Today is our last day in French Polynesia. We love Moorea and I agree with the claim that it is “the most beautiful island in the world.” We have mountainous rainforests, vibrant coral reefs, and the tastiest pineapples, bananas, and coconuts in the world. The locals are very friendly and bright, often trilingual or more. I am disappointed to learn that 3 years of High School French and 3 semesters of University French have not been much help.
Tomorrow we begin our 30-hour journey back home. I wish we could skip that part---dragging 18 pieces of luggage in single file, sitting in cramped conditions, and waiting in lines. The walk through Papeete and the ferry ride from Tahiti to Moorea gave us a reminder of our slow-moving awkwardness. Nevertheless, we our excited to be coming home to family and friends. The kids are eager for their own rooms, Mexican food, and milkshakes. Rick is looking forward to mountain biking and I’m excited to revitalize my flower and vegetable garden. Unpacking our suitcases will be a relief.
In reflecting on the past 7 months I marvel at both the difficulties and the blessings of these months abroad. Any change tends to bring both challenges and chances for growth. Traveling with four kids is stressful. Relationship dynamics can get unpredictable in small quarters and when people are hungry and tired. And there is always the upcoming complexity of what to eat next, how to find solitude, and where to dry out our clothes (clothes dryers are an American luxury). Among other difficulties. Nevertheless, as our family sat talking this morning by the sea, we concluded that these months have been marvelous. We have seen beauties unimaginable, met amazingly good and kind people, and learned new things about how others live, and about each other, too. For example, I didn’t know that Rick has a fearless love of water and water creatures (including the black-tipped reef shark) or that Coulter has a passion for museums and war monuments. Martha has an amazing ability to make dear friends in every new situation. Sophie is a courageous and successful surfer. Eliza is a superb netball player. As for me, I’ve learned that I love fresh fruit and Indian spices (all kinds) and that our family can thrive on far fewer material possessions.
I’m grateful to my family for equally contributing to this blog and for the enjoyment and creativity that we have found in this undertaking. We’ll have several more final posts come out in the next week—Coulter is working on a post in which he interviews family members about our travels and shows a “best of our travels” video; Rick will share some of his photography and videography of French Polynesia.
We are indebted to our readers who have encouraged us in this project. Thank you! We’ll see you soon.