Livin' the Dream: WorldTeach American Samoa Ofu Island

Waking up and walking to school may sound like a horrible way to start your day but it was one of the things I looked forward to when the island ran out of gas. When you watch movies of tropical islands and think "that's not real, it's too awesome", well, that was my life. For a year I lived on one of the most pristine beaches and reefs in the world. I was a volunteer teacher through WorldTeach at Olosega Elementary School. The walk each morning followed the coastline where I watched the tides roll over the tops of the reef and small white tip sharks swimming to catch their breakfast. The giant fruit bats eating from the papaya trees would all fly away from the road once they heard the group of local students and teachers walking, singing, and playing towards the school. There was such joy each day. Even in the rain there was something amazing to see. When the sea turtles would beach to lay their eggs, or the little turtles would breach the nest to scoot towards the water we always stopped to watch. Time was irrelevant, the experience was the key. I learned to enjoy the moment, to not have a plan, and to just flow like a river. When the whales would migrate through we would all stop to watch in amazement. The local community still looked at all of these things like it was their first time. They celebrated it and once I became part of the community, I was able to celebrate with them. The walks to school is where I became not just a palagi, but a part of the Ofu Village. I made friends and had experiences that would impact my life profoundly, just by being there. Once I'd get to school my work would start. No one says that teaching is easy, but no one ever told me it could be such a wonderful adventure. Just google Ofu Beach and look at the smiles on peoples faces, the joy that comes from living the dream. I carry these lessons with me today. On the subway or in traffic I think about the waves, the whales, and the crystal clear ocean.