I am now realizing that a trip you’ve dreamed about taking for over a decade, that you were finally able to go on…is not an easy thing to write about. I wish I could recreate the sights, smells, sounds and incredibly at peace feeling I had throughout this trip, but I might sound pathetically poetic and use so many metaphors that even your brain would go cross eyed.
So, let me sum up my trip in one sentence: The Maldives Rocked.
And here is an attempt at a somewhat cohesive highlight reel.
Surfing
I already talked about it, but the surfing was sweet. I am not a fan of crowds, and am a huge fan of fun glassy waves, and postcard perfect reef breaks. So this in itself was a highlight of the trip. And totally worth the 22 hours of in air flying time each way. And I had the middle seat. That’s saying a lot.
Living on a boat
This was the first time I’ve ever lived on a boat (aside from a family trip in Lake Powell when I was 10 or something) and I must say, I am a fan of boat life. Especially when boat life consists of jumping off a boat multiple times for fun, climbing the anchor rope for a workout, doing yoga on the top deck first thing in the morning, watching the stars on the deck at night, and (most of all) jumping off the boat with a board to paddle out to a break right next to us, that we had all to ourselves. Score.
Beer o’clock
After a fun day of surf, on top of the boat, with a group of rad gals who all are beer drinkers, laughing, watching the sunset, and talking about traveling…and perhaps jumping off the boat again.
The Aforementioned Rad Gals
A week surrounded by fun, water loving gals was truly inspiring. Ok and it feels great to know that I now have friends in New Zealand, Bali, Dubai and San Fran, that I can visit and go surfing with.
Bonfire Beach BBQ night
Ok this night was an epic highlight. And I rarely use the word epic. We took the dinghy to a small uninhabited island, and I felt like a kid on Christmas. But maybe more enthusiastic. Swimming at this beach, rolling around in the sand, shell picking, watching the sunset, swimming again, having a bonfire on the beach while chowing down, then laying back and watching the stars. Yup it was epic.
Bioluminescence
You know in Life of Pi (one of my favorite movies of all time) the scene where the ocean glowed. Well, this is a real thing, and I saw it for the first time, in person. It was just a little bit of it, but it’s one helluva sweet mental picture I won’t ever forget. Plankton might be my new obsession.
The Scenery
I am sure there are some unreal resorts in The Maldives, but It was so fun seeing multiple atolls, being in the middle of nowhere then…wham! A tiny little idyllic island pops up out of the blue, or an almost neon blue sandbar suddenly shows up. The many shades of blue, and the plethora of coconut trees on even the tiniest of islands, gave my eyeballs a rather delightful feast.
Fishing
Line fishing, fishing at night, and fishing behind the boat (a catch = fresh sashimi for all). Our captain invited us out to go fishing, where he caught a humongous sailfish, and reeled it in with his bare hands (He is superman), The gigantic smile on his face with a catch like that. Amazing.
Diving
I brought my mask and fins, and surveyed the underwater life. The Maldives is one of the top dive destinations in the world. It did not disappoint.
Unplugging
Having a week without any email or social media did wonders for my soul. I need to set aside a screen fast like this at least once a year. It’s amazing how much better and in the moment I felt by having the computer off, and only using my phone to take pics. Ok, I confess I caved and called my husband once too.
Traveling across the globe
This was the first time I’ve traveled across the globe. It was beautiful (duh), exhilarating, eye opening, inspiring, and worth every penny I saved over the years that allowed me to go on it.
…and every penny I am starting to save to travel again.
Thanks Danny at Salt Gypsy for organizing the trip (you, my dear are such a gem of a human being), and Liquid Destination for taking this group of surf hungry gals on such a fun adventure.
Can’t wait to do it all again…someday.
Pics in collage are a collection of my own, as well as some provided by Liquid Destination
* If you have questions about any products, bikinis, etc., pictured above, leave it in a comment and I will give you the deets.