Fox Tales - Blog

Communal Living

11/21/2015

This post is long overdue but what better time to discuss communal living than now, when Erik and I recently celebrated two anniversaries: our one year wedding anniversary AND our one year in Fiji!!! It certainly has been a year of firsts! While couples, traditionally, go on a honeymoon following their wedding, Erik and I dove head first into community living. We may not have gotten our alone time post-wedding, but at this very moment, we are enjoying being at the property, just the two of us (plus six cats and two dogs). For the first time in a year, we have been able to experience life off the grid as a couple, solving problems that arise daily, figuring things out for ourselves, and moving things right along as a team. It is BUSY with only two people, but it is so rewarding and uplifting for our relationship. There is nothing like off-the-grid problem solving to put some hair on your marriage chest.

But this post is not dedicated to alone time, this post is all about group time! Before I get into the details, I must tell you that the decision for the five of us (originally 7!) to live together was never meant to be permanent. Since there was only one house on the land, we all agreed we would temporarily have to make some sacrifices until our individual houses were built. We all came together from established homes and relationships in the US to giving up some independence and capitalistic comforts to give this Fiji thing a shot.

So what’s it like living as group in one, 1100 sq ft house, with one bathroom, one kitchen, sleeping only feet away from other people? In the beginning it was tough for me. Somehow, sharing one bathroom was/is no big deal; I shared a single bathroom with my family of six until I went off to college, but I’ll explain the difference later! When my older sister moved out for college, I relished in the fact I had my own room for the first time at 17. So when I upgraded to being out in the world after high school, choosing where to live and with whom, my independence blossomed and only grew from there. By definition, communal living sounds like backpedalling, especially for newly married couples, but like I said, it’s temporary and I did adapt, just like everyone else here! I’m sure I speak for everyone here, that as much as we love each other and get along under these special circumstances, we cannot wait to have the option to be on our own programs again. We already know that after living in such close proximity, that once our new houses are established, we will still choose to see each other every day!

Think of our temporary commune as the ultimate roommate scenario but with an off-the-grid, marital twist! Woohoo! A certain mind set is needed for a roommate relationship to be successful. Roommates can become a total nightmare, be almost professional, or become the best of friends. I’m sure I haven’t always been the best roommate but I’ve been fortunate to have more success stories than not. There are personality differences, different schedules and routines, and space and personal property to be respectful of. In our case, it’s concentrated. Living off the grid, having/being a roommate, and being in a relationship all have their own challenges, we’ve just decided to try them all at the same time! By doing so, we stretch our character every day we do this.

So let’s get into the details shall we? What are the biggest challenges you ask? Here they are:

Lack of Privacy This one might be my least favorite to live but my most favorite to tell. I mentioned we share one bathroom but what I didn’t mention is that the bathroom is right next to the kitchen…like inches away from the busiest room in the house. We do not have insulated doors/walls/rooms so you can say goodbye to a smidge of dignity when you have to ninja poop a matter of feet away from people. And if the bathroom is taken, an outside potty session might be necessary and these hills have eyes.
Besides the bathroom, there’s the usual clothes-changing struggle and having to wear clothes rule. Sometimes (or most of the time) a person just doesn’t want to wear pants around his/her house. Sometimes you need your own space, or alone time with your partner, and or just want to get away. Being so far away from town there’s really nowhere to “escape” to. To ease this, we have curtains around our beds, we set up tents on our future house pads, take turns going to town for supplies, or take off to another island for a few days.

Personality Differences Like in any relationship, work is required from all parties. You will get out what you put in. We may not always agree as a group but we always agree to communicate and work it out. We have to respect and consider each others' views, opinions, and concerns on every communal issue, no exceptions. No one person’s ideas or opinions weigh more than any others and there can’t be too many chiefs, otherwise, nothing will get done, at least not harmoniously. In this situation, we’ve all sacrificed some independence and control in order to be flexible, cooperative, and open-minded to the fact that we now share everything: responsibilities, food, finances, space, and schedules.

Finances Yikes. Not a topic even committed couples want to talk about so multiply that times five! Statistics show that 7 out of 10 marriages fail due to money-related issues so I could see how this type of situation could disintegrate easily with so many more players in the game. We have lots of projects, meals, and maintenance to fund as a group which is why money has to be a topic of conversation. This is where respect, communication, and commitment are most important. Everyone has to be on the same page when it comes to money prioritizing and allocation since we split everything communal equally. All money differences need to be put aside for what’s best for the group i.e. if one person is a spender and another a saver, balance and compromise must be made.

The Food Situation This topic earned it’s own post a while back and for good reason: we have to eat and it’s the biggest change we had to adapt to coming from the USA. Kudos to Anna for cooking over an open fire before Erik and I moved here! Knowing what it takes to feed everyone with a stove/grill, I am not sorry I wasn’t here for that! Most meals are from scratch and requires so much time and creativity when you have to do it three times a day. While I loved cooking before moving here, I have further challenged myself by baking anything I think of and attempting to use exotic ingredients every day.

This topic is, personally, my hardest struggle with communal living because I had to give up control over what I eat. I’m sure anyone on a special, restrictive diet, or even health-conscious diet could relate. I started educating myself on nutrition after college and started making changes to what I was buying and eating to the most healthy choices available. I wasn’t unhealthy but I wasn't being the best I could be to my body. After all, you are what you eat. So coming here and not having certain foods available, or someone else doing the shopping or cooking, or not having a single healthy option in town, can be frustrating. High fat and high sugar options are the only options at most food establishments on our island. Even if we do get our hands on some healthy options, not having electricity and being so remote limits how much and how long we can keep the fresh produce and the better-for-you foods. Since it’s been Erik and myself, I’ve gained some of that control back and will have to decide when we are a group again whether I can let it go once more or make some changes to continue feeling like myself.

