Today I noticed that the feeling of being “Home Sick” was actually turning into appreciation and curiosity. This is because I began to have more of a deeper appreciation for my friends, family, and culture. I now understand why my family is so close and why tradition is so important in all of our lives. It is a way to stay connected to our ancestors. Even the little things such as the food, the traditional prayer, and the music are all things that I had taken for granted because I did not know the purpose or meaning behind them.

 Within discovering this through my culture, I now want to know about other cultures, but more in-depth. I want to fully appreciate my experience here and the only way that I can do that is to study and understand my surroundings. I have also discovered my second family here. They are Aboriginal and from the Tonga Tribe. Whenever I go there, I feel as if I am home. Everyone treats me as if I am a part of the family. The most extraordinary part about this is the fact that I feel that I am also. I know that we are not related by blood, but my soul knows no other name to call them, but family. Each week being here I discover something new about others and myself.  This is how I know that I am still alive and sane. 

It’s just like when I tried the Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes. Yes is was a different color but that did not take away the fact that it was still a potatoe all the same and that I should not have been afraid to try it because it was another color or came from another culture. I would feel hurt if someone did not want to take the chance to talk to me because I was another color or from another background or from the U.S. I think if anyone took the chance to talk to me, they would feel the same way I did about the Hawaiian Sweet potatoes: Different but Good.

I’emari