Deb, Paul, and I had a day in Nadi between flights, so we rented a room at the Tanoa International. After relaxing by the pool all day, trying to make myself look like I had actually been in Fiji for ten days, I decided to browse in the gift shop. In the habit of saying, “Bula,” to everyone I meet, I immediately began a conversation with the store clerk, Paula. I soon found that he was from Taveuni and that he had once attended Wairiki Primary and Holy Cross! He practically burst with pride as we reminisced about “the garden island” of Fiji. I ran back to my room to grab my camera excited to share the photos I had just taken of his childhood home. It didn’t take long before tears formed in Paula’s eyes, as he looked at the home he had not visited in four years, and in mine as I already began to miss the island I still clung to in my photos. When I noticed him looking intently at each and every one of the hundreds of images I had of my students, he told me he was hoping to recognize the nieces he has not seen since they were toddlers. The few minutes we spent together reinforced the deep appreciation we each felt for Taveuni, the island of Paula’s past and my… future??? One can hope!