If there are any other questions you have about our off-the-grid or communal living that I’ve yet to answer/cover, please feel free to ask or email me: meaganfreiwald@foxtalesfiji.com. I love hearing your feedback and reading your comments and suggestions for new topics! Thanks for reading!

7 Comments

Gone Camping

10/28/2015

6 Comments

As far back as I can remember, I have fond memories of camping trips. I'm not talking the home-away-from-home in a camper camping (because that doesn't count) but the family packed in one tent or sleeping under the stars in your sleeping bag kind of camping. (The Beale family is the only exception to this rule because they made their own awesome camper!) From my childhood, sticky, hot summers were spent in a tent near a beach or amusement park, taking us kids to exciting, new places. A couple emergency trips were taken to the family doctor because of mysterious rashes and severe poison ivy exposure in the woods but that's to be expected! It was our way of staying at fun destinations without having to stay in a hotel and we always had a blast. Now that we are all grown up, we still try to get away to a campground each summer as a family.

For the past eight years, Erik and I have continued with the camping fun by packing up spontaneously to get away. Our camping adventures have taken us to my favorite amusement park for the Halloween festivities, the Blue Ridge Mountains for hiking and to take advantage of the crisp, fall nights by a fire, the waves in the Outer Banks to escape the summer heat, white-water rafting in West Virginia, and the beaches of Hawaii where the wind was so wicked, I thought our tent would shred around us!

Luckily we love camping because our group here in Fiji camps 24/7! It may be a bit more luxurious than tent camping but on a daily basis we use candles, lanterns, cook by the light of our headlamps, use coolers, walk to the outside shower under the moon and the stars while dodging cane toads with each step, and when times are desperate, even use the bathroom outside….but I’ll get more into that during my communal living post I promise to write.

So if we are already “camping,” what does it look like when we actually intend to go camping? We go all out in our own special, off-the-grid way, especially when a birthday is involved. When you have a birthday with us, you get to choose what we do that day so our most recent camping trip we ventured to a neighboring island to celebrate Bob’s birthday! This island is a thrashing boat ride across our bay and has one village with only 200 inhabitants. You have to get permission ahead of time to even visit! So we did just that and brought our kava root to be prepared for a traditional ceremony with the chief.

We’ve done the camping thing a couple times and have learned a few lessons depending on the location. For one, we can’t get away from the sand. Ever. That includes when you’re cooking and eating so we’ve upgraded to bringing a cooler and a charcoal grill. That sounds standard for camping but remember this all gets packed into our already fishing-gear packed, 23 foot boat with the five of us jammed in it. At least we didn’t have to bring the firewood like we’ve had to before…. So here we are getting thrashed in our boat, everything and everyone getting soaked even while wearing full rain gear and swim goggles, then we realize as the tide is almost at its lowest, that we can’t get to the beach! Luckily we were intercepted by some village fishermen who guided us in. We met with the chief at his house but instead of a kava ceremony, we had fry bread and Ovaltine. Anyone remember that stuff? Then we lounged on the floor with seven Fijian men watching rugby until they fell asleep. Sounds a bit like football at a relative's house on Thanksgiving.

Once the tide was high enough, we made our exit with the blessing of the chief to pick our own spot! That means we had the entire island to choose where we wanted to set up camp. Being in our boat and the island having no roads, we stuck to the water to find the perfect beach location. We chose a deserted beach on the opposite side of the village that was gorgeous! From there we did a version of the normal camping stuff: collecting driftwood and palm leaves for firewood, setting up our tents in the sand, catching fish for dinner, crab hunting with Hawaiian slings in the mangroves, shell hunting on the beach, playing charades by the light of a campfire (Um please tell me how does one act out “Minestrone soup”??), watching the sunset and sunrise over the mountains, and just enjoy nature in its purest setting.

Previous camping trips have been to deserted beaches on our own island or on a small, sand island only visible during low tides. There is a serious trade off with these spots: the sand island is in the middle of the bay, meaning zero mosquitoes, versus the beach, where the mosquitoes are plentiful but you don’t have to worry about you and your gear going under water as the tide comes up. That’s when timing comes in and we have to arrive at the perfect low tide and scramble out of there before high tide! Plus, there is a crab invasion that happens at night on the sand island. We made the mistake of not taking a tent the first time and those crabs didn’t hesitate to climb all over us and our stuff all night!

So there you have it, we clearly love camping! But I understand camping is not for everyone and our kind of camping is for even fewer! But for us, it's an adventure, no two trips are the same, and
we are making memories that will last us a lifetime.

6 Comments

The Projects

8/28/2015

5 Comments

Our past experiences prepare us for our future ones. There is no way of knowing how or when, but I have learned that the timing is up to God. I had no way of knowing as a child and teenager just how much my youth would prepare me for Fiji. I even had a taste of off-the-grid without knowing that’s what it was. You see, when I was nine years old, my family and I uprooted from the suburbs just outside Baltimore City to 52 acres of land in rural, Central Virginia. I went from being houses away from the my best friends and extended family to 25 minutes from any grocery store, my own high school, and an hour from any major city or highway. The land was a steal at the time and the “house” was an added bonus with it….I say that because the house was built in the early 1900s with the kitchen in a separate shed, and hadn’t been lived in for years, maybe even decades! We acquired it with no windows or doors, bullet holes from hunters in the walls, no toilet, bathtub, or kitchen, and a tree growing through the front porch. Basically, it was a barebones, two-story structure that my parents brought back from the dead. You could imagine my excitement when they said it would be “home.”

But like I said, they breathed life back into that house with us four children tagging along, observing skills my parents had that most people don’t possess, or even attempt; plumbing, wallpapering, carpeting, setting up a well, sheering sheep, putting up fencing, drywall, making soap from goat’s milk, using a spinning wheel! In fact, the only thing I don’t remember my parents tackling was perhaps the electrical aspect of home restoration. Chores consisted of planting 5,000 asparagus plants, painting our new house from the inside out (something very familiar since my parents had rental properties in Baltimore), caring for sheep, goats, donkeys, rabbits, pigs, and ponies, collecting chicken eggs, bailing alfalfa hay.

