The most common response I get from people when I tell them about my travels to Tahiti is that they think it is only for the rich and famous. Indeed, French Polynesia has its share of the most luxurious resorts in the world, and we have all seen photos of famous movie stars sprawled out in all their perfectness on a beautiful beach on Bora Bora. I have had the luxury to stay at some of these resorts, and they are beautiful indeed, but I always felt that I was missing the real essence of these islands and the culture, and I had the inherent need to explore deeper.
Going off the beaten path has been an amazing journey. I have met some of the most wonderful authentic people I have ever come into contact with, and have seen some of the most secluded, beautiful spots the islands and the world has to offer. Most importantly, in the process of all this, I have learned some of the best life lessons.
A few years ago I sailed to a tiny atoll in the Tuamotu Islands. This location was way off the grid for sure. The shower situation was a bit of an eye opener for me because it was one of the first times this California girl (Orange County to be exact) did not have free flowing hot water for my evening bath. Anyone who knows me very well knows how much I love a good hot bath or shower. I made do with a make shift hose set up for the first couple weeks and that was ok. Then, one day the family I was staying with set up a big blue 50 gallon drum full of fresh water. It sat in the warm Polynesian sun all day. At the end of the day, I shed my suit after a nice swim in the lagoon and jumped in that barrel. I sat in that barrel with the warm water and the view of the turquoise blue lagoon and was as happy there as I would have been in a bathtub in some fancy hotel. I learned how happy we can be with less and with some of the simplest things in life.