It is with sadness, some apprehension and big sighs that - on July 3
rd,
2015 - I bid a final farewell to Irie, my beloved and reliable floating home
and means of travel for eight years. After cleaning her inside and out, packing
up our personal belongings and leaving her in a very secure state in a well-protected
marina in Moorea, she is looking great, while awaiting new owners who will hopefully
love and respect her as much as we did. She has not sold yet, but we expect
this to happen pretty soon, based on her market value. She is as good as ready
to go sailing and cruising again and continue her epic travels!
It was almost equally as hard for me to leave Moorea and
French Polynesia after two years of exploring the islands, enjoying their
spectacular beauty, discovering the intriguing culture and meeting some of the
nicest and most hospitable people in the world. This place has captured my
heart and spirit, and I truly hope I can return one day. After getting a ride
from Coco, the harbor master of Vaiare Marina, to the harbor dock with all my
bags, my friend Pierrette joined me on the ferry to Tahiti. She brought me to
her Tahitian home to spend my last afternoon in typical Polynesian style. It
was her husband Thierry’s birthday and we had a lovely meal and pleasant time,
before they dropped me off at the Faa’a airport one last time…
The plane rides back to Boston, on the East Coast of the
United States, went relatively smoothly and I am now reunited with my happy
husband, who has had a productive and comfortable time being back in his home
country. Work on the Wirie business is much easier, industrious and satisfying
from here, we are catching up with friends and family, and I am trying to find
my own routine. Whenever Irie sells, this temporary situation will come to an
end and we will figure out what our future entails.
I plan on keeping this blog going, but the content will
become a bit more personal, mostly unrelated to sailing and less adventurous
for the time being. But, I expect this “time being” will be short-lived! :-)
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| Irie in Vaiare Marina with Tahiti across the channel |
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| The marina is well-protected by the surrounding mountains |
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| Last dinner and evening with Birgit and Christian (SV Pitufa) on Irie |
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| Sunrise across the channel, next to Tahiti |
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| Sunrise over Tahiti at 5:30am - another early start for me on Moorea! |
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| Taking my last ferry from Moorea to Tahiti with Pierrette, who has a house on both islands with her husband Thierry |
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| My friends' yard in Mahina, Tahiti |
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| Daughter Lahana preparing a wonderful Thai meal |
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| A Thai culinary feast with my Polynesian family - Happy Birthday, Thierry! |
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| Leaving LA on the way to Boston |
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| Back in Newburyport, USA - Pierrette and Thierry gave me shell necklaces representing a safe return to French Polynesia one day... |
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Irie, safely secured in Vaiare Marina and looking pretty, is still for sale
|
It is with sadness, some apprehension and big sighs that - on July 3rd,
2015 - I bid a final farewell to Irie, my beloved and reliable floating home
and means of travel for eight years. After cleaning her inside and out, packing
up our personal belongings and leaving her in a very secure state in a well-protected
marina in Moorea, she is looking great, while awaiting new owners who will hopefully
love and respect her as much as we did. She has not sold yet, but we expect
this to happen pretty soon, based on her market value. She is as good as ready
to go sailing and cruising again and continue her epic travels!
It was almost equally as hard for me to leave Moorea and
French Polynesia after two years of exploring the islands, enjoying their
spectacular beauty, discovering the intriguing culture and meeting some of the
nicest and most hospitable people in the world. This place has captured my
heart and spirit, and I truly hope I can return one day. After getting a ride
from Coco, the harbor master of Vaiare Marina, to the harbor dock with all my
bags, my friend Pierrette joined me on the ferry to Tahiti. She brought me to
her Tahitian home to spend my last afternoon in typical Polynesian style. It
was her husband Thierry’s birthday and we had a lovely meal and pleasant time,
before they dropped me off at the Faa’a airport one last time…
The plane rides back to Boston, on the East Coast of the
United States, went relatively smoothly and I am now reunited with my happy
husband, who has had a productive and comfortable time being back in his home
country. Work on the Wirie business is much easier, industrious and satisfying
from here, we are catching up with friends and family, and I am trying to find
my own routine. Whenever Irie sells, this temporary situation will come to an
end and we will figure out what our future entails.
Gut wrenching. Soul killing. Those were the first thoughts that came to mind when I think of you bidding Irie and the cruising life adieu. But then I think of the great works that you will produce (articles / books) while Mark builds the business and adventures that are waiting for you both in your post-Irie sale future. Life with you in it will never be dull where ever you are and what ever you do. So go out there and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment, Lisa. It means a lot to me, all your encouragement and understanding. Here's to an adventurous (and productive) life wherever we are and to an exciting sailing time for you, visiting Fiji and Australia for now and further west later!! xxx
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