Between the rental properties in Maryland and our place in Virginia, trips to stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot were an every week occurrence. Anyone remember Hechinger’s? We practically lived there. I still remember the jingle: “Hechinger’s! That’s who!” Nostalgia stirs in me whenever I smell house paint, lumber, or plumber's glue. I should also point out that we didn’t live close to anything in Virginia so a run to Lowe’s was a two-hour excursion, similar to the hassle it is out here.

When I said we were off-the-grid for a time, I meant in the sense that we were without power for our first winter in the house. We had two wood-burning stoves for heat, an on-demand hot-water heater like we have here, kerosene lamps for light and a camping stove for cooking. Bathing took place in a metal wash-basin in the middle of the "kitchen" floor, heated pot by pot, or by solar shower bag hanging in a tree, depending on the season. It was a lot like camping for that first year, right before starting school in a new place. Even to this day they have their well, hot-water heater, the slowest internet, and sparse cell phone service—if you're lucky. (Warning: AT&T does not work at their house.) If it wasn’t for the electricity, they would truly be off-the-grid.

So why did I share all of this? Because living in Fiji is like having flashbacks of my childhood! Because this off-the-grid life in Fiji, or anywhere, is not for everyone and I don’t think I could hack it without having already done it. Because it was a character-building life that my parents and God had in store for me and for which I owe them everything. Things of my past are now part of my every day life. And not being a natural risk-taker, I apparently needed decades of preparation.

In the same way our house in Virginia was in shambles, this place was once-upon-a-time a shack infested with rats and just begging to be burned to the ground. Fast forward to present day, this place hardly resembles the house Anna found four years ago. From day one it has been a project and it will continue to be until we are at a minimum, comfortably settled in our new houses. So now that I’ve given you my off-the-grid resume, I can get to the point of today’s post about what we’ve been working on so far:

Coming from the (continental) US where anything and everything is easy and convenient, where you can run to Home Depot or Lowes every day if you wanted, it can be frustrating when projects are dependent on “Fiji time.” This concept seems to be similar on any island around the world, but the truth is you can expect things to take longer—much longer. Erik and I experienced this on day two when we were gung-ho and ready to get a bull-dozer on the property. Welp, that bull-dozer didn’t show up until two days before we left, six months later!

We are too motivated a group to sit around and wait for the dry season in spring so we took matters into our own hands: we brought over with us a sawmill, a plethora of hand and power tools including a nail gun, and an air compressor. Our latest resource is the local mill for big orders and nowadays they are all big orders. The visit to the local mill is an adventure in itself! It’s run by local Fijians/Indians where they still use giant bull-oxen to haul massive trees to the saw, then loaded by hand and sickles. Yet no one seemed to be wearing any protection: no eye or ear pro, no gloves or hard hats, wearing sandals or even barefoot, tank tops and shorts. All the wood we order and use is “Vesi,” an extremely dense wood from 100 year old trees indigenous to Fiji. It’s so hard we have to pre-drill every. single. hole. Not to mention how heavy everything ends up being; well worth it since it will be termite proof and last a lifetime!

Projects tend to get prioritized by improvement of quality of life which turns into a domino effect of ideas. The project we are most excited about is building our houses ourselves! We’ve taken the first steps with leveling and clearing our plots, spread out over the 20 acres. The spot Erik and I have decided on is the highest point of our property, with stunning 360 degree views!

Having more people and able hands makes such a big difference. In our first six months, we completed around 2,000 sq ft of decking (more to come), the second awning, three tables, a weight rack, the coconut station, a chick coop, an incinerator, kitchen counters, and other small projects and decorative touches. Keep in mind this is on “island time,” during the rainy season—the wettest and hottest time of year—with a generator and battery power, while maintaining our chores and sustaining ourselves. If we aren’t building we seem to be digging, clearing, or bull-dozing in preparation for our house plots, gardens, and a well. Sounds a little deja vu-ish doesn't it?

Since we’ve been back, Erik and I have gotten right back into it with the new awning going up and the last of the current wood in sight before we start on the houses, which could be a matter of weeks! There will definitely be more about our house in future posts as well as a “Before and After” unveiling down the road; until then, enjoy the photos of our accomplishments!

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We’re back!

8/13/2015

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Wow...time has really flown since my last blog post but for good reason: Erik and I got to visit the US for over two months! Since the two of us are not Fijian residents, we are required to leave every six months. So, why not take advantage with some traveling! There’s nothing like getting to spend quality time with friends and family after so long and getting to do things we miss out here. And boy did we take full advantage of the luxuries, conveniences, and comforts the US has to offer, like using a washing machine and dryer, coffee shops, going to an actual gym (especially for the air conditioning), getting dressed up, getting to wear white, and just those little things you don’t even think about when they are your norm. So the next time you are doing your laundry or walking down a grocery aisle, think of me ;) We also made certain to have as much fun as possible doing things we miss out on in Fiji like golfing, going to the movies, bowling, going out for drinks or dinner (especially ones that involve oysters or sushi) with family and friends, date-nights out, baseball games, and always make a trip to Cedar Point. For those of you who love roller coasters and have never been…GO! You will be in roller coaster heaven! I love that our trips there turn into mini family reunions now that we seem to go every summer. The one thing I had not been prepared for was the “cooler” weather…it seems I am fully acclimated to 100+ degree weather and anything below starts to feel chilly…. Looking back now, I am amazed at all we were able to do and all the people we were able to see! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see everyone we wanted so a special sorry to you all and we will be back!

Our trip was also a blessing to get to take a step back and reflect on our first six months here together. It was challenging and a learning experience every day but you can’t deny how much we’ve accomplished. Sometimes you really need to take a step back to put things in perspective. It truly allows you to “see” what worked, what didn’t, and just be in awe of what you can put your heart and mind to. I’m so grateful for it all and seriously ready for “round two.” Plus, taking a break gives you time to miss it all and come up with fresh ideas!

