Welcome to The Island Life

Living simply, loving deeply, and honoring the Samoan way.


There’s a certain kind of peace that lives in the islands. It’s not found in fast-moving cities or within the noise of the world. It’s in the sound of the wind rustling through coconut trees, the laughter of children running barefoot in the grass, the smell of home-cooked food wafting through the open fale, and the quiet respect exchanged between young and old. This is The Island Life—and I’m so excited to share it with you.


I created this blog as a window into our world here in the islands, where we live with intention, simplicity, and love. Our lifestyle is deeply rooted in fa‘a Samoa, the traditional Samoan way of life. Everything we do—how we speak, what we wear, how we gather, how we serve others—is built on values passed down from generation to generation: respect, humility, service, and strong family ties.


Our way of living may seem old-fashioned to some, but to us, it’s everything. It’s in the way we still tend to the land, planting and harvesting with our own hands. It’s in the early mornings when roosters crow and the sun rises over the ocean, reminding us of God’s grace and new beginnings. It’s in the quiet afternoons spent preparing food for the family, and the evenings where everyone comes together—young and old, laughing and eating, sometimes singing or sharing stories.


Here, we honor our elders. We check on our neighbors. We raise our kids together, like one big village. Modesty is more than just how we dress—it’s how we carry ourselves. It’s knowing our place, respecting others, and staying grounded no matter what the world outside may be chasing.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Religious Love of Money

  When the collection plate becomes louder than the gospel. Here in Samoa, we are known for our faith. The saying goes: “Sāmoa muamua le Atua”  Samoa, God first. It’s something we say with pride, and it’s been passed down through generations. Our churches are the center of our villages, our families, and our Sunday mornings. On this tiny island, you’ll find a church on nearly every block, across from another, and another not by accident, but by design. We’ve built a culture where faith is everywhere you look. But what happens when faith becomes tangled in money? What does it say about our culture when putting “God first” comes at the cost of a family’s last meal? It’s time we talk about it. In many villages, families are expected to give large amounts of money for church obligations whether it’s a White Sunday event, a pastoral celebration, or simply a weekly collection. These expectations don’t ask whether your children have eaten that day, whether your bills are pa...
Read more

The Gold Mine

  What good is gold when you don’t know it’s yours to protect? We live on a small island, surrounded by ocean and quiet winds. To the outside world, it’s just a speck on the map a dot in the vast blue of the Pacific. But for those of us who call it home, we know the truth: this island is a gold mine. Not in the way people usually think of gold. No, we don’t have diamonds or oil or flashing city lights. But what we have is rarer: rich culture, untouched beauty, deeply rooted traditions, and a people whose warmth could melt even the hardest hearts. Our land, our waters, our language, our ways, this is the treasure. And yet, something is happening. Something painful. Something we don’t always want to talk about. See, this gold mine? It’s been left open. Not protected, not fully understood, and worst of all not valued by the very people who live on it. We’ve grown used to outsiders showing up, digging into our resources, our culture, our opportunities and walking away with pr...
Read more