The Real Fiji

My life was changed by Rustic Pathways. I met people that live life in a completely different way. I changed my values and have looked at my daily life with different perspectives. I learned about new cultures and gathered different ideas. I made connections with people across borders and developed deep friendships that I will carry throughout my life. I loved how it took me out of my daily life and immersed me in an educational environment. I made a connection through true friendliness and compassion. I have traveled to many places around the world, but Fiji brought me to tears because I made connections I have never made before. While in the highlands, I met some of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met. I stayed with a family that immediately called me one of their own. They were always smiling and happy to adapt their culture to make us more comfortable, even though we were in their village. In the house I was assigned to, I paticularly bonded with the 2-year-old living there. He would fall flat on his face and cry. But whenever I said "it's gonna be okay" and smiled at him, he smiled right back and would call me "yalewa" (sister in Fijian). It still makes me smile. Even though we didn't speak the same language, we made an immediate connection that I will never forget.