Insights from the South Pacific



Easo, Lifou, New Caledonia - paradise!!



Wow!  4 weeks ago, I was freaking out because I was leaving

for this trip in 2 weeks…

Today, I am feeling a sense of urgency because I’ve been on it for 2 weeks, and I only have 2 days left before heading home again… 

Well, what I haven’t done is have a chance to keep this post updated the way I thought I would.

I haven’t met everyone I wanted to meet.

I haven’t written nearly as much as I thought I would.

I haven’t gotten off at every port of call.

I haven’t learned all that I want to.

I haven’t got the deep tan that I want yet.

However, let me tell you what I have done…

I have learned how to be comfortable being here “on my own.”

I have reconnected with myself and put my best self out there, which allowed me to meet some wonderful new people from Australia, Germany, the US…

I have learned a ton about where I am in my journey as a writer

and how I can help get myself to where I want to be.

I have been inspired, and I have inspired others.

I have learned how to share space with someone I did not know before

and how to create time and space for myself in the midst of many.

I have been shy, reserved, and shut off…and have regretted it.

I have smiled, reached out, connected, and been richly rewarded.

I have been to 6 islands in the South Pacific, and set foot on 5.

I have some regret for not visiting the first one, Ile de Pins, New Caledonia.

I have found courage that I thought was all used up.

I have had adventures and seen beautiful things.

I have felt heat more intense than any I could ever imagine.

I have learned that coconuts falling from trees can kill you

  (and have successfully avoided that fate myself!)!!

I have rested, reflected, journaled, and connected.

I have danced, swam, walked, and driven around this beautiful part of   the country.

I have taken over 1000 pictures that don’t nearly capture the incredible colors or gorgeousness.

I have had dinner with new people every single night.

I have eaten like a queen, and enjoyed every bite! 

I have found that I so need and appreciate sunshine and warmth in my life.

I have discovered that my spirit is very happy near and on the water!

I have found beauty and joy in the most unexpected places.

I have learned that I most definitely want to return one day to this part of the world! 

On Sat. Jan. 7, we were anchored off Ile de Pins, New Caledonia and the tendering process was slow and cumbersome, so my roommate, Gloria, and I decided to stay on board and not go to the beach. 

Instead, I sunned on deck, read, wrote, and slept.

On Monday, Jan. 9, we were in Lautoka, Fiji, a place where my roommate had been about 40 years ago.

So, we hired a private (air-conditioned – one of the few!) taxi and drove about 100 miles to Sigatoka to re-visit the place of her memories. 

I was scared to take off without a ship tour and no one knowing where we were going, but I did it anyway.

It was a beautiful, lush island, and we ended our trip at The Outrigger Resort for a quick lunch before the driver returned us safely to our ship.

I learned to trust that day and was rewarded with an experience that I would have missed had I not had the courage to try something new. 

On Tues. Jan. 10, we tendered to Dravuni Island, Fiji, which was a gorgeous coral beach.

We spent about 2 hours there sunning and shopping a bit – bought a colorful sarong.

Sitting and breathing in the sunshine and warmth and listening to the music of voices marked by foreign accents was refreshing and exhilarating all at once! 

The water is so clear and so many different shades of blue… simply stunning!

Thurs. Jan. 12 brought us to Port Vila, Vanautu, where we joined 4 other people in the crowded, hectic, and hot pier area to hire a taxi and see a bit of the island. 

After haggling for a bit, we settled on a price of $25 per person (and

I learned that my US dollars were no good here!) for a 2 ½ hour trip. He would take us where we wanted to go.  We went to Mele Bay and had a soda at the Beach Club there, taking pictures of beautiful Hidden Island across the way.  Again, simply sitting and breathing in and fully absorbing the beauty was a treat!  We also saw the poverty in which the locals lived, and drove through one of their villages, which to me felt like a

great invasion, imposition and act of rudeness. Honestly, I can’t even find the right words, but it felt very wrong to be driving through viewing these people and their homes as part of our tour.   I was particularly embarrassed when one of our car mates instructed the driver to stop, roll down the window, and shouted to the children of the village to “SMILE!”

while he took pictures of them… 

It was the only part of the tour that my camera sat in my lap, inactive. 

