told me that they loved me and considered me a daughter. It was a blessing to be a part of a family again, if even for a short time. I miss that unconditional love.
Today we trekked back across the ocean (thoroughly enjoying the airplane with movies, music, and video games). I am loving the weather and food of New Zealand (although I am slightly sad not to have gone all the way home). The coming week brings round 2 of Sustainable Community Development with Mick. I look forward to what this class will teach me.
(Some) Things I learned:
- The brain is the best camera and the eye is the most amazing lens. Life is better when you live through the perfect lenses God gave you.
- I hate roosters.
- Every culture has something amazing to offer and an area where they desperately need to grow.
- Fish are brighter, ice cream is better, and the sun isn’t quite so hot when you are with friends.
- When you are hungry, Ramen noodles make a great breakfast (even for 5 days in a row)
- America and Africa are not the only countries. There is a world in between.
- Being a part of a family is the greatest feeling in the world. There is nothing like it and I really don’t have the words to explain it.
- You may just end up in a perfectly clear waterfall pool in the middle of the rain forest, so make sure you have a Frisbee on hand.
- Sometimes, Samoan girls think your boyfriend is really cute and so they steal a picture of him.
- Our planet is so perfectly balanced. We aren’t hopeless, but in order to change we actually have to want to change.
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