Happy February!

A lot has happened since I last blogged. Everything here is going great… I’m definitely readjusting to being back in Samoa after winter break and it is a little harder than I thought. Being home was great, but it was also really overwhelming. Seeing so many friends, being out by myself, and DRIVING was such a blast, but it was just so different than what I am used to after being here in Fitiuta for 6 months. I didn’t think much of it while I was home, but now that I’m back to living a low key life I realize just how different my two worlds are. Either way, I’m happy wherever I am, and right now I’m really happy here in Samoa.

Like I mentioned in my last blog, I’m in the church choir. We’re gearing up for a big show next weekend where the three villages on my island all get together and during church each village choir presents their own skit and dances. People take these things seriously and we’ve been practicing for the last 2 weeks at least 2 hours a day. Last Thursday we had practice from 4-8. I have a part in the skit where I speak Samoan… YIKES. I sound terrible and I’m so nervous. All I can say is I want next Sunday to get here as quickly as possible so this can all be over.

This past week was the first full 5 day week I’ve had in a while. The week before MLK day, we had Thursday off because it was in memory of Hurricane Tusi, which was a devastating hurricane that hit Manu’a in 1987. We had church early that morning and for the rest of your day you’re supposed to stay inside and rest/pray. Then, that following week (MLK week), we had Monday off, like everyone in the States, but then we had Tuesday and Wednesday off as well because of Hurrican Gary that was headed our way. At one point I was on the phone with my Mom and she was trying to look at Manu’a on weather.com and she kept on saying, “I don’t see your island. I don’t see your island.” After about 10 minutes we realized the reason she couldn’t see it was because the hurricane storm cloud was directly on top of us blocking us from being seen on the radar. Logoleo (my papa) boarded up my house and I spent Monday night at my family’s house. There were 5 girls in one bedroom and it reminded me so much of slumber parties I used to have when I was a kid. Luckily, everything turned out fine and it really wasn’t that bad.

This past week flew by because of choir practice and I have a feeling that this week will be the same. I bought my plane ticket home—I will be Michigan bound on June 10.  Only 4 months from now. School is finished May 31, so I think I will spend my last week on the big island exploring and getting everything set for me to come back in the fall.

Love everyone and miss you all so much.  Hard to believe that it’s been over a month already since I’ve been home. Until next time. jb