Party Pooped

The island is definitely changing! We have had to say goodbye to so many of our good friends we've met. The old timers here say that we will get used to it but it seems so hard! In the past month alone, we've had 3 Tofa's (Tofa means "going away party" in Samoan). Next month, Jamie will lose his good friend Bob who he has become so close to. I can't even imagine a life here without our personal party planner, Bob! He has such a great energy and is the driving force of a lot of the fun we have here. It's going to be so sad to see him go. This weekend we had to say goodbye to our good friend Doctor Mike, who has been a pediatrician here on the island for 4 years! It's surreal that he's gone.

These people we've only known for less than a year become your family. We all understand each other because we share the experiences of Samoa together. We understand how scary it is to leave your home and move thousands of miles away from family and friends to another country, not knowing a soul. We get how incredibly hard it is to adapt and we learn to become resilient and cope with hardships. Hardships that feel so uncommon and foreign than the normal life you left behind. We've all pushed ourselves past our limits and felt the uncomfortable strain of trying to fit in. It takes so much out of you sometimes, but when you meet people that can relate to your struggle, you don't feel alone anymore. You slowly feel at home. I'm so glad to call this place my home with my friends that have become my family. So needless to say, I am officially party pooped! I can't handle another friend leaving! But I know when one friend leaves, someone else comes to take their place. And you just never know who's going to come off that plane! :)