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F O L L O W T H E J O U R N E Y

@shalamah.tautaiolefue

A snap from our road trip through the PNW, more specifically driving from Spokane to Seattle.
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Spokane is a city surrounded by mountains which was laced with snow at the time. The air was always crisp, the people are friendly, everyone loves peanut butter (I mean, I assume Americans in general love PB) and its home to the best bubble tea! (According to me).
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Throughout my trip I learned to cook, I played a lot board games, I did the COOLEST escape room ever (and was useful for once, LOL), I met some awesome folks, one of them being Grandma Pearl and another @space.hero.mission who is passionate about igniting the art scene in Spokane. I would also speak in a terrible American accent to people (according to others, but I think I’m pretty good)
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Grandma Pearl, this sweet lady in her 90s loves doing puzzles and loves to crochet as well. I had the chance to speak to her about life, she showed me where she grew up (Thanks to Janice! I miss you!) and spoke fondly about her younger years. One question I asked her was “what advice would you give to younger people?” and she said to be happy and to not take life too seriously.
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One of the greatest perks of travelling to different places is meeting people from all walks of life. There are so many valuable stories that each of us holds and through the simple act of starting a conversation with one another, we are able to share ideas, aspirations, hopes and dreams.
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I also met a couple on my flight back who was on their way to Sydney to venture on their 15th cruise! Their advice to me was to be like a sponge and soak up as much knowledge and life experience as you possibly can.
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#CompassOutdooors #PNWonderland #pnwparadise #PNWisbeautiful #washingtonstate #washingtonexplored #greatnorthcollective

Throwback to wandering through the Namib desert in Africa, Namibia with these cool chaps @jeremyconte and @alx.newman
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This week we celebrate Samoan language week and today is Samoan Independence Day. Today has me reflecting upon how my language skills in Samoan is likened to that of a new born baby, in short that means I can’t speak Samoan at all, hah.
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Regardless, I am proud of my heritage and am proud of the roots my parents, grandparents and great grandparents have instilled in me.
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I remember there was a time when I would shy away from my last name due to its complexities. When I was thinking of a Instagram handle I told myself “Shalamah.Tautaiolefue is way too long!” And later that week I was talking to a friend who said “Lamah, you make them LEARN and REMEMBER your name.” I felt so incredibly stupid for thinking otherwise and have since used it as a way to create conversations with other people. .
I am grateful for the Samoan culture which centres around families. To me, family exceeds blood, race and gender and I have been blessed to be surrounded by the best people.
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I’m not the best example of a Samoan, but I’m proud to be Samoan nonetheless.
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E so’o le fau i le fau ❤️
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Happy Independence Day! 🇼🇸 #Namibianewlife #Swakopmund #Namibdesert #Namibia #Africa

"If you want to give light to others, you have to glow yourself."
- President Thomas S. Monson
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Today I feel the weight of the world in its entirety. It suffocates me like I’m being held under water, and the mere thought of having to get out of bed exhausts me. I have many days like this. Some days are good and others can be rough.
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When I think about the above quote I think of the word ‘glow’ and how it can be interpreted in various ways. To me, someone who glows is someone who is brave. Someone who swims against the current. Someone who is able to be a voice to those who may feel voiceless, alleviating them from the feeling of solitude.
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The continuous stigma that surrounds mental health is what provokes fear. It’s what stops people from speaking up, from understanding and from seeking help. For so long I associated it as an attribute of weakness and hid behind a facade. I felt broken and questioned my existence so many times. The internal battles raged inside my head, and I saw myself spiralling into darkness which succumbed my entire being. I knew it was time to seek help and over the past year it has been the biggest learning curve for me. Everyday is a new opportunity to create conversations to break the stigma.
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On days like this I remind myself of how grateful and lucky I am to be alive that it’s okay to not be okay.
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Like Grylls, this beautiful majestic Lion I captured back at @erindinamibia, I will hold my head high and will continue to embrace my flaws and imperfections.
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It is apart of me, but it does not define me.
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Visit @beyondblueofficial for more information and resources or feel free to send me a message if you need someone to talk to.❤️
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#smashthestigma
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#namibianewlife #lion #bigcats #kingofthejungle #lionphotography

Throwback to the views of Hong Kong, courtesy of 99 Bonham!
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I'll be venturing into the Pacific Northwest region of America last March/April! I'm so excited and can't wait to eat flaming hot Cheetos again!
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If you're from this area and want to link up, let me know! I'll also bring up some Aussie snacks which you can try too! .
See you again soon, America! 🇺🇸

2017, you've been one of my hardest years.
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I learned how to deal with stress (loljks not really). I gained a lot of the weight I originally lost. Things in my personal life took place which left me broken and there've been so many times I wanted to curl up in bed and hide from the world forever, BUT to the people who've supported me throughout all of this despite them not even knowing what was happening, thank you. I am nothing but grateful for your constant love, support and kindness.
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I've honestly met the most incredible people this year. I got to travel to some places I never thought I'd venture to. I went on adventures with some of the coolest folks. I realised I didn't have to always be that rock to everyone else and that it was okay to not be okay. Despite all these hardships, I came out the other end with a heart filled with gratitude towards others and a different perspective of myself.
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Started off 2018 on a high and I'm looking forward to what 2018 brings. ✌🏾
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#namibianewlife #springbok

