Tribewanted: Vorovoro

(for those that are interested, this blog is being sent from Tanoa Park, Vorovoro. We’ve sorted out the gprs card on the laptop on the island, very exciting!)

From the moment I got to Nadi, the world seemed a different place. As I have never traveled on my own before, when I got off the plane it hit me; I’m the other side of the world!! 42 long hours separated me from home…it did scare me, hell yeah but at the same time I felt proud that I have done it; a year ago it wouldn’t have even entered my head! A friendly ‘bula’ seemed to come from everyone I met as I walked though the airport just after 6am; the sun was shining and I went to get that all important bottle of water. It went down very well, as did the 2nd and 3rd!!

The 1st thing I did was to take off my watch. Time is not what it is at home; you’re now on Fiji time! In a nut shell it means it will happen; it just takes time. Be patient and it will come…

The reason why I came here was to find out a bit more about myself, to see if I could live outside of the box and to take time out. I am not a seasonal traveler and this is a once in a life time experience. My friends thought I was crazy to go half way round the world for a ‘holiday’ on my own and work wasn’t too happy either! However, I wanted to meet like minded people and it was the perfect opportunity to be a bit more independent as well as learn more about the Fijian culture and lifestyle. It’s amazing what we take for granted back home.

What I have realized is that it doesn’t matter if you are a millionaire or a skint student; everyone is the same. Money has no real value and someone like me who is very money motivated at home has now started to realize that life is not always about possessions but the relationships that can be built.

To prove a point, if like me you have watched Big Brother or similar programmes where people seem to be emotional wrecks after saying goodbye after 1 or 2 weeks together, I always thought that you can never make a real connection with someone in such a short space. How I was so wrong! Some of the people here (I am not going to say any names to save embarrassment) and the stories I have heard have captivated me. Again, for someone like me who works, works, works; it has made me think about the people and the opportunities that are really are out there in this big wide world. Not just thinking about the nice house, the cool car or plasma TVs. Saying goodbye to a couple of people after a few days has been really hard and I am surprised that I have felt this way.

All in all, I am having an incredible experience. I can even say that I have fulfilled a 14 year olds dream and slept in a tree house! Great people, great food, great chess games (although I didn’t win!) and great sunburn!

This really is paradise and I have used this time to evaluate what’s important. I would like to thank everyone who made my time on Vorovoro such a life changing experience. I, like so many others would love to stay for longer; I really do feel like I’m home!

2 weeks is never enough…

Mike