I am currently taking a break from packing and cleaning the apartment. My big suitcase weighs 49 pounds....cutting it close!!
Later today I will be heading to the airport for my last Flight Night. Just like every time I travel, it still doesn't feel like it's really happening. I also keep reminding my self to not worry about the things that may go wrong with my flights or bags. ("Miss, don't worry!") Several students, teachers, and friends have told me that they will be at the airport to say goodbye, which is just going to make leaving even harder.
The past few days have been a whirlwind, graduation, last stops at my favorite places on island, saying goodbye to friends.....
I am excited to see my family and friends, but leaving this place is going to be so hard. I am trying to wrap up my whole experience here, but I can't seem to find the words. Hopefully after a few days I'll be able to post something about it. But right now it's back to the cleaning and re-organizing of my suitcases....
I can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that I will not teach another class at NVTHS.
I’ve been a crazy mix of emotions this past week. I even cried on Monday at school, in front of all my juniors. It just hit me that it was all ending. I’m excited to get home and see my family, but it’s very bittersweet, since I know I’ll be saying goodbye to my students and friends here. I’m happy to be done with the stresses of school, but it’s just replaced with cleaning my classroom and then the overwhelming task of packing up all of my stuff and moving out of my apartment. I’ve also been applying to jobs and had a phone interview yesterday afternoon. I still have no idea what I’ll be doing when I get back home, but something will fall into place. I’ve learned to not worry about it too much because it always seems to work out.
I think that’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned here. Don’t worry. My students say it to me all the time, especially one sophomore in particular…”Miss, don’t worry!”. I used to worry all the time. I’d worry about things that were way out of my control. I always wanted to plan everything out. It was hard for me to just sit back and let things happen naturally. But I feel like that part of me has changed into more of the Fa’asamoa (Samoan way).
I’ve been battling a cold since Saturday and I think it’s because things are really crazy and I have so much on my mind….I hope I don’t get really sick right before I leave!
Just ten days now…the clock is ticking and there is still so much left to do....
My 2nd period after finishing their final on Monday
Today I am in a really good mood. School was great, we are
reviewing for the finals next week. My students were making me laugh. Mostly
because they were being cheeky (especially a couple of my sophomores). It’s
hard for me to get mad at them anymore. They say things that they shouldn’t and
I just laugh. I can’t help it. I only have 2 weeks left with them, and I don’t
want to spend that time getting frustrated and yelling at them.
Last Friday was the Junior Night dance. Heidi and I went to
help out and see the kids. I was excited to watch them perform a dance that
they had been practicing in my room at lunch the entire week. At one point,
they had an activity for all the mothers (since it was Mother’s Day this past
weekend). Some families had come to the junior night, and the kids went and got
their moms and brought them to the dance floor. One boy went and got our
principal. A few others grabbed teachers that were there. While we were
sitting, a student came up to Heidi and took her out to the dance floor. I
started to get my camera ready, then noticed one of my favorite students walking towards
me. He said, “Miss, come on, let’s go!”, took my hand, and led me out. The
activity ended up being a dance competition, in which my student and I took 2nd
place! It was so much fun. The other teachers kept saying, “Amanda, I didn’t
know you were a mother”, and I would reply, “Yes, this is my son”.
Today, when he walked in to class he said “Good morning
Mom!” and I replied, “Good morning son!”. For the rest of the class, I called
him son. And whenever I saw him that day, he called me mom. It actually feels
natural, because my students seem to have brought out my maternal instincts. I
get mad at them, frustrated with them, and annoyed with them. But I am also
very attached to them, ridiculously proud of them, and truly love them. I want
the best for them. I know I have said this multiple times, but I don’t know how
I am going to leave them. If this place was closer to home, or if I could get
home quicker/easier/cheaper, then I would stay. This is the perfect job for me.
It’s exactly what I studied for when I got my Ed degree in Social Studies and
ESL. But it is just too far away.
