Island Life…

We are approaching our 4 month mark!! Can you believe it has been that long?? 1/3 of a year flew by!

This move taught us many things about ourselves, others, and life in general. It has offered an abundance of personal growth opportunities and a slower pace to spend time in deep, quiet reflection.

What have we learned about living on the remote island of Tutuila?

#1) Slow down. Way down. Down… down…..down!

If there is ever a place to practice this cliched life lesson, it is here!

The pace limitation demanded by the 25mph speed limit, steep hills and hairpin, coastal turns are just a metaphor for the rest of island life.

Nothing happens quickly. There is no such thing as a ‘quick trip to town’ or a ‘quick luncheon’

Yesterday I went to town for 2 reasons:

• Get the mail (1 hour drive to the post office)
• Pick up groceries for the next few days….I’ll detail grocery shopping later in this post! 😉

I left our house at 9AM and returned at 3PM.

One post office serves the entire island. I waited a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes with about 50 other people to pick up a package and have it inspected by customs.

Side note…..I am NOT complaining about this…it is just a fact of life. 😉

While you wait, everyone is pleasant, smiling, and genuinely happy to exchange chit-chat, find out why I am on their island and how I like living here. ❤

#2) You have been deceived…..The world doesn’t revolve around you!

When you move to a remote location, you learn this really quickly! You can stomp your feet, whine and moan, wear a sour expression and complain until you have no more breath….you will still wait an hour in line to receive your mail.

When I look around, I am surrounded by people who choose to smile. Choose to spend their wait-time getting to know one another more deeply.

They choose Love.

They don’t have to. Nothing forces them to stay pleasant. They choose their attitude. And if you let it, I promise, that attitude will rub off on you and contentment will soon rule your heart in a lovely, gentle way. ❤

#3) Koko Samoan Rules!

There is a local chocolate here…. Ugh! I cannot even finish that sentence without observing a moment of reverence in honor of its greatness! 🙃🙃🙃

If you are looking for a single reason to do a job search for a position in American Samoa, this chocolate could be just the thing to seal the deal!

With it, they make hot cocoa, cocoa rice, Koko Samoan Cake, cupcakes and more! You can buy it at the street market, in the grocery stores. You can order it at restaurants…it is the 💣💣💣

I have two favorite ways to enjoy this decadent treat, Koko Samoan Cupcakes…and in these squares. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

#4) Every direction you look could be a postcard.

The ocean views are breathtaking. Rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, lush vegetation. Every turn of the road offers a completely unique coastline. A totally unique surf pattern. And all of it is awe inspiring!

Both of our phones give regular storage space alerts because we just cannot stop snapping photos and videos!

I sit on the beach each day and literally wonder if there is any other place on earth like American Samoa?

I know there are tropical tourist destinations that are beautiful! But American Samoa has very little tourism. The shoreline is not lined with resorts, condos and enormous beach houses. It is lined with small, intimate villages teaming with daily life.

Parents getting children off to school, brightly colored laundry swinging in the ocean breeze, teens playing nightly games of volleyball and cricket.

Life happens here and it is not directed by tourism. It is directed by faith, family and tradition that dates back many, many years.

#5 Shopping

As promised, I will try to paint a picture of my grocery shopping.

First off let me say that we have been VERY pleasantly surprised at the variety and availability of most food items here on the island!

We eat very simple food. Lean protein, fresh veggies and whole grains. On one hand, this makes our shopping easy, because we don’t need a large variety. On the other hand, we have to go many different stores to find each item.

There are local farms that offer amazing lettuces, greens, island fruits, eggplant, bok choy and a variety of fresh herbs!

The street market is open daily and you will be greeted by beautiful, smiling families eager to share their produce.

You’ll get really good at knowing which market carries which items and although I have to visit 5 or more locations to complete a shopping trip, I end up with a great selection most days and we love creating meals with the local offerings! It just takes me about 3 hours of bouncing from store to store to do this. 😉

The first store I visit often has local salad greens, plain yogurt and sprouted bread. The second market has fresh cilantro (if you get there early!), peppers, red onions and garlic. The third store has the wine we like, Wild Caught Salmon & Shrimp and Quinoa. The fourth store offers a nice selection of cheeses, seedless cucumbers and Koko Samoa! The 5th store is the place where we hope to fill in any items that we were unable to locate at the other four.

Voila! Shopping done.

Now….the days just before the arrival of the next produce/dairy ship…..those can be a challenge!! I watch the horizon for arriving ships and plan trips to town accordingly!

#6 Wake up, no makeup!

That’s right! You can leave your train case at home…you won’t need it….and you won’t miss it!