Welp, it’s been three weeks since our return to Fiji and Erik and I are getting back into the groove of things. I can’t wait to share the progress while we were away and even since we’ve been back! Two and a half months is a long time to be gone when you think of how much we did in the previous six. It’s amazing what you forget in that time, too…. We couldn’t have had a better welcome from the group and the WEATHER--- beautiful winter weather in the 70s and the dry season. It’s a little chilly for my preference but perfect for gettin’ ta work outside and even better for sleeping at night!

So now that the blog is back in action, here are just a few updates/upgrades/improvements to hold you over:

All 20 acres have been cleared of brush
Plots have been cleared and leveled for our future houses
Second awning extended and lounge area on deck
Monkey Pod is a mommy! She had four babies the day we got back
Roscoe is officially a bird hunter and about to have kitties too!
Erik and I brought back 20 marlin lures we MADE that need to be tested out
Noni fruit trees everywhere
Electric coconut shredder
WiFi!
HOT water!!! (thanks to an on-demand water-heater, my personal favorite upgrade)
A new store opened in town and we are now able to find: fresh spinach, quinoa, agave nectar, goji berries, flax seeds, chia seeds, cacao, maca powder, not-the-tastiest pretzels, and even some organic items!!!

road to Anna and Bob's spot

future spot for our house

180 degree view from our spot

road from our spot to Jason's future house

Jason's future view

new lounge area

noni fruit

marlin lures we made

electric coconut grinder

all the goodies we found in town

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The Help

5/17/2015

1 Comment

I am so excited to formally introduce the rest of our family living with us! While we have tons of fun here, I couldn't imagine not having our pets! They make every activity extra fun and way more silly. I mean prepping fishing gear and taking out a transmission are interesting but why not let the cats help?! There are times for sure when we would prefer they didn't help like at meal times in the kitchen, or seeing three cats' heads in the coconut shreds to be milked, or any time a machete is being used, or even following us down to the boat only to be rescued from a rainstorm. They never hesitate to attempt to help themselves to our plates when we aren't looking. I'm sure Jason doesn't appreciate the cats helping him stay awake with allergies after sleeping on his pillow all day.

Their personalities couldn't be more different but couldn't be more pleasant either. Having pets are not only fun but essential for living here: The dogs ward off trespassers and the kitties keep the rodent population in check. So in order of age I give you:

Master "Chief"
Australian Blue Heeler, age 2; weighing in at 57 lbs; Chief came from Australian with Anna and Bob when he was a puppy and is definitely the brawn of the group. He is the scariest thing the Fijians have ever seen and that's the way we like it. If they only knew he's really a clown! He for sure has the most nicknames: Asteroid, Beefy Chiefy, Toe-Dragger, and sometimes Jesus.... He will walk over anything or anyone to get where he's going and the more of an obstacle, the better. Chief enjoys chewing on bamboo, Gus's legs, goat skulls, and thinks he's a tight-rope walker.

"Gus"tafer
Australian Red Heeler, age 2, weighing in at 52 lbs; Brought from Australia the same time as Chief, Gus is the brains to Chief's brawn. Gus loves stimulating play like chasing his ball, running, and especially jumping. One day he may be one of those high-flying frisbee dogs you see at the state fair! He may not look as menacing as Chief but he's just as ferocious. Although they don't get out often, Gus is an excellent truck companion and loves to chase the four-wheeler. The boys even go on the occasional boat ride to "our" island where they chase seagulls, smash crabs, and eat sand all day!

Lulu
Beautiful female Calico born in Fiji and our longest surviving cat. Lulu is the original hunting prodigy of the group and has survived a broken leg. She loves coconut, climbing, rubbing against feet, and "swimming" through the grass. She kept Jason company for many months when he was here alone along with Mr. Kitty who is no longer with us. On March 28, 2015, Lulu gave birth to four kittens when we were out fishing and is the best mommy! The poor thing is attempting to teach her babies hunting but to no avail.

Monkey Pod
Anna surprised us for Christmas with our very first pet: a black and brown striped fireball of a kitten! Yes, Monkey Pod is an unusual name but has sentimental meaning for Erik and I after our time in Hawaii. Besides, it's how we say it rather than the words themselves. With Lulu on maternity leave, Monkey Pod stepped it up as reigning hunter. In fact, she rarely snuggles comfortably without scanning for geckos or large insects. What sounds like thunder is actually her paws on the tin roof at night. The attest development is her crush on Chief who is not quite sure what to do with her! She is by far the softest and always finds time for a bath between kills. Monks loves using our mosquito net as a ladder and a hammock. When she's not hunting or sleeping, you can find her bullying Lulu or wrestling with her sister.

Roscoe
A delicate female Calico born in Fiji and sister to Monkey Pod. Being almost skin and bones when she came home, we weren't sure Roscoe would make it! "Survival of the fittest" is no joke in Fiji with a vet being a hard two-hour drive away. Long story short, Roscoe is a brand new kitty with the help of chicken livers! A real sills head and definitely the princess of the property. Her hunting style is more targeted at butterflies and leaves, but you can tell her heart is set on a bird. And that's ok because she is the sweetest cat ever. Known as Erik's stalker as a kitten, Roscoe will follow him all day, anywhere (remember the rainstorm rescue?). She loves to sleep (especially wedged between Erik and I every night) but not too far from the cooler containing her livers. besides sleeping, she can be found wrestling with Monks, climbing trees, and has survived a cane toad encounter.

Last, but not least, are our newest arrivals: Count, Yoda, Mini Monks, and Tupac. Lovingly called "the box of allergies," these are Lulu's four babies and two (Tupac and Mini Monks) have already gone to new homes as of this week!

This post is in loving memory of Mr. Kitty AKA Mista Kitts, the original coolest cat ever until his death, December 2014.

