Race Schedule and Results

Friday, March 21, 2008

My Trip To Tahiti

Wow! That's really all that needs to be said about my trip! It was UNBELIEVABLE! Seriously a trip of a lifetime. I was gone for 15 days. We left Sunday, 3/2 We stayed three nights in Papeete, Tahiti at the Intercontinental. It was so nice to relax at the resort for a few days and get used to things. We also met up with 5 people that were going to be on our boat which made for a fun couple of days. Of course we started the trip with rain and I thought that would be a bad sign, but it ended up pretty nice by about 3/7. Here is a picture of the resort and a sunset that we saw one night from the resort restaurant.

We left Papeete on 3/5 and flew to Raiatea. This is where we got to meet all of the women and get on our boats. My group (11 of us total) were on a 43 foot catamaran named Cascade. We got settled on our boat, were immediately labeled the "party boat" (which incidentally just translated to the best boat to us) and set out the next day. This is the largest boat in our group (a 46 foot cat):

Ours looked like this:


The rooms were down below - 4 cabins with double beds, 2 singles, 4 heads (toilets) and yeah, with 11 people that meant someone slept upstairs or outside.


The women on my boat were fantastic. I fell in love with all of them immediately. They were so inspiring, so welcoming and above all else SO FUN!

So where did we go and what did we see? In a nutshell our 10 days looked like this

  1. Day 1 - got on the boat in Raiatea and just stayed docked (the weather was bad)
  2. Day 2 - Sailed to Ta'haa after the storms cleared
  3. Day 3 - spend the day at Ta'haa, anchored and exploring Jillville (and island that Jill our Captain adopted)
  4. Day 4 - Sailed to Huahine
  5. Day 5 - Anchored in Huahine
  6. Day 6 - Sailed up the coast of Huahine to a different town, Fare
  7. Day 7 - Sailed back to Ta'haa and anchored at the Ta'haa yacht club
  8. Day 8 - Sailed to Bora Bora
  9. Day 9 - Anchored at Bora Bora
  10. Day 10- Sailed back to Ta'haa and Jillville
  11. Day 11 - Sailed back to Raiatea and got off the boats.

We saw so many great things, had lots of laughs, a few scares, learned more than we thought we would and really bonded. The islands were gorgeous, the sunsets and sunrises were breathtaking. There's really no way that I can put into words what this trip did for me. I came back refreshed, inspired, and renewed. I've now seen and experienced part of the world that many won't see and let me just tell you one thing - anyone who doesn't get to see French Polynesian from a sail boat is missing out! Here are a few random pictures that I took.

There's so much more to tell, but I'll have to wait until I get to see you. If you want to see all 200+ pictures that I took, let me know and I will give you the link in Snapfish. If you want information about future trips, let me know that as well. And to those of you that were on the trip with me, THANK YOU! I love you all so much and just have one things to say:

"MAN, I FEEL LIKE A WOMAN!"

7 comments:

Kristen said...

I CANNOT wait to see all 200+ pictures. I am SO glad you had such an INCREDIBLE experience. What a memory!!!! (I'm REALLY glad you are home, too! xoxoxo)

Lauren said...

The pictures are breathtaking. My favorite is the pink and blue sky...looks like a postcard. I imagine quite a few of these will wind up on your desk to daydream while you're working (I would like some on MY desk!)Looking forward to hearing more about your wonderful adventure and let us know when all your pictures are up! Glad you're home safely!!

Beth said...

Sounds like a great trip but you know this little report was simply an "appetizer" for me - I want more details! Let's talk soon!

Carolyn said...

WOW!!! What a great adventure! Someday....all the girls who reply to this post should do this! Maybe when Autumn and Brooke are post-graduate students...

:o)

Molly said...

WOW!
What an amazing adventure.
I would love to know how you got hooked up with this group and this trip!
AND...I need another knee brace...email me after you are settled in!
Take Care!

Anonymous said...

Tomorrow's the day we get to see all the pictures and hear your adventure story. Definitely the trip of a lifetime. I hope the memories you brought home with you, and the new friends you made will last with you forever. There's nothing better than that. I love you, hon. Mom xoxox

Court Cooks said...

We went to French Polynesia on our honeymoon. I think it spoiled us for life. We compare every beach we go to now. If only we could go back there.