Right now I feel torn between two worlds. One that I grew up
in, but haven’t seen for a year, and one that I have only recently become a
part of, but has impacted me so much. If I could somehow mix them together and
come out with the perfect combination, I would. If I could go home to my family
and friends, but still continue to teach all of my favorite kids, I would do
it. But right now, there isn’t a way to do that. So in three weeks, I will go
to the airport and get on a plane. 19 hours later I will land in Spokane. I
will then spend the next few days, weeks, months, trying to explain my
experience here to people. I will tell them stories about my students and
adventures with friends. But I don’t know if they will understand. How could
they? They weren’t there when the skies opened up and started dumping rain on
us, sitting in the bed of a pickup. They weren’t there on the bus after we won
a football game. They weren’t there for the lunch time conversations with my
girls. I can try to explain the way I feel about this place, these kids. But I
have yet to think of any words that would do it justice and somehow, I don’t
think I will. All I can do now is just soak it all in, and enjoy what little
time I have left on this beautiful rock in the middle of the ocean. I will
cherish the few days that I have left with my students, my kids, my loves.
Today, right before my Sunday morning ritual of coffee and a long phone call with my mother, I looked at the calendar. I counted the days I have left on island until I make my way back to the Northwest. 28. 28 days.
28 days does not seem like nearly enough time for all the stuff that will be going on in the next few weeks. It's hard to believe that I have less than a month. I remember when we had only been on island for a month. The school year had just started. I was overwhelmed, homesick, and wondering how on earth I was going to remember the names of all my students.
Now, I can't imagine how I'm going to say good bye to my kids, pack up all of my stuff (and I have A LOT of stuff!) and leave this place. I feel like there is still so much I could still do here, so much I still have to teach my students.
some of my 5th period students with a Flag Day poster the girls made
Before we go, all the volunteers will attend an End of Service meeting. Ours is scheduled for next Saturday. One of the topics of the meeting is adjusting to life back at home. I'm not sure if I am prepared for that transition, since I have no idea what to expect.
Will it be easy to fall back into my "old" life and my former ways? Or will I still be wearing lava lavas and making toast in the frying pan? After almost a year in Samoa, I'm less obsessed with having a set plan, and mostly just play things by ear. Will I still be on "Samoan time" in Washington? Other than my immediate family and my friend Megan, I have not seen anyone from home since last summer. Will my relationships with people be different?
I know that this experience has changed me. But to what extent remains to be seen.
I catch rain water to wash my face. Twice a day I boil water
to drink. I plug the burner into the wall and use the frying pan to make toast.
I ride the bus for 30 minutes just to drop a letter off at the post office. On
several occasions my friends and I have climbed into the bed of a pickup and hitchhiked.
I pay a dollar and ten cents for a loaf of freshly baked bread. I keep all food
items except crackers and canned goods in the refrigerator, away from the ants. When I see a stick bug I let it walk on my hands and arms. I feel scandalized if I see a girl in a
tiny tank top and short shorts (put some clothes on woman!). I teach my Samoan
students how to say “I love you” in Spanish and French. I’m fortunate enough to
have hot water, but I rarely use it when I shower. I often have to call someone
five times before I can get through. I chase frogs out of my house, and welcome
the geckos running up and down the walls because they eat the bugs. Drinking my
favorite coffee and reading a magazine is a luxury reserved for a lazy Sunday
morning. I often wrap a bright piece of fabric around my waist and stick fake
flowers in my hair. If the temperature drops below 80 degrees I feel cold. Whatever
plans I make are usually tentative and almost always change. I carry my
umbrella even on sunny days because rain is inevitable. If the bus is getting
crowded, I sit on my friend’s lap to make room for someone else. I raise my
eyebrows in agreement and I answer to “Miss”.
It has been a few weeks since my last post about New Zealand, and so much has happened since then. The school year is winding down and the craziness has intensified. The Friday after Spring Break was Speech Festival, held at Tafuna High School. Since so many students were involved, and several teachers went to help out, I had to sub for a few classes and had a bunch of extra kids in my room. Needless to say, it wasn’t the most productive day. Our school did not place overall, but we did win in two different categories!
On Wednesday, my 5th period had a presentation from the Deaf students at our school. NVTHS is the only high school on island with a program for Deaf Students, and they had spent the week traveling to the other schools to give their presentation. I wish I had brought a camera in to take pictures. They had a blast learning the different signs, and I got to sit at the back and let someone else take over my class!
