May 22nd 2025

Alex and I were up way too early this morning - like, stars-still-out early. He was sweet enough to drive me all the way to the airport. On the way, we grabbed a quick breakfast sandwich to fuel the mission. Since I was hauling a mountain of boat stuff back to Tahiti, I had to check an overweight bag... but surprisingly, no drama at the counter! Smooth sailing so far. Off I went, headed to SFO. During my 1.5-hour layover, things took a turn: “The aircraft is broken,” they announced. Fantastic. They had to fly in a replacement plane from New York, which meant a casual six-hour delay. But hey - eventually, we boarded. The flight itself? Completely uneventful. I’ll take it.

Around 1 a.m., I landed in Tahiti, bleary-eyed but happy. Border control? A breeze. Perks of being European, passport check took less than a minute. Then I headed to baggage claim, where I nearly walked off with someone else’s black suitcase (why are they all black?!). But mine rolled out safe and sound. Outside, I found a taxi and took the short ride to Marina Taina, just ten minutes. By then, the gates were locked for the night. But the security guard rolled up on his bike and let us in.

Tauha, our boat, isn’t docked in the marina. She’s moored out on a buoy beyond the docks. Since we don’t leave our dinghy tied up at the dock for long absences, that means we always have to find a ride out when we return. Last time, a friend of the previous owner gave me a lift. This time, I got permission to borrow the marina’s dinghy, as long as I promised to return it by 9:30 a.m. So, I tossed all my bags into the dinghy, climbed in, and attempted to start the motor in complete darkness. Ten minutes of tugging the cord, sweating, and stripping off layers (goodbye, whole socks and sweater)... and finally, it sputtered to life! With Alex’s bike light in one hand and the tiller in the other, I navigated across the quiet lagoon. Tauha’s little mast light plus the nearby reef make her easy to spot, even in the dark. I pulled up alongside and faced my final challenge of the night: getting the bags aboard.

The hand luggage was no problem. But the 30-kilo beast? That was another story. I didn’t quite think it through. I heaved the bag up to the edge of the boat, just as the dinghy slipped away beneath me. Suddenly, the bag was teetering at the edge, threatening to drop into the water. I froze. One second of pure terror. I lunged, grabbed it, and shoved it safely aboard. Victory. I clambered onto the boat, sweaty and triumphant. It was past 1:30 a.m.

I pulled a saloon mattress into the cockpit, grabbed a pillow and blanket, and collapsed under the stars. I sent a quick “safe and sound” text to Alex and my family... and drifted off to sleep, ready to wake up the next morning in paradise. 🌺⛵✨

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