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I arrived in Moorea with such awe. I can't believe how gorgeous this island is. It is one of the many islands of the French Polynesian Islands (probably the most famous island is Bora Bora or Tahiti). Being here makes me realize the necesity of learning French. Granted, most people here speak a bit of English, but I think the reality is, it definitely would help me if I can learn how to speak french for my future visits to France to see Aurelie and of course, here!

I came to my hotel and had the luxury of staying in a hut rather than a hotel building. The location of the hotel is very much surrounded by local people in the middle of nowhere next to the beach. The room was ok and definitely has many bugs, mosquitos, etc., which is probably the reason why I have a mosquito net over my bed. As soon as I dropped off my stuff, I headed straight for the beach to snorkel. The water was lovely....clear, warm, blue, turquoise, etc. There are many reefs which surround the island forming a lagoon. I swam and snorkeled for a good 2-3 hours before heading back to my room. I went to have dinner and realized, there is absolutely nothing to do but to relax. Everything here is closed by sundown and it definitely is a place made for couples...in my opinion at least. I spent the evening watching one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen and had a early night in reading in my bed (no tv and needed to protect myself from the mosquitos!).

The next morning, I booked a boat excursion to feed the stingrays. A local girl took me and we found tons, including sharks (the black tip reef shark to be exact). This was my first time swimming with either marine animals and they are absolutely fascinating. Not only are they beautiful creatures of the sea, but they are so interesting to watch. I fed the sting rays (they're a bit crazy when food is around) and got close to the sharks. It was time to end my excursion and went to have a bit of lunch before snorkeling again. Then snorkeling was nice, only the current was so strong and it swept me so far from the shore. I then had to use my power to swim back. As soon as I arrived back to my hotel, the girl who took me on the boat excursion took me to Belvedere point to watch the sunset. It was probably one of the most gorgeous sunsets I've seen, but I got tons of mosquito bites as it was located in the forest.

The next day was when I had to head back to LA. My flight from Moorea to Papeete, Tahiti was at 2:00pm and my flight from Papeete to LA was at 11:45pm. I had hours to kill, so decided to head to Intercontinental Hotel to chill. I had lunch and dinner there and found a lovely hammock to watch the sunset!
I arrived back in LA 7.5 hours later and had to take the flyaway from LAX to Van Nuys airport. We were on the 405 freeway on Skirball when the bus tried to pull over. Next thing you know, 30 of us were stuck on an overheated flyaway bus, taking up two lanes. Another bus had to come pick us up and we had to transfer onto the other bus by walking on the freeway. That was probably the first time I ever walked on the 405! Anyway, I'm back home and don't think I'm quite ready to be back. I still want to travel!

When I reflect on this trip, I can honestly say I am a stronger person by doing this trip alone. It was very much needed. I feel confident in my own skin and don't need anyone in my life who makes me feel bad, who criticizes me, or who makes me second guess myself. I know who I am and what I have to offer. Thank you to all my friends who supported me along on this journey and the ones who I've met along the way. I wouldn't be who I am without all of you and it is you guys who have made my journey one of the best experiences of my life. If I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. I love you all and can't wait for my next journey around the world xxx

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