After a week on the island, your skin will be refreshed, rehydrated and rejuvenated with a healthy, sun-kissed glow! This weather and ocean living takes 10 years off you in a hurry!

Au Naturel is the acceptable norm! I do occasionally don waterproof mascara…but so rarely it doesn’t even count.😉

#7 Don’t overpack!

Whether your trip to American Samoa is for a week, a month or a few years, don’t overpack!

Remember that slow-down-gentle-paced lifestyle I described? Well, that goes for clothing and material possessions too! You don’t need much.

As a visitor. You will spend most days enjoying the ocean. Pack accordingly. Shorts, shirts, towel. Most people swim in their clothing, so you don’t really need a swimsuit either! 👙

• A few pair of shorts
• A few shirts
• Swimsuit (if preferred)
• Flip flops
• Hiking shoes if you plan to enjoy the National Park
• DONE!

Or, you can buy a lava lava (island sarong) at ANY market and wear it everyday…everywhere! Women wear a lot of skirts and flowy dresses too, so pack a couple of those or buy some while you are here….there is NO shortage of clothing stores! 😉😉

Moving here? Look around your house…all that stuff shoved in the closets, hidden under the beds, crammed in your basement.. the things you aren’t using on a daily basis in the USA? Guess what? You’re not going to use it here either…leave it! 😂😂

I spent a few days unpacking boxes of our household goods. After awhile, I simply quit unpacking and left unopened boxes in the spare room. I have no idea what is in some of them, but I knew pretty quickly that I didn’t need it!

In the weeks following, I began emptying cupboards and repacking items that we just simply don’t need.

We have a 4 piece flatware set, 4 coffee mugs and a couple plates.

I have a large fry pan, a small fry pan, one large pot, one small sauce pan and my rice cooker.

A few pictures of my kitchen drawers and cupboards….

#8 Enjoy a break from Mainstream Media Politics

Just enjoy a break. Give your brain a chance to think for itself.

Enough said.

#9 Samoans are well traveled

Many Samoans have done extensive traveling! It is shocking to us how often they travel to the Mainland. Many of them have family all over the States as well on many different islands in the South Pacific.

Many travel frequently to Western Samoa, Fiji, Australia, New Zeeland, USA, Japan etc!

The airport here is one of the busiest places on island!!

#10 Water and Waste

Water. The water is not safe for drinking. Honestly, this is probably the biggest adjustment in my daily life.

I have never had to think about water.

Now, it is all consuming.

Washing fruits and vegetables, making coffee, keeping up with daily water intake. It is a big adjustment.

Waste. Our first couple months we bought bottled water. The waste was sickening. Throwing away piles of plastic water bottles and caps and seeing trash wash up onto the shoreline has been a big eye opener.

I have never been a huge environmentalist. I love nature, I appreciate all living things, I don’t litter, but that has been the extent of it for most of my life.

Until now.

I witnessed sea turtles sifting through plastic, foil and styrofoam for their dinner. I have seen beautiful silky sand beaches outlined with so much styrofoam it would take weeks to remove it.

It only takes one afternoon watching sea turtles and tropical fish spitting out chunks of garbage intermixed with the plant life to change views on the role you play in conservation and personal waste. One turtle swam the whole afternoon with a piece of mesh netting, like the kind avocados or onions come in, trapped between his shell and his flipper. 😢🐢

This is our water solution. It’s not perfect, but limits the waste considerably.

Our waste solutions are evolving. I refuse to knowingly purchase styrofoam products of any kind for the rest of my life. Secondly, I am very faithful about bringing my cloth shopping bags when I go to town. The island uses only biodegradable shopping bags, but I still fill my cloth bags first whenever I can.

There are tons of people actively seeking more and more practical solutions to waste issues in American Samoa. I am going to continue to take steps in my daily life as well. I may never have known how important this was without seeing the effects with my own eyes. So thankful!🌏

Any effort to reduce is a step forward…don’t give up because the solution isn’t perfect! Better is still better!!

Thank you for reading my little insights on island living. We wake each day amazed at the beauty and generosity of this island and it’s people.

We have truly been welcomed as family and we are blessed beyond measure for the time we have here.

🤗A piece of unsolicited advice…..

Just book the flight!✈

Our time on Earth is so short and it gets shorter as time marches on.

Everyone seems to have somewhere that they want to see *someday* Please, please consider just booking the flight! Life moves quickly and daily routines (though necessary) do tend to lull us into a trance of eat, sleep, repeat.

I KNOW it is easier said than done. I KNOW your to-do list is a mile long. I KNOW there are so many things in your way. BUT…if there is any possible way to make it happen, do!

You never know who you’ll meet along the way and what you will discover about yourself. 😊😊

Blessings to all.

Slow down.

Love deeply.