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The Freshest Fish

5/8/2015

2 Comments

Fishing. The bread and butter of this operation and a sport I did not truly appreciate until now. Sure, I’d done the touristy charter fishing on vacation (pretty awesome) and tagged along with my brothers when we were young, but none really "stuck" as an on-going interest. Well, having the ocean in your backyard and no boat would be a tease for even a non-fishing lover like me! So of course we had to get us a 23-foot, Fijian long boat (think large john boat) named “Snake.” The Snake can magically fit 6 adults, 6 dive bags, 3 fishing rods plus hand lines, 4+ spearguns, a cooler, 6 backpacks/camping bags, 3 camping chairs, 2 benches, a giant Pelican case, an anchor, 2 20 liter fuel cans, a 20 liter water jug, a tackle box, 5 life jackets, and a pile of fire wood…. I didn’t say it was the most comfortable fit but the things we do for fishing! That stormy, soggy day I caught my very first fish here in Fiji after countless days out on the water. My Spanish mackerel (our biggest till Erik showed me up the other day) almost took me for a swim!

From previously posted pictures, you can see the ocean, a bay, we spend many hours (days) out on the water. To get to that bay is an adventure all it’s own! First, we drive about 5 minutes to a canal running through cow pastures and rice fields, lug our gear through a couple cow patties, then take a 20 minute winding ride through the narrow, muddy mangroves. (The mangroves are so narrow and shallow that we have to check the tides to be able to get in or out.) Once out of the canal, the waterway opens up into the bay, and beyond that, the deep blue open waters containing one of the most elaborate reef systems in the world. A barrier reef system full of caves, caverns, shoals, and shelves, some starting above the surface and plunging to depths of 2,000 feet, right in our backyard! After snorkeling or diving in Costa Rica, the Bahamas, and Hawaii, I can say that I have never seen so much life in one reef. And by “life” I mean millions of fish and other species of sea creatures of all colors and sizes that you’d only see in an aquarium. The craziest part about our fishing is that we, with the exception of one Fijian dive boat, are literally the ONLY boat on the water, as far as the eye can see!!!

When Erik and I lived in Hawaii, he spent lots of time spearfishing and brought those skills to Fiji. For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, it is way more complicated and dangerous than it sounds! I had thought it was snorkeling on the surface with a speargun in hand. HA! Way off. Spearfishing is essentially free-diving with a speargun in hand which means: diving at depths up to 120 feet on a single breath hold, being completely camouflaged from head to toe, wearing a weight belt, hanging onto a 5 foot long loaded speargun. The complicated part is kicking down to depth in specially-made carbon fiber fins, then once at depth, WAITING for your fish on that single breath hold, THEN shooting, wrangling, and killing your fish while being mindful of sharks and trying not to pass out! WHEW! Makes me out of breath just thinking about it. Erik’s personal record is 5:16, which might not sound too outrageous, but to put it in perspective, I could probably hold my breath for 30 seconds if I’m lucky! Impressive for sure! Erik and Jason are the advanced spear-fishermen of our group, teaching the rest of us. So far, they have brought in parrot fish, red snapper, giant trevally (GT), Spanish mackerel, blue trevally, trigger fish, moo fish, eels, squid, groupers, baracuda, unicorn fish, emperor fish, gar, chubs, sweet lips, job fish, shark (by default), puffer fish (by accident), and squid.

“Fishing” originally meant spearfishing for our group but in the past few months we have discovered our group passion for trolling. But it wasn’t till about a month ago that we started getting serious about trolling in hopes of catching the really big fish. Like really big. Like marlin, tuna, sailfish-size big. So far we’ve gotten plenty of nice GTs, Spanish mackerels, needle fish, barracudas, bluefin trevally, and mackerel tunas. On our wish list (and we know they are out there): marlins, sailfish, dogfish tuna, yellowfin tuna, and mahi mahi! But for every thing on our wish list we don’t catch, we sight something spectacular…like a huge manta ray with a wing span over 11-feet wide swimming along side of us, or LITERALLY fighting off a reef shark stealing a fish from Erik’s belt, or spotting one of Fiji’s protected sea turtles!

Now I understand why so many people become so passionate or obsessed or even addicted to fishing. I do not "suffer" from this addiction, but once we catch that monster tuna, I may be singing another tune….

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Introducing the "We"

4/14/2015

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There’s been a recurring question about who is actually living here. Fair enough since I haven’t introduced them yet! So per request, and to clear up the confusion, allow me to introduce our group:

Anna The founder of this property and the momentum to see “it” through. The mother of a former Navy SEAL and former Army Ranger, she is a strong woman who raises strong, driven men. About 4 years ago, she decided she needed a change in her life and who better to include than her own blood. She recruited her Navy SEAL son and his roommates to invest in something big. Her original idea had been to start a bar in Venezuela but after traveling there (alone!) to check it out, getting kidnapped and robbed, fighting for her life, and dealing with political unrest, that idea was quickly thrown out!

She “stumbled” upon the Fiji property being sold by a Canadian couple for a killer deal and pounced on it. As the legs of the operation, she again investigated for herself and knew instantly that it would be hers. You would never believe what it took to physically find it 3 years ago, the condition she found it in, and the back-breaking work (and money) she put into tho place to make it as comfortable as it is now. She’ll deny it, but she has a serious eye for detail and what she does to make the final product extra special is truly magical. Anna is a master in the kitchen and somehow gets this place, covered in mud, bugs, and whatever else, sparkling clean. Her skills are admirable as she is a true jack-of-all-trades and can wield any power tool you throw at her!

