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A large hill was all that divided the reality of where so many locals were living and where many tourists came to stay on the island. Landing in Fiji I was greeted with flowers, songs, and smiling faces. Sailing from the main island to a private island with a small resort that we temporarily called home I felt as if I was living a life other than my own and I somehow had entered this luxurious lifestyle. An endless amount of drinks on the beach, snorkeling, and scuba diving through endless coral. Behind the resort was a large hill with a local village on the other side and George, a local of the island, invited us to visit with him one day. We hiked up and over the mountain to the small village, Soso. Over the past few months, Fiji had been hit by multiple cyclones that caused an extensive amount of damage though you would have never guessed from the condition of the resort. Throughout the village were houses that were barely standing, items from households still floating in areas that had flooded, and debris coating the ground. Walking through the village I quickly realized how much time and effort individuals had put into rebuilding the resort to ensure tourists could still come and how little time they have been able to spend to rebuild their own village. George brought us to the elementary school on the island where the walls were coated in pictures made by the students with various sayings ranging from "God will protect us" and "we can rebuild". We spent the whole afternoon in the village talking to the locals about their experiences and how they have handled the past cyclones. I had the opportunity to talk to one of the elementary school teachers and she explained to me that the members of the village have one large community where they all support each other in times of celebration and in times of need. The belief that everyone is family is one they hold close to their hearts and live by. That night when we returned to the resort a couple of the workers hosted a traditional Fijian ceremony for us and taught us the importance of each item and action throughout the ceremony. This day is a day that I cherish most throughout my trip to Fiji. Being able to make a connection with the locals I find a much more meaningful and valuable experience than any other I had on the trip. This experience has changed my view on traveling as I now strive to obtain a more local connection to the place that I am visiting and gain a more authentic experience.