Our last days have been spent in an astoundingly beautiful beach resort on Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji.

Since arriving here we have had a jam packed schedule consisting of lying in hammocks, strolling on the beach, re-applying sunscreen, snorkeling over reefs in crystal clear waters, and drinking coconut water strait from the coconut. Okay, maybe the schedule hasn’t been super jam packed but we have definitely been enjoying ourselves and getting a healthy dose of R & R! Our resort has everything that you could ever want from an island paradise, including delicious Indian fish curries and fresh vegetables served with love and smiles by the kitchen staff.

On the first day several of us got surfing lessons from the local Fijians.

The next day the group went to a nearby island where we swam, snorkeled, played volleyball, hiked and barbecued.

       

On our third full day, we celebrated Max’s 16th birthday in a nearby village where we were welcomed with a kava ceremony, flowery leis, and a mid-day dance party with the village children.

Today we snorkeled with whitetip reef sharks, tried our hands at trolling for fish, and shared scones and lemon-leaf tea with another nearby village before enjoying a live poolside concert back at our resort.

Tomorrow we head to Nadi where we will have our final group dinner and board our flight back to the USA. While we are all excited to see our families and eat some good old American meals, we will be sad to be parting ways with our sweet Putney family and each of us will be taking some incredible memories with us when we go.

– Topher & Jaimie