Jason The son of Anna and original "plank owner." A steady presence in his mother’s life and life-long supporter, it was a no-brainer to jump on board the Fiji train. Jason and Erik lived and worked together in the SEAL Teams on the East Coast for 4 years until Erik moved to Hawaii to finish his career and Jason retired from the military. Upon separation from the Navy in 2012, Jason committed to the move to Fiji where he spent months at a time alone! He has by far spent the most time at the property, which is exponentially harder by yourself. Hard work that requires patience, confidence, and inventiveness. Much of it is maintenance and chores that take up majority of the day with no help. The thought of everyone finally being at the property together has kept him motivated and has appreciated the time alone to self-reflect and ground himself. The

locals know him by name and recognize his huge hair, full beard, and tall, tattooed self immediately. He is a talented guitar player and a true animal lover to agree to 7 cats he’s allergic to!

Bob As of October 13, 2013, Jason went from being Erik’s best friend in the Teams to his cousin when Jason’s mom married Erik’s godfather and uncle, Bob! Bob has lived or traveled to over 50 countries! He worked as an international bus driver throughout South America, then settled in Australia for the past 20 years as a firefighter. Jason had met Bob in 2008 when he, Erik, and the other roommates visited him in Australia. So of course Anna heard some wild stories about Uncle Bob! Little did they know that when he would visit the US in 2012, stopping into Virginia Beach where Anna was staying, that they would hit it off immediately! Bob has been a supporter and most willing of helping hands every step of the way in Fiji, taking 5 weeks at a time to help Anna make the place livable. Upon his retirement, he made the move to Fiji full-time this past December 2014.
His skills as a mechanic are invaluable

and have saved us multiple times! Not to mention his experience as a life-saving firefighter if we ever have an emergency! He already doesn’t hesitate to jump in and assist the locals to get the job done.

Erik The most interesting person I’ve ever met and the love of my life. After 7 years of almost-patiently-waiting, I’m the lucky girl who gets to call him my husband. It has never been a dull moment with this guy, not just because of his exciting career as a Navy SEAL but because he is extreme to the core, ambitious, driven, productive (his favorite), and yet somehow can be so romantic (when he doesn’t try) and cracks me up with his sills (silly) head. We aren’t exactly opposites but we somehow keep each other balanced. He is the big picture to my magic moments. I would be lying if I said our relationship has been easy but I wouldn’t change a thing about it. He is the epitome of challenging adventure! I might give him a hard time by calling him “slave driver” but I appreciate his optimism and motivation to conquer all projects and visions. We may never see eye-to-eye on the end result, but there is no task (big or small) we couldn’t accomplish as a team. I admire his love for life and never accepting things “as is.”

After multiple visits as co-investors, we made the move to Fiji full-time immediately following our Halloween 2014 wedding. I have to say we’ve had a very unique experience as our first 6 months of marriage: We went from deployments and long-distance separations of 7 months, to being together practically every minute of every day in a communal living situation! (A whole blog post of its own.) I look forward to looking back together at this time and our accomplishments as a committed couple. I love that Erik now loves kitties and has a new passion for gardening. He has always been the best at whatever he’s decided, whether it was wrestling in high school, becoming an operator in the Teams of special forces, spearfishing, or watering tomatoes.

Meagan I am the creative mind and voice behind this blog. I’ve decided since people can’t help but ask “what do you do?” as their second question of getting to know someone, my response will now be that I am a farmer, fisherman, and an artist. I have a graduate degree in nutrition that I will put to professional use one day, but in the meantime, I will enjoy my time of much self-reflection to better myself as a wife, friend, house/roommate, daughter, sister, aunt, and all-around human being. All the while, living out my passions of healthy living and traveling the world. I know God has put me on this earth for a purpose and to do “big” things. Big things that could possibly be in the making right now. And now that I have nothing but time, I enjoy getting back to my creative roots. I realized only the other day that I hadn’t sketched since high school! Painted, yes, but drawing and sketching had been my gift since I could hold a pencil. I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity to “do” me and know with certainty who I am.

Well, now that you’ve “met” the 5 of us living together, I hope some confusion has been cleared up! I can’t wait to share “who” else lives with us in my next posts, along with a glimpse into communal living. Thanks for reading today’s diary entry!

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The Food Situation

4/4/2015

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Shopping, cooking, eating, and storage of food in Fiji is always a challenge and never the same. So let's start with the shopping: I imagine Fiji grocery stores, today, resemble what US stores possibly looked like in the 1950s: canned goods galore, essential staples, some dairy products, etc. I feel like a kid in a candy shop when I discover imported items like frozen salmon or dried blueberries! Getting everything we need is a half day excursion, requiring a stop at 6 different stores (produce market, butcher, bread store, specialty store, and two grocery stores). Of course that’s after a two hour drive to get to either town.
Once we complete the shopping process, it’s onto the next challenge: no refrigeration. You get really good at knowing what needs to get cooked and eaten first, and portioning so there are no leftovers. For instance, when Erik and I first got here, 3 kg of meat would need to be eaten that day or at least cooked the first day and eaten the next. BUT thank God we have recently upgraded to a COOLER (or 3) and can finally keep things a few days longer!!! Unfortunately, the fresh produce still suffers and the need to drive 45 mins or 2 hours for more ice still exists. The upside is that we’ve had our first cold beers at the property since the coolers’ arrival and can actually purchase and keep specialty items such as sour cream, frozen berries, and shrimp! Keeping bread is a remaining issue with the humidity, along with storing it in the easy-bake oven…we have forgotten it was in there multiple times before starting the oven….

So now that our food is packed away, it’s time to actually cook! To put it in perspective, our group has upgraded from cooking over an open fire, then to a single gas burner, to now having a 3 burner stove top and our grill, both powered by butane gas bottles. For baking, we have a Coleman camping oven that requires a stove top burner. This oven is smaller than a microwave but does NOT hold us back from making pizzas, lasagnas, or Thanksgiving dinner! It just takes a tad longer and is a bit more unpredictable on the temperature side. In fact, we go all out when we cook since it’s all from scratch anyways. Why not make anything and everything!? We are definitely ambitious eaters and chefs around here. You want soft pretzels? No problem! How about a cappuccino? You got it! Fish tacos are your favorite? We’ll make the tortillas, catch, fillet, and grill the fish, and whip up fresh slaw or salsa! Like I said, we can and do make anything, but it takes time, creativity, and possibly some substitutions. Did I mention that we do much of this by the light of a headlamp?

