Da Brothers

Ohhh myyy!! What a hectic and insanely fun past 10 days we've had! Jameson has been preparing for his brothers to come visit for weeks! Everything to making sure we had vailimas stocked in the fridge to buying new Christmas lights for the porch outside. He's been glued to the computer watching the waves, weather, surfline, you name it! It's so cute to watch him get so riled up . It just shows how much he loves them. Which ultimately, makes my heart melt!! Hehe. Jared and Jordy arrived with surfboards in hand. Not just 1 board, 3 boards per brother! 6 freaking boards!! It was insanity. I knew I was about to be stuck in a surf house with 3 obsessed surfers for the next 10 days!! Sharing a bathroom and everything! At least we had our own rooms. Haha! I didn't even care though. I was equally stoked to have the brothers come and experience our life here in Samoa.

Every morning was an awesome adventure! The boys woke up early with surf as a priority. The waves are best at high tide so our entire day was ruled by the tide. In the meantime, we took them on hikes, snorkels, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, camping, fishing.. you name it!! It was so incredible. We rarely sat around and did nothing. And even when we did that, we were laughing and playing music. I was the official videographer. I got to film the boys while they surfed. And even though I feel like this is an easy task, the boys convinced me that it wasn't. They thought I did so good filming them! They were so surprised that I didn't miss any waves. Not only that, they were surprised that I didn't mess up! Again, I feel like it's really not that hard haha but I thought it was cute they were giving me compliments! :) It was so great spending time with Jamesons brothers. I have never spent so much time with them in the past 5 years being with Jameson. We all get along so nicely and I feel so much closer to them now. I love that I have 2 more older brothers. When the 3 of them get together, we all can't stop laughing. All of them are so funny!! Jamesons eyes light up around them. It's the best ever to see someone you love so much be so incredibly happy. The trip went by too fast. In an instant, they were gone. All the fun is over now! Now what do we look forward to?! Haha. Next chapter, coming home!!! Now that's something to look forward to!!!

Happy 2 Years!!!

On December 2, 2013, I arrived in American Samoa ecstatic and petrified. I sold everything that was important to me, kissed everyone that loved me, quit my job and bought a one way ticket to a tiny island in the middle of the South Pacific ocean. I'm so grateful I didn't have to do this alone. On that tiny remote island in the middle of no where was the love of my life waiting to greet me off that plane. Although it was extremely difficult to leave everything and not look back, I had a lot to look forward to. My beautiful husband!! I remember everything. What I was wearing, the intense humidity when I got off the plane, the smell of food in the airport, the security guards in slippas. I remember his face when I finally made it through customs. I remember him putting on my Lei and carrying my luggage. I remember the way he looked at me, awkward and excited all at once. I remember it all. Everything. I remember it was so dark. I couldn't see anything. But Jameson kept saying...just wait til morning. Everything seemed so foreign. I kept telling myself.. this is it. This is your home now. I'd feel or see something foreign and say... just wait, that will become normal one day.
I blinked and its 2 years later and I can barely remember my past life. Everything feels so incredibly natural and perfect. Nothing is foreign. The bugs, the toads, the dogs, the slow Internet, the 20mph roads, no street lights, no abundance of fruit or vegetables, no great customer service, the puletasis, the lava lavas, riding in the back of a pick up truck, roosters and chickens roaming the roads, everythingggg feels normal. It is so amazing how your mind can adjust. My new normal feels just right and the idea of going  back to the states is petrifying. I am a complete stranger to my home. I have no car, no phone number, no house, no furniture and worst of all, no Jameson. :(

I know moving home will be a huge transition. Transitions are always tough. They very rarely feel natural and almost always causes some degree of stress. I know that is a give away,  but I'm ready for it. 2 years in Samoa is where I say okay, it's time. It's time to return back to reality and start the next chapter of our lives. I can't wait to explore what that will be! With bebot by my side, I'm ready for it. Bring it on!!! 😊❤❤

Manuia Le Aso Fa'afetai

Ahh the holidays are already here! I can't even believe it. Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite holidays. This is my second year without my family and Jameson's family. I love seeing all the pictures and snapchats of family and friends all dressed cozy and warm! I miss wearing warm clothes. Cute uggs and a cute jacket! I know I say this now but when I move home to the cold, I'll be wishing I was in Samoa! I can never win. ;)

