Christmas Break!!

I promise a longer blog post later, but I realize that it’s been a while so this is more of a YES, I’M ALIVE check-in. We just got back home from break yesterday, and it’s all been quite the adventure. Thank God, we were able to get off our tiny island to go first to a slightly bigger one and then to a GIGANTIC one that ACTUALLY SHOWS UP ON (some) WORLD MAPS. That’s crazy, yo. It had restaurants and cafes and pizza and bars and umbrella drinks, and was all so wonderful. ALSO, we time travelled, skipped December 23 altogether, and then got to celebrate the coming of 2014 TWO times, so we were both the first and the last to ring in the New Year! Awesome!

Look!!! A world map with Samoa!!! Also, notice the international date line which we crossed!!!

For a very brief recap of our break: during the past few weeks Matt was pleased to discover some out-of-place German and Canadian architecture in the South Pacific, Jackie was overjoyed to experience the New Zealand influence on the Samoan culture, and I decided to stick to exploring the Samoan side of things. We also explored some of the awesome Upolu scenery, enjoyed the amenities of a big(ish) city, and had fun reconnecting with old friends and making a few new ones. Needless to say, our time was filled with plenty of cultural experiences. Also, plenty of naps. I’m sure everyone else has more detailed descriptions, but I think that’s pretty much the gist of it.

So now vacation is over, and it's back to real life on a South Pacific island. There'll be some things I definitely miss (like pizza, and lattes, and umbrella drinks, and Tutuila friends, and aiga buses), but overall it's pretty good to be home! 

Stay tuned for a post on our very adventurous return home (4 days late, after a very long time on a very tipsy boat, a stop on a neighboring island, the experience of the Olosega Rollercoaster, and much, much more)! Also, if I’m feeling ambitious, a post on the differences between Western Samoa, American Samoa, and Manu’a (because apparently no one on Tutuila actually considers it part of AmSam), though if you’re interested in that you might just want to ask me because I’ll probably forget.

Lot's of love from the South Pacific! You'll be getting all your Christmas presents (aka painted seashells, coconut bras, and banana leaf hats) in June, so get excited!

Just casually sliding down a waterfall... TOTALLY safe and stuff...

Christmas Day on the beach! Notice the Santa hats! Also, the bikinis... We're not in AmSam anymore!!!

The house of Robert Louis Stevenson, aka The Worst Author Ever, aka who lives and is buried at the very top of a hill? Sea level is where it's at, I hear... (Also, look at all the culture I experienced!!!)

New Years, round II!

So. Many. Naps. Vacationing is REALLY hard work, ya know.