On Thursday, NVTHS had our Senior Ball. I was encouraged to go by my field director who told me that “I’d never again see so much satin in one place”. He was right. Just seeing the students’ attire was worth it, I wish I had taken more pictures. It was a bit different than a normal prom back in the states. For one, it was held at C.C., or the Country Club (there’s a golf course there), which doubles as a bar called Nighthawk (my high school mascot! Haha!). So essentially, the senior ball was at a bar…even though they weren’t serving any alcohol that night. Also, they are served dinner at the dance instead of going out to a restaurant beforehand, and usually their parents or other family members are there. The students are escorted in to the dance by their date, or a friend or family member, while one of the senior advisors announces each couple.
Sadly, I don’t know very many of the seniors, since I teach sophomores and juniors. However, there were a few that had to re-take U.S. and/or World History, and had been in my class. One of these, a football player I’d had in my 3rd period last semester, didn’t have a partner to escort him in. He called me over and asked if I would escort him. So I took his arm and we walked in to the center of the dance floor. With a little bow, he handed me a corsage and then gave me a big hug. Some other teachers, including Heidi and Melinda, my fellow volunteers, escorted students as well.
After dinner had been served the kids were dancing up a storm. Towards the end of the night, they had a traditional Samoan siva (dance). This is where one or more people are dancing Samoan-style in the middle, with everyone else dancing around them and throwing money (kind of like the dollar dance at weddings, but crazier). The MC announced that the teachers would come out for the Siva. “Come on Miss, let’s go!” said one of my students. I reluctantly followed him out there and began the siva, feeling super self conscious. After a couple minutes, the other teachers and administration joined in. I felt ridiculous, but it was a success!
Due to the dance on Thursday, most of the seniors didn’t show up for school on Friday. In fact, several students were gone. Most of my classes were pretty empty so I just let them watch a movie. We had a showcase so that students could practice their routines for the trades fair at the end of the month, and got out of school early. The football team was having a scrimmage at the practice field across the street, so we took the kids over to watch. Earlier in the week I’d been telling Heidi how much I’d love to see the boys play just one more time, so I was excited for the scrimmage. It made me nostalgic for football season! Since I am not going to be teaching in American Samoa next year, I won’t be there to see my boys play again, or to coach my cheerleaders. Some of the boys have been leaving their football gear in my classroom during the day, and even though it makes the room stink, it’s one of those little things that I’m going to miss. It’s going to be so hard to say goodbye to these kids. It’s been stressful and frustrating at times, and I’ve gotten mad at them on several occasions. But at the end, I really do love my students. They are so funny and make me so proud.
The next few weeks are going to be nuts, and I’ll try to do a better job of keeping this updated!
I saw that quote on a magnet and should have bought it, because it is so true. My experiences in the last year are a direct testament to it. My spring break in New Zealand brought me outside my comfort zone as well (mainly because I had to drive on the opposite side of the road). My week in that small green island country was incredible, and I’ll try my best to sum it up for you…be prepared…this is a looonnnnggggg post. So go get a snack before you begin….
Aotearoa, or ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ is the Maori name for New Zealand. The Maori are the native Polynesian people of the country. Maori influences can be seen all over, in the souvenirs that you buy at the gift shop, to Haka that the National Rugby team (The All Blacks) does before each game, and in the greeting you hear when you step onto your Air New Zealand flight – Kia Ora!
Those of you that know me know that I travel quite a bit. Those of you who know me well know that I have a strange love of airports. (It’s weird and unexplainable). However, that same love is not always transferred to the actual airlines themselves. Most American airline companies have gone way down in terms of making a flight enjoyable, or just plain comfortable for that matter. But as someone who has flown on several different airlines to a variety of states and countries, I can say without hesitation that Air New Zealand is the best. Not only did they give out ice cream as part of their in-flight meal, but the domestic flights have the most leg room I’ve ever gotten in coach, and the safety video is absolutely hilarious.
Anyways, enough of my raves for the plane ride. Let’s begin at the beginning, shall we?
