On our first day we arrived at our accommodations at five in the morning. We took in a beautiful view of the sunrise at the airport. We visited a village and got to hang out on the beach and bond. Our first sunset in Fiji was paired with a game of soccer with the local people, while others played in the ocean. We all got to watch a horse race on the beach.

On our second day in Fiji we went to Sigatoka School, where we got to meet some students and talk about their experiences at the school. We watched them sing and dance and at the end we gave them some pencils and journals to keep. We then bought sulus—which are large decorative cloths traditionally worn by both men and women as a type of skirt—then we went to a village where we had lunch. From there we took a bamboo raft across the river and hiked to Cannibal Cave where we saw stalagmites and stalactites. This cave was used over generations for different ceremonies. Some of the village children went with us and had some fun by hiding in the cave and scaring us. We ended the day by eating dinner and saw a traditional Polynesian dance and fire show. We got a chance to partake in the dancing where all of us got on stage. Overall it was a very fun second day.

On our third day we went snorkeling on a local reef where we saw countless fish and coral. Some of the fish we saw were angelfish, parrot fish, and trumpet fish. At Mango Bay we had the opportunity to drink and eat fresh coconut for lunch. Later we went to Namatakula village where we helped combat the effects of climate change by planting mangrove trees and picking up trash along the shoreline. In the country of Fiji, rising sea levels have devastated the shoreline, and within a couple of generations, these islands will be underwater. It was amazing to see the whole village come together and work to help act locally to fight climate changes in their country. For dinner we had a traditional lovo dish, which is cooked underground using hot rocks and leaves.

— Fiji, New Zealand, & Australia Group A