This post features student writing.

Hi everyone, here’s what’s been going on!

For one of our last two days, we decided to spend a day in Nadi, Fiji. Nadi is about an hour away from where we’re living. We started the day at the Hindu Temple. We were instructed to wear our sulus we all were gifted at orientation (sarongs) to cover our knees or shoulders. There was a strict dress code where neither men or women could show their shoulders or knees, and of course, we wanted to be culturally appropriate in our participation. We had a guide take us around and teach us about all the different statues and paintings representing various Hindu gods. The temple is the biggest in Fiji and is 100 years old. The temple is painted so brightly and colorfully. After our time there, we went to lunch with a view of the harbor and mountains. This is also where we went shopping for souvenirs. Once we finished lunch, we headed to the botanical and orchid garden called Garden of the Sleeping Giant. We took a short walk through a canopy of trees, beautiful plants, and flowers. We came across a gorgeous arch made of tangled vines. Our time at the garden was short and sweet, especially because we ended with a glass of fresh juice. Next, we headed to a small spa for a mud bath! We lathered ourselves in volcanic mud, let it dry, and then dipped ourselves in various thermal pools to get clean. It was so refreshing and fun! We enjoyed a not-so-typical day in Fiji (away from beaches) exploring other places the island of Viti Levu has to offer!

On our last day in Fiji, the group went to a local village called Rararua. Before leaving for the day, we were educated about the village and what to expect by our Peace Corps contact, Seamus, who lives there and teaches at the local school. We traveled along the coast until we started heading inland through the mountains. We were welcomed into the village with a kava ceremony in the community hall. We were given necklaces made of leaves and beautiful flowers. After the kava ceremony, we headed down to the local school. As we started walking toward the school, a woman spread baby powder on everyone’s cheeks. This was used to mimic traditional face paint. We also drank fresh coconut water from a coconut knocked down from a tree minutes before.

The Rukuruku District School was just down the hill from the main village. This school has students from three neighboring villages. We went into a classroom full of 13- and 14-year-olds learning English. We all went around the room introducing ourselves and they did the same. We then went outside to see kids sitting in rows waiting for us to come out and introduce ourselves. We all sat in a line of chairs facing them. They sang us their group song before inviting us to play volleyball against them. We played 8 on 8 and ended up losing…badly!

After that, we went on a short walk to a swimming spot in the river. It was very hot, so everyone was really happy to cool off in such a fun, beautiful place. The last part of our time in the village was supposed to be tea and saying goodbye, however, little did we know we’d be walking into a feast! There was so much traditional Fijian food laid out on the floor for all of us. The women of the village prepared all the food and drinks for us, which included many cakes and breads. As we finished eating, everyone started to dance together. One woman started a conga line, but we had to keep switching directions. Let’s just say there wasn’t nearly enough room to have a conga line of over 18 people, but we made the best out of what we had! There were a bunch of little kids holding hands while dancing in circles. The kids invited all of us to join their circles and dance with them. This was a lot of the group’s favorite part of the day because happiness and laughter filled the room, creating an amazing vibe to be around.

All of the little kids also gave high fives all day long. That was like their way of saying hi and communicating with us. They wanted all of us to let loose, have fun, and enjoy ourselves. They were all so encouraging, which made dancing that much easier. We smiled every minute we were there. There was never a dull moment. Once it was time to say goodbye, one of the lead women in the village gave a goodbye speech that made the goodbye so much harder. She talked about how grateful they were for this experience and what a special day it was. She also talked about how we were now a family; even though our mothers are in our hometowns, we still have a room full of them in front of us. Everyone in the village is so kind.

From the minute we got off the bus until we got back on, every single person could feel the incredible amount of love coming off everyone. The community seemed so happy. As a Putney group, we gave them a donation to support their water project, which we heard will help purchase a water tank. We were happy to give back after they shared so much and gave us such a memorable, warm experience. As we got into the bus, we were given so many hugs and high fives. Even when we were all seated, they were blowing kisses and tapping on the glass. Sadly, we had to leave but were thankful for an incredible experience and hoped we would all return some day. Overall, we had such an amazing day — one we will certainly never forget.

— Rowan