I got home late Saturday night from my cruise vacation to the islands of Tahiti, Raiatea, Taha'a, Bora Bora, and Moorea on board the MS Paul Gauguin.
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| MS Paul Gauguin |
It was a dream come true. Sigh.
I got to practice my French...
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| Moorea |
eat gourmet food every night...
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| Escargot |
interact with native people...
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| Bernadette in Raiatea |
see native crafts being made...
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| Pareos in Raiatea |
spend long, lazy days on some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen...
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| Paul Gauguin's private motu in Taha'a |
and view some of the most incredible sunsets imaginable.
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| The view from our balcony between Taha'a and Bora Bora |
I saw mountains that I thought existed only in the movies...
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| Bali Hai on the island of Moorea |
islands typically frequented by the rich and famous....
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| Bora Bora |
and exotic flora and fauna.
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| Tiare, a type of gardenia |
Best of all, I didn't meet a stranger on the ship, from amazing crew members like Annie Rose who tended our cabin...
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| Annie Rose |
my favorite bartender, Ernesto...
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| Ernesto |
pianist Ruben who learned the song A Thousand Years just for me and played a different arrangement of it every night in the piano bar...
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| Ruben Ramos |
to fellow passengers I became acquainted with over dinners, drinks, and shore excursions.
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| Newlyweds Melanie and Jay and me |
I even had a cheeseburger in paradise. Along with a local beer.
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| At Les Tipaniers in Moorea |
Now that it's all over, the trip feels very surreal. It's going to take me some time to process everything; to sort through the snapshots and journal entries and piles of notes; to fully grasp the impact of the sights and smells, the interpersonal encounters, and everything I learned. I know it will affect me deeply as I move forward with the rest of my life.
But I left fear on a sunny beach in Taha'a
And hopelessness along the sands of Bora Bora.
Now there is nothing left to keep me from the amazing life I am certain lies ahead of me.
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Check back starting next Monday for a five-part travelogue of my time in Tahiti and French Polynesia. I hope you will join me!
10 comments:
WOW! What a dream come true! So happy for you.
Emery
Check another off the bucket list --so glad you got to do this!
I'm insanely jealous! Glad you had a great time. The pics are AMAZING!
It really was a dream come true, Emery. I don't want to be selfish, but I really hope to go back one day. This place is beautiful beyond imagination!
Thanks, Julee. Me, too! And thanks to my friend Gail, who won the trip in a contest and invited me to be her guest!
The truth is the pics don't begin to do it justice, Kendall. I could point my camera virtually ANYWHERE and get a great shot. It was amazing.
Ah-maz-ing!! Oh I can't wait to hear all about it! I'm so glad you went on this trip. Perhaps next time, I'll be able to meet you along the way!
I am SO lucky, S.M.! And yes, next time you must meet me along the way - for there WILL be a next time! :-)
I knew you went on a cruise, but you went on a CRUISE! It sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime trip - sure hope you get to go a second time. Sounds beautiful.
Now that I'm home it feels like a dream, Maxine - the best-ever dream! Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting! :-)
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