Misperceptions

Misperception #1: I will be surfing on the beaches every day after class!
Reality: Apparently, surfing is great in Samoa, but the reefs make it super-dangerous. I've only surfed in California, where there was no reef (but there were rocks!). Either way, everything I've read says that surfing is only for the elite.

Misperception #2: I will get a great tan!
Reality: I will get a great farmer's tan. Due to Christianity and other conservative influences, women, even in HOT South Pacific temperatures, are expected (required?) to cover their shoulders and wear skirts past the knee. If I wanna go swimming, I'll just have to go with my tshirt and lavalava.

Misperception #3: I will go on walks of epic proportion all by myself!
Reality: "Wandering" won't be much of an option. Property is communal, and therefore I'll have to ask the matai (patriarch/mayor) of each aiga (extended family/village) before I do anything in their territory. Which is probably okay, because I also didn't realize how small the islands are.

So it seems that a recurring theme is that I thought I was going to get to go be independent/free/wild girl in nature (think Xena, or a female Rambo minus all the killing). But I'm faced with harsh realities that this might not happen.