“That was what the NSF FEU Fiji program was for me. It was beautiful, difficult, eye-opening, exhausting, and rewarding.”

Christel Carlisle, NSF-REU 2013 Graduated Field Director

“You get to uncover Fiji’s history and meet its wonderful, diverse people.” Christel Carlisle

“Nighttime at camp consisted of storytelling and star gazing making nights some of our most enjoyable moments in Fiji.” Alea Rouse

“Fiji is beautiful. And you are lucky to be there. But the NSF REU Fiji Program is no vacation,” Christel Carlisle

“You eat fresh and unique foods, watch the ebb and flow of the ocean, see the sun rise and set on the other side of the world. ” Christel Carlisle

“Once we arrived on Nukubalavu, we had to begin setting up our campsite that would be our home for the following weeks” Alea Rouse

“Every morning, you eat and you get your gear together and you commence a half mile hike to the excavation site” Christel Carlisle

“Our tents were set up only a few hundred yards away from the shore, so we fell asleep and woke up to sounds of the ocean every day.” Alea Rouse

“When you work alongside your fellow students and with the local Fijians, you realize just how important you and everyone around you are,” Christel Carlisle

“It is grueling camp life. It is a long day of non-stop activity and you are still lucky for being there.” Christel Carlisle

“After field work every day we would walk back to camp and begin the various tasks of maintaining camp that included: pumping fresh rain water, gathering firewood, and preparing meals.” Alea Rouse

“Our campsite was not just a collection of our tents but grew to include areas where we could cook, pump and purify rainwater, as well as clean and organize artifacts.” Alea Rouse

“Although we were miles and boat rides away from any town our camping conditions were by no means unpleasant.’ Alea Rouse

“You get to see a night sky so bright and full of stars you forget why we need lights.” Christel Carlisle

“At the end of the day you cover your unit, hike back to camp, clean and sharpen tools, gather fire wood, help with laundry, bathe in the ocean or with rain water, catch up on field notes, help cook, and wash dishes in the ocean.” Christel Carlisle

“Fresh coconuts were readily available. Perhaps too available. In fact the only danger we ever faced was the impending threat of getting hit by a falling coconut.” Alea Rouse

“Breakfast is oatmeal, as it was the day before, but there is fresh papaya and tons of it,” Christel Carlisle

“You wake up at sunrise in your tent either from one of the best nights of sleep you have ever had in your life or from a night of broken sleep due to scurrying mongooses, yowling cats, coconut air raids and spiders.” Christel Carlisle, Field Trip Assistant

“We even made a few loaves of bread every day in our own earth oven!” Kellly Ledford

“At camp we did not have a market or grocery store around the corner so we exploited the natural resources that were so abundant all around us.” Kelly Ledford

“You tell people that you will are going to Fiji to do archaeology. They gush about how lucky you are to get to spend your summer vacationing somewhere beautiful and exotic. And Fiji is beautiful. And you are lucky. But the NSF REU Fiji Program is no vacation. You wake up at sunrise in your tent either from one of the best nights of sleep you have ever had in your life or from a night of broken sleep due to scurrying mongooses, yowling cats, coconut air raids and spiders. Breakfast is oatmeal, as it was the day before, but there is fresh papaya and tons of it. You eat and you get your gear together and you commence a half mile hike to the excavation site. You uncover your unit, you trowel, you help your fellow students map, you screen for artifacts in the ocean.

At the end of the day you cover your unit, hike back to camp, clean and sharpen tools, gather fire wood, help with laundry, bathe in the ocean or with rain water, catch up on field notes, help cook, and wash dishes in the ocean. It is grueling camp life. It is a long day of non-stop activity and you are lucky. YOU get to bathe in the ocean and its fun like it was when you were a child in the tub with your rubber duck and submarine. YOU get to see a night sky so bright and full of stars you forget why we need lights. You eat fresh and unique foods, watch the ebb and flow of the ocean, see the sun rise and set on the other side of the world. You get to uncover Fiji’s history and meet its wonderful, diverse people. When you look out on the ocean or up at the sky you get to realize just how small you are. When you work alongside your fellow students and with the local Fijians, you realize just how important you and everyone around you are. That was what the NSF FEU Fiji Program was for me. It was beautiful, difficult, eye-opening, exhausting, and rewarding.”

Christel Carlisle, NSF-REU 2013 Graduated Field Director