Leaving Taveuni . . .

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This morning I packed my bags and left Taveuni.

Before I left, I spent time just standing on the hillside at the end of Makaira’s property, overlooking the ocean with a 180-degree view up and down the coastline.

Then the staff sang me a farewell song. Lucy hung a floral lei around my neck.

I went off to the airport, waited for my plane to arrive, then boarded onto another small domestic flight. There were only 8 passengers this time!

As we took off, I said goodbye to Taveuni.

The flight back to Nadi was just as incredible. This time I had the opposite view of my flight there. Taveuni could be seen out my window for the first 20 minutes or so, until a cloud rolled across and covered the view. After an hour and twenty minutes, we landed back in Nadi.

Tonight I’m staying at a backpackers in New Town Beach, just outside of Nadi. It is quite nice, a very typical backpackers with hustle and lots of young travelers. It feels kind of overwhelming to be around so many other people after the quiet places I’ve been to so far. I guess I’ll have to adjust to that though because the next two weeks I’ll be in much more well-trodden territory. Tomorrow I’ll be boarding a catamaran called the Yasawa Flyer - it hops around the Yasawa Island chain. I’ll have two weeks to hop on and off the catamaran visiting different islands. I have little, if any, internet access while I’m out there - so be patient with the delay in my postings for the next while.

Tomorrow I will get excited about the last half of my trip. But right now, Taveuni still lingers in my brain . . . There’s so much about that island I want to remember. I did lots of journaling at the airport before I left, to get it out and on paper.

I felt great joy just before leaving Taveuni. Because I dreamed of going there. And I went. I’ve “checked it off my list”. I kept saying that if I didn’t go, I’d regret it. And I have no regrets. Not the nerves before I left, not the money I’ve spent on this trip, not doing whatever else I’d do instead. I have no regrets and that gives me a great sense of peace.

And so, without regret and with Taveuni visited, I can move forward to new adventures and dreams.

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