Paradise Found in Fa'ilolo

Since moving here, several of us WT volunteers have become good friends with Scott and Taylor. They are another young palagi couple who have been in Samoa since January, and they work at the non-profit PICED - the Pacific Island Center for Educational Development. For their 1st nine months here, they lived in fairly rough conditions in the Nu’uuli slums but have recently moved to paradise. Their new house is way out west in Fa’ilolo (just before Amanave). They have 3 bedrooms, a sunroom, 3 full baths, a nice western style kitchen, and legit construction. It’s probably one of the nicest houses on the island. The most amazing part is that they are literally on a sandy beach. Since Samoa is a volcanic island, sand beaches aren’t as plentiful as you would imagine. Most places consist of rock and coral, so sand is a hot commodity. Furthermore, they are in this awesome cove with safe places to swim (the island is surrounded by dangerous waters with crazy currents) and a beautiful mountain to their right. Their house just may be the most idyllic place to be in all the world.. no joke.... I am beyond jealous :)

But they were nice enough to invite us over for a Saturday BBQ. The group consisted of WT volunteers (Kate, Thahn, Rosemary, Julia, Brigit, Cynthia, John, and me), Sandra and Pete (Taylor’s aunt and uncle), Hope and Leo (Taylor’s cousins), and, of course, Scott and Taylor. Scott grilled up some excellent BBQ ribs and chicken, and we had chili, a yummy salad, and a concoction of potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions. There was also an assortment of brownies, chocolate chip oat cookies, and homemade banana bread! It was all to die for. We sat around outside from 2-9:30 just chatting and staring at the beach. We even saw some whales splashing in the distance! After we all started getting a little sleepy Scott and Taylor played taxi cab and were nice enough to drop us off at our individual houses. There is still not a more perfect way to end a night than in the back of a pick up truck. It really is a crazy thing, but it’s one of the most fun things to do here. As Kate says, “there is no way to be sad when your in the back of a pick up.” 

The evening was exactly as I had pictured Samoa before arriving, and it is how I hope to spend many more Saturdays