Some of our favorite meals:

Poached eggs with avocado, salsa, and “toast”
Vanilla protein crepes with our bananas and shredded coconut, local honey, and imported (Jif!) peanut butter
Savory crepes with taco-style minced meat (ground beef), scrambled local eggs, imported black beans and burrito toppings
Whole meal pizza (from scratch) topped with homemade BBQ sauce, local prawns and pineapple, and imported red onions and mozzarella
Pizza topped with olive oil, our fresh basil, tomatoes, and other veggies
Fried local chicken (not breaded) in coconut oil with homemade gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, and the best canned corn (imported from Australia) ever!
Imported ribeyes with shrimp cocktail and roasted veggies
Crab cakes made from local mud crabs with roasted pumpkin-ginger soup
Lasagna with local beef, dried mushrooms, shredded zucchini, carrots, and eggplant, with homemade tomato sauce, broiled in our teeny oven
Fish tacos with either mackerel or Giant Trevally (GT) caught only hours before, in homemade flour rottis (tortillas), topped with fresh carrot-beet slaw and mango salsa made from our pickling-mango tree

Our latest: 11) Fresh spicy poke made from mackerel tuna (we catch) using Sam Choy’s poke recipe
**Please keep in mind that when I say "local," that usually means our neighbors!

Our next challenge arises when we start to run out of ingredients. It gets tricky when you can’t just run to the store. So what do you do when you have 2 eggs and 8 people? You make pancakes or crepes! I think I had only made crepes maybe twice ever before moving to Fiji and now it is a weekly occurrence. We made Thanksgiving dinner without any eggs, no refrigerator, stuffing from scratch (I mean we had to bake the bread first!) and had to milk the coconuts for milk.

Another challenge many wouldn’t think about, especially coming from or being in the US, is food choice and availability. Remember how I said Fiji is the US of the 1950s? Well, health and nutrition do not seem to be on their radar just yet. Seeing Fijians eating french fries and drinking Coca-cola at breakfast isn’t unusual. Tang, Oreos, Ritz, etc. are popular and we fall victim to snacking on them as well! In our defense (and perhaps in the Fijians’ defense too), we are extremely active and burn an excess of calories working here and sometimes a cold Coke after building a 3,000 sq ft deck sounds and tastes like heaven on earth! But the majority of our diet consists of lots of coconut (oil, shreds, water, milk), fruit from our trees, seasonal produce from the market or our neighbors, fresh fish we catch (red snapper, parrot fish, Spanish mackerel, grouper, Giant Trevally, mackerel tuna), local rice, and whatever else we’ve grown (beets, tomatoes, ginger, peppers, carrots, basil, pumpkins, squash, cucumber).

The biggest challenge with burning so much energy is keeping the boys from wasting away!! Protein powder is a serious staple for our group and somehow makes its way into most meals. If you visit, you will lose weight. There’s no time to sit around and snack all day. If anything, we might skip a meal due to being in the zone on a project or fishing. Plus there are no restaurants within a 2 hour drive to be tempted by! You truly work for your food here!

While in town, there are zero fast-food restaurants and I recommend asking for the check as you order unless you have an extra hour! Good restaurants are few and far between, and finding a healthy option on the a menu is even more rare! We take full advantage of imported foods at restaurants and eating ice cream at every meal. :)

Some foods I miss and cant wait to see/eat while visiting the US:

spinach
kale
Greek yogurt
salmon
ice cream cake
pretzels (they don’t have them here!!!)
berries (especially blues and straws)
asparagus
frozen drinks
milk
cereal
oysters
fresh mozzarella
Papa John’s
Mexican food
Panera Bread
mint
corn on the cob
beer (other than Fiji Bitter or Gold)
cheesecake
sushi
turkey
quinoa

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A typical day

3/28/2015

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Can you picture doing your daily routine "manually" without hot water, electricity, convenience, and outside in humid, 100 degree, unpredictable weather? Just like most people, we wake up in our beds (whether in a tent, on the deck, or in the house), have coffee, exercise, do yard work, laundry, feed our animals, have 3 meals, work on our vehicles, and enjoy some relaxation or fun; however, it's all with a Fiji, off-the-grid twist!
Imagine having to workout to be strong enough to start a boat motor or a generator just to have power! Or keeping inventory of your food because you don't have refrigeration to keep it more than a day or two. Or timing your workout for early in the morning so you don't die of a heat stroke during!! (Which is the norm for my family in VA ;)) No two days are the same and much of what we do depends on good weather and skills we cumulatively possess. Car maintenance is sometimes a group project (the animals like to "help" too) and we are blessed to have a mechanic in our group. Normal, everyday things you may not think twice about require time, strength, and preparation out here. And since everything is from scratch or manual, you truly appreciate what you've accomplished at the end of the day.
So here are a few off-the-grid versions of otherwise-normal activities:
1) washing machine = hands and a rain barrel
2) 4-wheel drive is needed to leave our driveway and village
3) trash collection = burn barrel or driving 2 hours
4) our mailbox is a 45 minute drive
5) cold showers only (but desired, trust me!)
6) refrigerator = cooler and ice, if we're lucky
7) watching a movie = hoping it was sunny enough to solar power a computer
8) clothes dryer = clothes line and a sunny breeze
9) oven = easy-bake size stove-top oven
10) the closest grocery store is 2 hours away
11) the closest hospital is 2 hours away
12) lawn mowing = weed-whacking 5 acres
13) toilet use... we have one but I'll just say "no TP in the hole"
14) using a blender requires a generator
15) internet is via a satellite "stick" and depends on good weather
16) one pot of coffee = a 30 minute process which requires boiling water, grinding whole beans with a hand crank, husking and milking our coconuts for cream
17) meals are all from scratch
18) dog and cat food = rice mixed with mackerel or any fresh fish we catch and coconut (everyone's favorite)
19) yard work = palm tree debris and coconut round-up
20) air conditioning = praying for a breeze!

