Remember how once upon a time I went to Tonga?
I made friends 30,000 feet in the air.
I made friends swimming in a dark cave.
I made friends climbing through jungles.
I made friends in the middle of the ocean.
I made friends walking dirt roads surrounded by palm trees as far as you can see.
I made friends by slapping hundreds of bug bites.
I told you about all of these friends in this post: click here.
Today, these people and I were friends in Provo.
And guess what?
Even without the Tongan adventure, we still
Tonight we were in a real apartment with comfortable furniture and carpets and electricity. We ate safe American food and had cute clothes on and we were actually wearing makeup and had our hair done.
Thousands of miles away from where our friendships began, still the love continues. Okay but seriously, my heart is full to bursting with the love I feel for these people today. Life after Tonga has continued. Who would have thought that to be possible?! ;-) Some of the girls are getting ready to graduate in just a couple of months. Marriages are being planned, babies are on the way, and new nursing jobs are on the horizon. But still with everything that is happening, we can get together and be not just Tonga friends, but real friends! What.A.Blessing.
Traveling to Tonga was one of the most unique, wonderful things I have ever done and will ever do in my life. Truly, it was a once in a lifetime experience. No other time in my life will I be a young, single, flexible college student who is able to travel across the world to learn and teach and practice my nursing skills among a completely foreign culture of people. Just about everything about our trip was ideal. Tonight we reflected and recalled many of the tender mercies we received throughout our time together, and the list was long. I wouldn't trade my time in Tonga for anything in the world. It is an experience from my life that I will forever reflect on with fondness and much gratitude.
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