By Elena Pasilio
We had plans for the Friday 6 November to be in Rotorua before nightfall.
We planned a big weekend with family as we had heard whispers of a repatriation flight taking Tokelau citizens back home to be happening "soon".
Although sad to leave friends in NZ, Elena is happy to be going home Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi
"Soon" turned out to be 1:15pm that same Friday when an official repatriation notice was sent out by the Tokelau Office in Samoa.
"The Government of Samoa has been kind enough to allow a limited amount of seats on their repatriation flight. As a result Air NZ has confirmed a seat for you departing Auckland on 13th November 2020. You will be issued a ticket in due course," - the message informed us.
I couldn't name all the emotions that came, but the one that stood out the most was bittersweet; sweet to go home but bitter to suddenly leave those I had befriended in New Zealand. What a bittersweet ending to an extraordinary year.
The instructions that followed were simple - be in Auckland by Monday 9 November to be in a monitored facility along with the other passengers.
Families who had been a part of our journey this year came from out of town to help pack up our home of nine months and see us off.
These were the same families who opened my eyes to a different perspective of the Tokelau life and how it has slowly transformed over the years.
When you have been in the same place for years, sometimes you never really recognise when change comes; a different perspective from someone else watching from afar.
By the following Monday at 2:30pm, we had hit the road and as we rode away, I stared at our home mailbox in the rearview mirror until it disappeared from sight.
This was the home that sheltered us during the lockdown and saw my daughter take her first steps and have her first birthday - I had never felt so sentimental about a home that wasn't Tokelau.
I had been to New Zealand only a handful of times, but this time was the most defining for me and I took a new appreciation for the country and the opportunities they offered not only Tokelau, but the Pacific.
We reached our monitored isolation facility by late afternoon and were surprised to see an uncle, Ioane Tumua, who has been here since last September.
"If you came here with a willingness to go home, then I suggest you come with an open mind and obey the rules because these are very difficult times and we must be vigilant," Ioane Tumua advised us in Tokelauan.
We spent our time in Auckland having Covid-19 tests done and filling in our travel requirements for entry to Samoa.
My family and I made a pact that we would not complain about anything to do with this trip because difficult times called for difficult measures and Uncle Ioane's advice was correct - we had to be vigilant.
The morning of the flight started with confusion as we were asked to step aside at check-in at Auckland Airport to await confirmation of our seats with the Samoa Government.
Samoa is the only pathway to Tokelau, and if we couldn't get seats on their repatriation flights then there was no telling how long we would have to wait to get home.
It took 30 minutes before a thumbs up signaled us that all was good to go, it was only then that I realised our group had been holding their breaths.
As we checked-in, I looked across at the other counters and saw that most of us all held our documents in see-through zip packets, along with face masks and gloves. What a time to be alive, I thought.
We waited for the plane at Gate 8 and right down to the last minutes before leaving New Zealand, the anxiety and fear of our flight getting cancelled hung over me like a dark cloud.
Elena and her family on the flight to Samoa Photo: Elena Pasilio
It wasn't until we were up in the air and halfway to Samoa that reality hit - we were one step closer to home.
How appropriate that it was raining in Samoa upon our arrival; the countless times I have travelled to and from Samoa, I can't remember a rainy day - of course this year had to be different.
Samoa had prepared well and the check-in queue was long - approximately 300 passengers long.
After a lengthy check-in we were finally shown out to where our bus awaited us.
The bus ride to the quarantine facility was quiet but I knew the others were as happy as I was - Samoa was familiar land, the country considered as our 'window to the outside world'.
The coconut trees and familiar sights brought peace and proved the hectic preparations leading up to the trip were worth it.
This is the easy part - the waiting and staying in your own space - Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand has prepared us well for this moment.
I couldn't tell you how excited we are at being able to go home sooner than expected, but it has definitely been an experience to observe life on island from afar and I hope to bring all I learned back with me to help Tokelau develop.
- Elena and the rest of the Tokelau contingent will spend 14 days in quarantine in Samoa before travelling by boat home.