This year, we celebrated at our friend Ari's house. It was potluck style! I brought special deviled eggs and stuffing! The deviled eggs are slowly becoming my signature dish. I found this awesome Pinterest page with great deviled egg ideas. Luckily, eggs are never in a shortage here! So its a nice reliable dish. Plus, everyone gets a kick out of it! Haha! This year we did pumpkins and turkey butts with turkey tails. The tails were made of different color bell pepper and the butt was made of a pecan. Simple ingredients to find on the island right?! .. WRONG! I could not find pecans for the life of me! Jamo had a good idea to buy the mixed planters nuts and pick out the pecans. So that's what we did! It worked! Haha! Now finding red, yellow, and green bell pepper. I got lucky at one store and found green and yellow bell pepper. Just when I was about to give up on the red bell pepper I found one buried under the yellow bell pepper. Score! What luck! I buy the peppers and head home. When I get home I start prepping for my deviled egg dish. I cut into the yellow and green bell pepper just fine. Now time for the red! I slice it open to find the entire pepper covered in mold!! Ugh! No wonder it was the last one left! Nobody wanted it! I felt so discouraged. I yearned to be home because at home, there's no shortage of amazing fruits and veggies! Something that I most definitely took for granted. I improvised with red tomatoes which ended up being ok. Its so frustrating to be away from family during this time. You always feel like you're on edge. I literally don't know what I would do without Jameson! He is my rock, my anchor. And even though I'm sad to be away from family and friends, I'm so so thankful to have Jameson in my life. Cheers to another day in paradise! 

Manuia Le Aso Fa'afetai! (Happy thanksgiving!) Love, The Newtsons 

Turkey butts! 

Pumpkins!

As the countdown to my Samoan journey  ends, I'm really starting to appreciate the little things! Like feeling hungry for a snack and going outside to look for something to soothe my appetite. There's giant papaya and star fruit trees outside my house. They aren't always ready to pick but when they are it is amazing. When we pick them, we wait for them to be perfectly ripe! We usually stick them in the fridge because its sooo humid here, the fruit just dies so easily. When they are ready to eat, we gorge!! A little bit of lime or lemon juice and I'm set. Perfect rainy day snack on this beautiful Saturday watching Netflix! ;)

You know you're in Samoa when...

When you go to a serious meeting and they offer you a child's chair with no qualms. 

When you go to work and there's a Hermet crab chillin on your desk..

When someone is singing you happy birthday and you answer the phone and start having a conversation.

When you go to lunch with the most glorious view! 😍😍

Samoa Sundays

We truly do live in absolute paradise. I try to tell myself everyday not to take it for granted. I am fully aware that I will never live this close to paradise for $700 dollars a month (2 bedrooms/1bath) ever again for the rest of my life. The wind has stopped, summer is approaching fast. December and January are the hottest months of the year. This is when we all congregate outside (more than usual) and swim out front!! I'm literally beach front from the most spectacular view I have ever seen. The most glorious mountains and crystal blue water. It seriously is so captivating in the best way. Every weekend, I just lounge outside. Never straying too far from my house here on coconut point. This particular weekend, Jameson got a new camera to play with. We decide to test it out. The pictures came out absolutely glorious. As cliche as it sounds, it was better in person. ;)

Work Smerk

Everyday I wake up and put my puletasi on for work. I do my morning routine with Jamie. Usually involves hitting the snooze button a few times. Then I make our lunches! Jameson loves this. I leave him little notes in his lunch everyday. He gets a kick out of it as I slowly realize I'm becoming my mother! She too would write me notes everyday. Too funny. After lunch, I pack my bag and we head out. I have about 2 other neighbors with room in their cars driving the same exact way to work ready to take me whenever I please, but Jameson refuses. Even though his work is on the opposite side of the island, he chooses to take me to work everyday. He says he likes our conversations...but I kinda just think he likes to check the waves!! Haha.
When I get to work, I'm greeted by the lovely front desk girls, Polotu and Sou. "Malo Lava Carol! Ua Mai oi?" (Hello Carolyn! How are you?) I respond, "Manuia! Fa'afetai!" (Good! Thank You!). You would think by 2 years I would know more Samoan but I really don't! Haha! I guess I can talk conversational and count to 10 but that about exceeds my max. Once I clock in, I go to my desk. It's a cute little desk equipped with my own computer, phone, and hello kitty mouse pad! Hehe. Then I  catch up on emails and at exactly 8:30, I'm assigned a school bus driver to take me to my destination . The island is only 28 miles long but the speed limit is only 20 mph. Haha! So  getting to my students takes a while! The bus drivers are hilarious. They are always asking if I'm hungry or if I want to stop for food. If they aren't trying to plump me up then they are asking if I'm pregnant. Haha I really can't win!! As the most obese country in the world, being overweight isn't an issue here. So when they ask if you're preggo or complain that you are too skinny, it's not meant to be rude. Being over weight is normal here. A little scary but true. I'm considered one of the skinny ones!!! And I'm seriously not. I'm the heaviest I've ever been  in my life, yet everyday someone comments how I need to gain more. It's insane. I am working really hard on my fitness, especially since after New Zealand! Eeek! I will get there. It's progress ,not perfection! I'm happy to have my other Palagi employee here! Her name is Allison and we are the only foreigners in the entire special education department!! Love her! I'm so happy to experience working in another country. I hope I never forget it.