Bula Vinaka! My name is Mia, and I am a fourth year Adult and Child Student Nurse.
In my third year I was given the opportunity to find an elective placement, which is how I found the company Think Pacific, who organise expeditions to Fiji and Bali.
This led me to embark on the trip of a lifetime to Visa, a village in the South East of Viti Levu, Fiji!
While staying in my beautiful village, I worked with a group of volunteers and Fijian Youth to deliver workshops and facilitate discussions which always fostered an exchange of ideas and challenged everyone’s perspectives.
The afternoons included a culture course, teaching us about aspects of traditional Fijian life including weaving, bilo making and farming which were always interactive and helped us work together to learning and discovering.
We received the most wonderful welcome from the people of Visa, in particular my host family who treated me as one of their own from our very first meeting. I am exceptionally grateful for the immeasurable warmth I (and my volunteer sisters/roommates) felt throughout our entire stay. There was never a dull moment in our house and we shared in endless laughter and joy which has created memories I will hold dear for the rest of my life. My host mum and dad’s hospitality was phenomenal and my brothers and sisters helped us to settle as though we had been there forever.
This made even the toughest moments being so far from everything we know far more manageable; and my experience would not have been nearly as marvellous without each and every person who welcomed us into their home.
Watching these magnificent sunsets while immersed in Fiji’s stunning views was for sure a highlight of this trip! After sharing meals and laughs with our family while enjoying our mum’s and aunt’s delicious cooking, we always had an evening activity to look forward to. Karaoke was a shared favourite and my most memorable moment was singing with my host sisters and host dad, a delightful end to a brilliant experience.
From learning the Fijian language to a traditional Fijian meke (a group dance) and helping to cook whenever we could, I felt entirely welcomed into Fijian culture. This was an invaluable experience, one I am enormously grateful for and would encourage anyone to get out there and challenge yourself. Fiji holds the most spectacular culture, priding itself in warmth and humility, something I have been so incredibly lucky to soak up myself.
I hope this has encouraged someone to take a look at Fiji as an option for travel, you are guaranteed fun, laughter and learning for your entire stay.
Vinaka Vaka Levu, Mia 🙂