Author: abaumm@rollins.edu

As I begin to write my final post for the spring semester of 2018, I snack on a ginger and mint smoothie bowl at Banan in Honolulu, Hawaii. Ginger and mint you might wonder? It’s a delicious juxtaposition. I decided to extend my layover in Hawaii to two days. I was hoping for peaceful relaxation,…

After a weeklong stay in a rural village, my knowledge and understanding of Samoan culture has grown significantly. I found myself doing things I never could have imagined – like scraping a coconut on a bench or having someone fan my food while I ate. I was accepted into an enormous family of about seventeen…

I’m heading into week five of being here in Samoa. Week six of being away from home. I’ll never understand how these weeks have felt like forever but just like a day too. So much has happened in this month here. Places have been explored, cultural values have been understood, and amazing friendships have begun…

Although I left Hawaii over a week ago, I still need to make a post about the incredible island state. I had started writing this in the airport, awaiting my flight to Samoa. I figured I could post it once I got there, but that was definitely not the case. Wifi has been a struggle…

As I prepare for my next big adventure, I think it’s important to look back on where I come from, where I’ve been, and how those experiences have brought me to where I am going today. Or tomorrow, I suppose. I grew up in a very small town in Maine. Boothbay Harbor. I think we…