In 1998, my parents opened a little shop and called it Runway Store. It was right across from the Airport Runway, on the backroad of Nikao, Rangiura. It was a special place. From our shop, we had an amazing view of the planes coming and going. We'd wave at the tourists and locals as they boarded their flights to return home, or leave it.

We lived just behind the shop, so close to the airport that whenever a plane took off or landed, the photo frames on our walls would shake. It was a constant reminder of how close we were to all the action. It was very small for my two parents, grandpa, me and my 5 siblings. I remember how squashed we were with only two bedrooms. Because the house was attached directly to the shop we could always hear the customers coming and going when we were in bed.

My siblings and I, full of energy and curiosity, would run out to the backyard whenever a plane was about to depart. We'd wave our hearts out, hoping to catch the attention of the passengers. It didn't matter if they were tourists, locals, or the pilots, we just waved at everyone.
Even at night, we'd grab our torches and head outside waving the light at the planes. We'd scream and shout as the plane's engine roared louder and louder, drowning out all other sounds.
The Runway Store and its proximity to the airport are etched in my memories. I worked in that shop every day, every weekend, and public holiday. We rented video tapes, and then DVDs for a short time. I would even play movies in the shop. Rewinding the tapes and calling people to return their overdues was the worst though....and opening the shop on Christmas or holidays. To this day I still think of working on Christmas or public holidays.

I was able to learn about the amazing digital Pasifik resource at a conference in Rarotonga and immediately searched for images that could connect me to my home village, Vaimoso, through this platform. This image represents my lineage and connection to place across our sea of islands. A history that gives me a strong sense of pride and grounding. Thank you for this opportunity to view this online from another part of our beautiful Moana!