1:35am
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The shadows that meticulously taunts me from afar become increasingly daunting, at times I feel like I'm suffocating from its grasp and other times it's comforting. .
Breathe.
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Recently I have been finding solace in the act of giving back. Whether it's by paying it forward, helping a stranger in public, or lending someone my time and ears - giving back has filled me with this warm fuzzy feeling, making me genuinely smile.
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I challenge you to give back in whatever way you can today. Whether it's sharing a smile with an unfamiliar face or helping a stranger carry things up a flight of stairs, you'd be surprise at how fulfilling something so simple can be.
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#HongKong #CaptureHongKong #DiscoverHongKong #UnlimitedHongKong #HypeBeastHK #mychinaexpeirence #myHKmoment #timeoutHK

Get yourself someone who will leap to infinity and beyond both with you and for you.
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Had the utmost privilege shooting my dearest friend, Margaret, as she tied the knot with her eternal companion, Leon.
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Watching their relationship blossom was too cute!
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From the girl who never saw herself getting married, let alone saw herself in a relationship, to the boy who chased after her, trying to send her all sorts of signals to no avail (at first). It's funny where life leads you sometimes!
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One thing Margaret told me as we were talking about Leon was this
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"He is the only person who spiritually challenges me."
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I'm so enthralled by their love and capturing them being the biggest goofs was nothing but a joy!

A year ago today, unbeknownst to me, I stopped a stranger from committing suicide through the power of conversation.
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I remember missing my train home and was prompted to walk through the park, as opposed to following the street lights home, which always gave off an eerie mood late at night. A figure was walking towards me in the opposite direction and when we were close enough he said
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"Hey!"
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I looked at him, smiled and returned the gesture. He asked me how my evening was and I replied with "not too bad! Yourself?"
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"Doing pretty bad actually."
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I was prompted to hear this guy's story and we ended up sitting down in the middle of the pathway, where I listened to him pour his heart out. .
The conversation led to him saying
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"See that tree behind you?"
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I looked behind and nodded.
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"I was on my way to hang myself."
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I was stunned, speechless and my mind went blank.
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As we talked more I told him he is loved and that the world is vast. I listened to him without judgement and he graciously thanked me for just being there in that dark moment with him.
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We live our lives passing by so many people, people who all have their own struggles, trials and tribulations. This moment solidified the power of conversations and I'm grateful I was in the right place at the right time.
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I'm always open to converse if you need someone to listen, otherwise I urge you to call the lifeline (Australia) on 13 11 44.
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❤️

Honey-Thorne (This beautiful leopard's name) accurately depicts me at the moment, waiting for a delayed flight back home like 😒.
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On another note, I gots a window seat and the possibility of catching sunset whilst in the sky makes waiting a bit better!
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Don't have much to write down today, but here's an interesting fact I came across today!
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Did you know the word 'testify' derived from a time when men were required to swear on their testicles? (Source: did-you-knows.com)
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And there you have it folks! Happy Monday! Make someone laugh and spread them good vibes! 🤗 .
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#namibianewlife #leopards #globalleopardproject #bigcats #bigcatsofinstagram #saveleopards

Sonder (n). the realization that each random passer-by is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
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As I continually meet new people I transcend into this daze of sonder where my mind drifts off thinking about the journeys of each individual.
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Throwback to the solid long weekend filled with solid vibes and chilling with people who seem to be just as weird as me.
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All nighters around campfires, lots of laughter, my first bush doof, failed sunset chasing and profound conversations.
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The bush doof carried on into a car park, outside of a petrol station and pretty much everywhere we went, hah.
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Always grateful for the opportunities I get to make new friends and experience new things. ✌🏾

The Queen of the wilderness, in all her glory.
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We talk about the Majestic King without realising the true influence over the pride lies behind the Alpha Female.
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The female lion is known to be ruthless hunters, yet tender and affectionate mothers (aka my mum, lol).Combining these attributes in a pride of other tight knitted females, they become fierce predators.
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@Erindi has established The Lion Management Program to ensure the safety of these species as they would often kill livestock from Namibian farms, causing a conflict amongst the farmers and their livelihood. They were relocated from these areas and were slowly introduced into the reserve from 2005.
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As of February 2017, Erindi has 19 adult lions and 11 cubs!
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#namibianewlife #lioness #bigcats #queenofthejungle

Wish I spent more time in Ho Chi Minh City!
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I was picked up from the airport via the hotel's BMW (Ayyy!) and I started conversing with the driver. Despite the language barrier we were still able to talk and laugh where I then asked if he would like to hear me sing. So here I am in a complete foreign country singing to a complete stranger, what's new thougggghh? Loljks. He cheered for me and in broken English said something along the lines of:
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"That's the first time someone has sung for me! You should go on the voice!"
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We talked about Vietnam, what foods I should try, Kpop and was teaching me some Vietnamese words.
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These are the type of moments I love about travelling.
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Shout out to @hotel.nikko.saigon for taking care of me! ❤️ .
Happy Friday!
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#Vietnam #Saigon #HoChiMinhCity #NikkoSaigon

Rooty Hill, NSW, Australiashalamaht@gmail.com