From a Single Phone Call to a Southern Island / The Story of a Trip That Sparked My Overseas Move

This is an entry for the "Bungeemu" contest.

The moment I saw the theme, my soul flew straight to that trip in the South Pacific.

This is a true story and a part of my life.

A long-standing void was suddenly bridged

It was over a quarter of a century ago. My family took a trip to Western Samoa. Unlike popular tourist destinations, there were no direct flights, and the distance and travel costs were not easy on a family with children, so it was a truly major decision.

There was a reason we pushed ourselves to go through with it. My husband wanted to reunite with a friend. It was a friend he had shared both hardships and joys with during his days as a struggling student in the U.S. Although they had been out of touch for years, one day, a stranger who had been to Samoa on business called and said, "Maki, a Samoan, is looking for you, so please give him a call."

It sounded like something out of a fairy tale, but my husband managed to track him down by using directory assistance with his full name. Thanks to that one phone call, they were miraculously able to get in touch, and their friendship was revived.

More than a decade had passed since they had both returned to their respective homelands. In that time, our family had grown to six, and Maki had become the head of a seven-member family. My husband had already told his old friend on the other end of the line, "I'll come. I'll definitely come."

The prospect of traveling to a land of eternal summer near the equator in the South Pacific began with those words.

We exchanged several calls before the trip. Each time, the requests for souvenirs he wanted us to bring from Japan increased. It was clear that, being a small island nation in the south, it was not as materially blessed as Japan.

Maki had become a secretary to the Prime Minister of Samoa. Even though Samoa has no addresses or door-to-door mail delivery, it seems the reason the call got through was because he worked inside the government building. No matter how small the country, I fantasized before the trip that if he was the Prime Minister's secretary, "maybe he'll come to the airport in a black limousine."

One thing led to another, and we were off to Samoa

In the summer of 1995, we set off with little prior knowledge, imagining a "trip like Hawaii." Carrying huge amounts of luggage for six people and a mountain of souvenirs, holding the hands of four children, and staying over in Fiji for a layover... it was a journey of patience, heavy and far away.

When we arrived at the airport in Samoa, Maki was waiting. After an emotional reunion, he said, "Let's go," and we headed to the parking lot. Maki, who didn't have a car, had brought his friend Tai, who owned a truck. I was told that my husband, our three-year-old youngest child, and I would ride in the back seat of the red truck, and the three other children would ride in the cargo bed.

"What? In the cargo bed with the luggage?"

My fantasy of a black limousine was not just off the mark; it was an unexpected turn of events involving a red truck, overcapacity, and on top of that, the cargo bed!! That was the moment I realized this was going to be an adventurous journey.

Ignoring my worries, my husband and Maki were busy chatting away to fill the void of all those years.

I never knew a world like this existed...

Tai took us on a tour of the "whole country" in his red truck. Upolu Island, where the capital Apia—home to the majority of the population—is located, is only about 75 kilometers long from east to west. That said, driving on bumpy roads in a truck can hardly be called a comfortable ride. On top of that, since the children were in the cargo bed, I was worried about them the whole time.

Even so, the scenery that jumped out at us was beyond what words could describe.

Clouds floated lazily in the deep blue sky. Anemerald greensea spread out in the lagoon area. Coconut palms with coconuts rolling about grew tall toward the sky. Sunlight sparkled on the surface of the water, and in the distance of the shallow sea, I could see someone paddling a canoe. In the coral reef, schools of fish that looked like they belonged in an aquarium swam by, and as I walked on the beach, the scent of tropical flowers drifted on the breeze.

The word 'paradise' came to mind.

As I drove further, young people were selling fish by the side of the road. Free-range pigs walked gracefully, unaware that they would soon be eaten. Unleashed dogs lay sprawled out, exhausted by the heat, while chickens nearby flapped their wings and flew about.

The villagers, walking slowly in colorful sarongs, wore rubber flip-flops. They lived in traditional houses called fales. While the foundations were made of blocks, bricks, and concrete, they had only pillars and roofs with no walls, so the inside was completely visible.

The back of the truck was loaded with mangoes, papayas, and even bananas still on the branch, heavy with fruit. Just as I was told, 'Eat this if you're hungry,' I plucked a banana and ate it, while the children swayed along.

It was a short trip, but I was completely overwhelmed.

The great nature and beauty of the island, the humanity, the sharing of traditional culture, the color of the clear sea, the comfort of the sea breeze, the beautiful sunset, the simple deliciousness of steamed food, the freshness of just-picked fruit, the slow-motion flow of time... By the time the trip ended, I felt the values I had believed in beginning to waver and crumble.

After returning from the trip, I began to question even the life that had been taken for granted until then. A restless heart tossed about by things, information, and obligations; days dominated by money to satisfy desires... That is how I began to feel.

And two years after the trip, our family moved to Samoa.

My life had changed because of that phone call that left me feeling as if I had been bewitched by a fox.

🌴 In chronological order, this trip leads to this one 👇. After such a travel experience, I encountered a book that further fueled my desire to move.

🌺 Furthermore, if you are interested in tropical living, please check this out too 👇