After a somewhat stressful start, Julie and I arrived at Pago Pago International Airport on Thursday afternoon, ready to leave American Samoa for our week of spring break. I was pretty apprehensive about flying on the tiny Inter-Island plane to Apia (you cannot fly directly from Pago to New Zealand, or Australia, or Fiji, or anyplace that isn’t Hawai’I, basically. You have to take a 30 minute flight to Apia, in Western Samoa first). Julie had done it when she went to Australia for Christmas break. It is the smallest plane I’ve ever been on. There’s only about 20 seats, 10 on each side of the plane, with a small center aisle leading to the cockpit which is open. You can see the pilots and all the buttons and switches and stuff. Before getting on the Inter-Island flight, you and your carry-on bag must be weighed so that they can assign you a seat and distribute weight evenly throughout the plane.
We left on time (which, if you have been reading this blog, you will know that’s an incredible feat), and were soon soaring above Tutuila and over the open ocean (again, in the smallest aircraft I’ve even been on…a bit nerve wracking…) But we made it safely to Apia. One of Julie’s friends from her island of Aunu’u was on the flight with us, and his family met us at the airport. Our flight to New Zealand did not leave for about 10 hours, and they were nice enough to pick us up and drive us around Apia and keep us entertained for awhile. It was cool to see Western Samoa, since I had never been there. Western Samoa (or simply Samoa) is an independent nation. They have close ties with American Samoa, but they drive on the opposite side of the road and have their own currency.
At midnight, they dropped us back off at the airport. Our flight left at 2 am for Auckland and we were exhausted. I was able to sleep a little on the flight, and we landed in Auckland at 5 am local time.
My friend Megan from home was flying in from San Francisco and meeting us in Auckland. The plan was to meet up, then catch a flight down to Wellington. Julie and I got through customs quickly and then were waiting for Megan. And waiting…..and waiting….our flight for Wellington was leaving at 7 and by this time it was almost 6. Megan’s San Francisco flight had arrived at the same time as ours so where was she?
After a short moment of panic, much running between the domestic and international terminals, and a page over the intercom, Julie used her phone (which had an international plan) to call both Megan and our travel agent. Megan was still in San Francisco. She wasn’t arriving in Auckland until the next morning. Something had gotten mixed up with our flight schedule and our travel agent had tried to contact us the night before, but we had been in Apia. However, she had booked us a room at a hotel in Auckland and had arranged a shuttle transfer. Julie and I, sleep deprived and having just survived an extremely stressful ordeal, just looked at each other and laughed. Then we grabbed our bags, exchanged some American money for colorful New Zealand dollars, and made our way to the hotel.
Our one day and night in Auckland was fantastic. We went into the city and got Starbucks, did some shopping, and had a few drinks. We met some pretty cool people along the way, from all walks of life. It was just what we needed!
The next morning we went to the airport and although Megan’s flight was delayed she showed up this time! It was great to see such a good friend from home. I had seen my family over Christmas break but hadn’t seen any of my friends since I left in July. When we got on our domestic flight down to Wellington, we had our first uniquely New Zealand experience….a rugby team got onto the flight. They were the Hurricanes, Wellington’s team. They were of course tall and muscle-y and very good looking and I wondered how I would ever leave New Zealand.
Wellington is a beautiful city. It is perfectly laid out, and although it is big, it doesn’t feel overwhelming. It sits at the southern end of the North Island, and is nicknamed “windy Wellington”. The weather was usually a bit gray and overcast, with a light rain falling occasionally. (kind of like Seattle or Portland!) But people say, if you don’t like the weather in Wellington, wait 5 minutes. The sun came out every day.
The best part about Wellington was the Lord of the Rings tour. Now, I am a big nerd. I love maps, and Harry Potter, and yes, Lord of the Rings. I even named my cat after one of the hobbits. Going on this half day tour was one thing that I was really looking forward to. Megan and I took an afternoon and went on the tour. Our guide was named Mike, and he was awesome. He wasn’t one of those annoying tour guides who you wish would just stop talking. He was really cool, and began by telling us the story of how he met his fiancé (a girl from Portland! Small world!). We were joined on the tour by 2 other people from another hotel. I was happy that we had a small group. Mike was a big LOTR fan and knew a lot about the city and how the movies were made, and small bits of trivia. The tour was fantastic, well worth the time and money, and allowed me to show off my geeky side. Megan, even though she’s not a big fan of the movies and books, still enjoyed it because we were able to see more of Wellington and even go outside the city a little ways. Looking back, it was one of the major highlights of the trip.
