Ta Taki Falls

I have always wanted to travel and see the world, see new cultures and learn what I can from the diverse world we live in. Being born and raised in Iowa, means that what I know is fairly limited. 80% of my state is farmland, and I’ve always said that when you’re here, you’re never more than 10 minutes from the closest cornfield. By the time I had come to college I had never left America, and had only moved about an hour and a half away from where I grew up. I enrolled at Iowa State University to study graphic design. I hope that when I graduate at the end of this year, and plan to find work outside of Iowa and leave the cornfields behind. Because of my desire to travel and see the world, I learned about an organization called Camp Adventure. This organization trains students to lead day camp programs and swim lessons for our military around the world.

I was trained as a swim instructor by Camp Adventure, and this time last year I spent my Summer as a contracted volunteer with the US Marine Corp teaching swim lessons for families stationed in Okinawa, Japan. I loved teaching, and being able to provide a service to the families of our service members, but the best part of my experience was being able to travel and explore the beautiful island of Okinawa every weekend.

The time I spent here was incredible. From the cities to the beaches, every week was a new adventure. Being able to experience the unique Okinawa culture is like nothing else in the world. There is an incredibly rich history on the island from before they became a part of Japan, and were their own kingdom called the Ryukyu Kingdom, with their own language and culture that is separate from the mainland Japanese culture. The entire island was also the site of an extremely important battle during WWII known as the battle of Okinawa, and was the largest campaign in the Pacific. This island is also home to the famous Hacksaw Ridge. I was able to learn so much about the history and culture during this time.

One such weekend, me and some friends were invited to join a family that we had in our swim classes for a trip to Ta Taki Falls, where this beautiful photo was taken. We began with a hike that took us along a stream, where we waded through water, climbed rocks, and took in nature, until we arrived at this amazing waterfall that fell into a pool at the bottom.

Swimming here was allowed and the water felt amazing on the hot day in the tropical climate. We all took turns on the rope swing directly in front of the cascade. We sat there and swam for hours, enjoying the peaceful day.

I think back to that Summer now more than ever. I think about how last Summer was so much different than how it is now. Back then I was experiencing an amazing new culture on the island, and working with our military to help make a difference in the lives of those families stationed overseas. Now I sit at home and try to do my part in preventing the spread of COVID-19 as much as I can. Camp Adventure no longer exists. Due to complications and dangers of travelling this Summer, as well as the host university for the organization deeming it “no longer profitable” Camp Adventure was forced to close down for good. I made so many great friends in Okinawa and I hope that when the pandemic has passed, I can see them again, and we can visit our waterfall one more time.