25/11/2023
Waiting for our ferry to arrive, I found it a bit odd that we were the only people at the small, remote jetty, aside from a white van. The drive was long and I wanted to make sure we had enough time, so perhaps we arrived a little too early? As our taxi driver made his way back towards the city, we glanced around. There were no restaurants, or even street vendors nearby in this small village. So much for getting a bite to eat before we switched islands.
At about this point in my thought process, the side door of the white van slid open. The driver, a casually uniformed police officer, beckoned us over in perfect English, inviting us to wait inside the air conditioned van. Our conversation threaded through food and local site recommendations around the islands, increased drug trafficking from Australia, and studying abroad. Roughly 20 minutes had passed and we were still the only passengers around. The officer, he explained earlier, was waiting for his colleagues to arrive on a different ferry from the Garden Island we had tickets to.
Shortly thereafter one other taxi pulled up with a local guide and a foreign couple. I could tell something wasn't quite right by the demeanor of the driver, frustratedly talking on the phone. The afternoon ferry wasn't coming; it needed maintenance.
"Hop in", the police officer (who had studied in the US for university) chimed. "I'll take you over to the fisherman, so you can ask to charter his boat," he said, pointing a short way down the coast. "He won't try to rip you off with me there." His delightful smile shined bright.
That police officer was the friendliest I've ever met. In fact, despite its stereotypical rough exterior of a rugby-playing, warrior culture with a history of cannibalism, this encounter is just one of many that reflect the genuine friendliness and warm hearts we experienced as we traveled very locally across a few of the amazingly beautiful islands of Fiji. I'm so grateful to be able to expand my horizons and world view with the lens of this beautiful South Pacific Islands nation! (And to travel internationally for the first time in nearly 3 years!)
Day 2 Gratitude Reflection: How did traveling outside of your comfort zone shift your perspective / expand your worldview this year?
(This doesn't have to be traveling somewhere "exotic". Even just taking a different route home from work, visiting a new neighborhood or restaurant in your city, or trying a new activity can have the same expansive effect.)