Weather Helmed

After the last few weeks of sailing all around, it is kind of nice to be tucked into the marina berths here at Port Denerau.  Some of our other cruising friends scoff at the high prices of the restaurants here and another referred to this center of tourist madness as “Disneyland,” but I happen to like eating out every day (though my waist doesn’t!), listening to the fijian entertainers play bad covers of western music (enter Bryan Adams), taking hot fresh-water showers followed by a blast of cold water, having easy access to laundry, and meeting our neighbors here on C dock.  As we experienced in Emeryville – our “home” dock for so long – it can be quite cozy to have your house bellied up to the dock, just a few feet away from some of the nicest people you could ever meet.  I find myself getting too comfortable here, not wanting to leave on yet another passage even though we are just weeks away from Australia and, thus, weeks away from the end of this trip.  It is quiet and still in the marina, so convenient and relaxing.  It is also hotter than a house on fire, but I’m trying not to think about that.

We are planning to leave early tomorrow morning but, truth be told, we haven’t paid close attention to the weather lately and right now it looks like a raging Armageddon battle is taking place up in the hills to the east of us.  Our tentative plan after this is to check out the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, where there’s an active volcano, before heading on to Noumea in New Caledonia and then finally to Australia.  It feels strange to realize that we’ve been out here for 8 months this Sunday (which is also our 1yr wedding anniversary!!) and that we are *hopefully* less than a month away from docking at Brisbane.  That will be the end of the trip for me and Matt!  I have so many conflicting thoughts about ending this trip but my heart is also aching for the familiarity of home.  It kills me to be missing Fall.   I have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in Fiji, though, and am looking forward to this next part of the trip – even the passages! *Well, sort of.  🙂   I feel like Tahiti was my boiling point and I have begun to “simmer down” as they say.  Not that I haven’t thrown a tantrum here and there, but overall, I have been feeling much happier and optimistic these days.  I know some of you out there were worried about me! 🙂

I get these sometimes silly, but always uplifting “notes from the universe” and a recent one was a good reminder for me, looking back and looking forward:

“If you knew what I now know, Karen, you wouldn’t be in such a hurry.  Not just because you have countless worlds to look forward to, but because the world you’re now on was once one of them.”

Yes, internet, I know…  the struggle to be present, to enjoy the moment, continues.  I hope all of you are enjoying your 86,400 moments today 🙂