Samoa

While traveling, I try to avoid checking my duffel bag whenever possible. Because it’s oversized, I usually do my best to avoid having it measured or weighed. At the airport in Vanuatu, however, the gate agent spotted it, and I was forced to check it. After a layover in Fiji, I arrived in Samoa late at night, but my bag never did.

The next morning, with no clean clothes and now dealing with a terrible case of food poisoning, I walked shirtless into a small supermarket in the capital, Apia, and bought a few essentials to get me through the trip. It wasn’t exactly the introduction to Samoa I had imagined. Still, I managed to explore the island, taking in its lush greenery, rugged coastline, and quiet villages.

Earlier in my journey, something like this might have been enough to ruin the entire trip. This time, I refused to let it. I couldn’t control losing my bag or getting food poisoning, but I could control how I responded. I was proud that I chose not to let those setbacks take away from my experience in Samoa.