I would love to elaborate on anything we do here so please feel free to ask! In fact, by request, I will be dedicating one of my next blog posts to the Food Situation at our house. Enjoy today's pics!

Good morning from the tent!

Or from our "room"

Step 1 of Operation Morning Coffee: retrieve coconuts

however possible

Step 2 of Operation Morning Coffee: husk coconuts

Step 3 of Operation Morning Coffee: crack and shred coconuts

Step 4 of Operation Morning Coffee: milk coconut shreds

Grind and steep...and viola!

breakfast time!

I think Roscoe likes it

slack line warm-up

Ring workout

Laundry

Getting some cast net practice

Weed whacking AKA weed whipping AKA whipper snipping AKA brush cutting

Preparing plumerias for planting

Weeding completed!

Sweeping must be a hard job

Some unlucky soul

Looks like Chief will clean the shower

Trash incinerator

Pajero transmission on the porch

Sounds like a group project!

Hand-line prep with Roscoe

Catching cats all day!

Relaxation

Playtime for everyone!

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Let me show you around

3/2/2015

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Hello again! Last post I shed some light on how we got here so today I'd like to share what exactly we are doing here.
Simply put, we live on a coconut farm. Fifteen of our 20 acres are covered in mature, coconut-producing palm trees. At the moment we only barter with our neighbors, but a long term goal is to harvest and sell every part of the coconut since they are all useful. Perhaps we will even have our very own brand of coconut oil one day ;) Other than coconuts, we have mango, banana, guava, mandarin orange, lemon, and papaya trees all over our land. With the fruit trees, our gardens, fishing, and chickens, we are on our way to fully self-sustaining our group.
Initially, this move was intended to be a reset for Erik following his separation from the military. I had a taste of dream-come-true by living in Hawaii so how could I deny Erik the chance to feel the same in Fiji?! We are literally building a life together from scratch! Plus the exchange rate isn't too shabby with the US dollar going twice as far here which truly make expenses minimal.
We would, ultimately, love to have this place as a retreat of some sort for visitors and paying guests to experience some of our adventures. It would truly be a balance of luxury and rustic. We definitely have big plans for this place, some of which are still evolving, and we can't wait to share them with you down the road! So lots of projects in the meantime, funded by fishing...2 posts all their own to come!
Enjoy the tour around the place (only 5 acres are cleared at the moment so more to see in future posts)!

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A bit of background

2/1/2015

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Hello again! For those of you wondering just HOW Erik and I ended up in Fiji, this post is dedicated to explaining that! It's actually a long but not-so-complicated story:
Erik and I have been together for 7+ years now so lots of life has happened in those years. When we first met he was living with 3 other Navy SEALs who became his closest friends. Talk of investing in something adventurous as a group was a dream of theirs so when Jason's mom (Anna) came across the property in Fiji for a ridiculous deal, it was a no-brainer for them to jump on it! This was back in 2011 when the boys were still in the military but knew their time in the service was coming to an end. Anna was the first to visit the property and get the ball rolling, to be followed by the rest of us as the boys retired from the Navy. Erik and I finally made our way out here after 3 amazing years in Hawaii, his service was up, and we had our beautiful wedding this past Halloween. It has definitely been a whirlwind of a year with planning our wedding in Hawaii, Erik's separation from the military after 9+ years, and preparing to move to a foreign country.

So why Fiji? Well why not?!! It was an opportunity of a lifetime and we took a leap of faith. Not only was the land an awesome deal, but it offered the challenging adventure our group was looking for, in a country that people dream of visiting because of it's beauty, island pace, and the friendliest people on earth. I can't get enough tropical weather and always want to be near the ocean. I'm also no stranger to farm life and getting my hands dirty which is unavoidable out here. My passion is traveling and the fact that we are now on the opposite side of the globe (and in a different hemisphere) opens a whole new "world" of exploration for us! So here we are, living in Fiji with family/friends, on 20 acres of land in paradise.

If you're wondering how we actually made the move, that's a bit more in-depth! Over 7 months ago, Erik and I packed all our belongings in Hawaii in a 20-foot container to be shipped to Fiji! You really forget what you own in 7 months :) Our stuff finally arrived on the main island 2 weeks ago which required a 6 hour ferry ride/drive to the city, 9 days in 3 hotels, clearing customs, the same trek back chaperoning a moving truck, and towing that moving truck up our muddy driveway. It was like the best Christmas morning ever unpacking because we already knew we liked everything!
So enjoy some pics during our excursion in the capital of Suva! (Click on each for a better view and I apologize for the cracked windshield and iPhone quality....) Stay tuned for the next post dedicated to what exactly we are doing here!

Arrival at the ferry

took our wheels too

Erik's game face

first sighting in 7 months!

bike chain saved the day

hotel #1

what's wrong with this picture?

mall in Suva

the ONLY thing Irish about this place was its name

has to be rated an 8 on the danger scale

our turn!

pleeease zoom in on this picture

we found real sushi out here!

best warm beer

Christmas!!!

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Bula! Aloha! Hello!

1/12/2015

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I can finally say...welcome to the blog! Trust me, this has been in the back of my mind for the past 3 months. This is my first day alone at the Fiji house while everyone is fishing in a thunderous downpour!!! I decided to snuggle up with the kittens instead and finally share with you ;) This is my first blog so hang in there while I figure it out and make it as awesome as possible. Well let's get down to it! Erik and I have been in Fiji for 2+ months and have tons of photos to share. This first post will be a glimpse into projects, holidays, and adventures we've been getting into... Want to see more? Well stay tuned for the more in-depth posts to follow!

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