In the Shire!
"Get of the road!"
Helm's Deep!
River scene from Fellowship
on a swing bridge in the park
Being nerdy....forgive me, I'm in Rivendell!
Isengard
After two nights in Wellington, we got on the ferry and made our way to the South Island. I’m a big fan of boats and nautical things, and I was really excited for the ferry ride. It was a windy day, but clear and the crossing was beautiful.
We came in to Picton and picked up our rental car…and here came the thing I had been most nervous about….driving on the opposite side of the road, and the opposite side of the car. I had not driven in 7 months, when I left Washington. However, I got the hang of it pretty quickly. I had missed driving. I do not have a car in Samoa, and even if I did, the island is very small. I missed the feeling of just getting in the car and driving for hours. The drive to our next destination, Nelson, took about 2 hours. It was a beautiful drive and we stopped several times to take pictures. When we arrived in Nelson, we had an excellent dinner at a little Italian place, then found our hotel. This hotel was absolutely adorable. We stayed in a little cottage, that had a kitchen and living area downstairs and 2 bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. It even had a cupboard under the stairs! (Harry Potter reference, anyone?) We did not spend much time in Nelson itself, but went out to the Abel Tasman National Park. This place definitely lived up to the pictures on all the post cards. It was beautiful. We took a water taxi (and saw penguins!!) to another area of the park (the whole park is huge) and hiked for awhile, then relaxed on the beach before the taxi came to pick us back up. It was a great day, another highlight of the trip.
Our last destination was Christchurch. As we drove there, we stopped at a couple wineries along the way. I am not a big wine fan, so I stayed in the driver’s seat.
We passed through some gorgeous countryside, dotted with sheep! Yes, we got out and took pictures of
them too.
We stopped and ate in Kaikora and saw the seal colony.
A year ago, Christchurch suffered a major earthquake that destroyed much of the city center, including a large cathedral. There was not as much to see/do in Christchurch, but we did get to walk through the botanical gardens. Christchurch is known as the “Garden City”. March is autumn for the southern hemisphere and the leaves were beginning to turn. I love fall, and was sad to have missed it this past year. So seeing the foliage was a nice surprise.
The best part about Christchurch was the people that we met. We went out to a couple bars both nights that we were there. The Kiwis (New Zealanders) are very friendly. It was great to talk to so many cool people. Several were doing some sort of construction job, helping to rebuild the city after the earthquake. One of the bars that we went to was actually in an old shipping container. Several shipping containers had been brought in as a temporary replacement for businesses whose buildings had been destroyed.
After two days in Christchurch, we made our way back to the airport. I said goodbye to Megan, a bit jealous that she was going home to Washington. I love American Samoa, but it was really nice to have some cooler weather for a change. The humidity makes wearing jeans and nice clothes nearly impossible.
After a long day of traveling, Julie and I were back in Pago. Because of crossing the International Date Line, we were reliving St. Patrick’s day (in celebration I was wearing a green shirt my grandmother sent to me). I was glad that we had 2 whole days to get ready for school.
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So what did I ultimately take away from my trip to New Zealand, adventure capital of the world? When I think about it now, the thing that strikes me is how alive I felt. This may sound strange to some people, but it’s true. I had not felt that alive in quite awhile. I was in a foreign country, with my friends, having new experiences and meeting great people. That is what I have always wanted out of life, and it happened (again) in New Zealand. I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again….Life the life you imagined. I was never meant to stay in one place, doing the same old thing, year after year after year. I was never meant to settle down early. I was meant to see the world. I was meant to have great adventures. This is the life that I imagined, and I thank God for allowing me to live this way. I have no idea what awaits me, what my next adventure will be. But I will I am open to any and all possibilities.
You can’t count on luck. You have to get up and get out there. Don’t be afraid to take the opportunities that are presented to you. Get outside of your comfort zone. It is there that you will feel most alive.
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Wow that was a long post...hope you enjoyed it! Until next time...