After returning to the ship and having lunch and an extended conversation with some new friends,

my roommate discovered that her passport folder (wish passport, cash, and credit card) was missing.

We tore the room apart, looking everywhere – even in places we knew made no sense. 

With 2 hours before we set sail again, we enlisted the help of the front desk staff to help us try to track down our taxi driver, Henry (with the blue van with the wild boars on it!), and also contact the Beach Club where we had bought drinks. 

It seemed an impossible venture to ever get it back, but Gloria headed out to the pier to try to find the taxi.  I enlisted several people to send positive vibes…and went back to the room to look again and to answer calls from the

front desk. Within an hour and a half, I received a call that it had been found and a taxi driver was on his way back from the Beach Club with it.  Wow!  Amazing and a huge relief!! 

Fri. Jan. 13 was spent at idyllic Easo, Lifou, New Caledonia.  To me, this defines tropical paradise. 

There was a small beach near where our tenders arrived.  Locals were available to rent snorkel gear and kayaks, braid hair, and give massages and sell some home-made goods.  The beach was surrounded by plenty of trees for shade, and backed by a small simple village of grass huts and some colorful concrete homes.  Not conditions that we would ever see in the States, yet the villagers lived with pride, joy, and beauty.  Gorgeous gardens were created with flowers, plants, and lined with seashells. 

Here I simply allowed myself to take it all in and to feel what sheer bliss feels like. 

On my second trip in with Gloria, we were treated to locals dressed in traditional warrior costumes performing native dances.

After they were done, they invited us cruisers to join in and then posed

for photos.  I found this to be a welcoming, comfortable, and friendly visit for sure. 

What has been great in all these areas is that bargaining is not the way, so prices are marked and I was able to browse and shop at my leisure. 

Today (Sat. Jan. 14) we are in Noumea, New Caledonia.  This is a very well-developed, modern city, and I expected to not like it after yesterday’s little slice of heaven.  We were booked on a city tour with a visit to the local aquarium for a half-day venture.  And, I must say, it is a very beautiful place that would be worth another visit.  Surrounded by glistening blue water and green mountains, there are lots of beaches and smaller pristine islands an easy ferry or flight away.  The aquarium was small, but very well-done.  Even the smallest tank held enough life that I could stand and watch for a long time… not only fish, but coral, shrimp, crabs, anemones, and starfish of many colors.  Simply stunning and warranted at least 100 photos alone, I think!  From one mountain viewing site, we were treated to colorful hang gliders floating down in front of us to the backdrop of the sea. 

Aside from our port visits, I have really enjoyed being in the midst of this group of people, many who are also doing the Hay House seminars.  Many, many, many Aussies, so I have definitely been in the minority in most gatherings.  I have learned new phrases like “cheeky” (which I just love and have been called!) "sunnies" are sunglasses, and "swimmers" are swimsuits, and “huroo” means “see you later.” 

There are so many languages and accents dancing around all the time that it feels like a musical symphony playing non-stop.  

The seminar has been great – inspiring, informative, and an excellent networking forum!

I have learned so much from questions that others ask and stories that have been shared.

There are many great messengers here with important gifts to share and contributions to make.

I am honored to be one of them. 

I will close with two offerings from Cheryl Richardson yesterday:

“Don’t wait to be present in your own life,” and “When God puts someone next to me, I have learned that I better show up!” 

There are no coincidences in life and the world continues to prove itself to

be much smaller than I had imagined, even way over here, half-way around the world from home.  I have met many people who I intend to stay in touch with and continue to learn from and grow with.

This journey is only just beginning, and I am definitely on the right path.