Bye Fiji - Fell In Love With The Ocean

My time in Fiji has come to an end. Not really knowing what to expect when I arrived in the country, the beauty of its islands, the resort life and especially the ocean has simply blown me away.

It was on one of the last ferry rides that I was standing there on the rail looking out into the distance and the ocean that a particular thought entered my mind and my heart:

"Fiji has really made me fall in love with the ocean".

Now, I was never really a person that enjoyed going into the ocean a lot and I preferred to be on the beach and lounge around. During my time in Fiji, however, it was the opposite. I think I have made it abundantly clear in my posts that I went snorkeling at pretty much every opportunity I got (i.e. daily) and every time I went into the water, I saw something new that made me appreciate life in the ocean.

In addition, having learned how to dive opened up a whole new world to me. The vibrant colours and shapes of the thousands of corals and creatures that call the ocean their home is simply awe-inspiring and fascinating - at least to me.

Moreover, there was, of course, one of the biggest highlights of my life: diving with bull sharks. I did not even know how to properly express my feelings and thoughts about this experience, but it showed me what an otherworldly place our ocean can be.

I think this is the biggest takeaway from my time in Fiji. A newfound love for the ocean, a desire to explore more of the underwater world and an appreciation of the sea life that I never thought I would have (don't worry, I am still gonna eat fish :-) ). Yes, Fiji is literally at the other end of the world, but I am sure that one day, I will come back to explore some of the same place, but also lots of other places in the country.

Fun fact: On my second to last day, when I was planning my next steps and booked my flight to the US from Samoa (my next destination), I actually decided to extend my layover in Fiji (no direct flight from Samoa to the US) by two days to experience one more cool thing. More on that later.

With that, I can only say one more thing: "Vinaka Fiji and thank you for making me fall in love with the ocean".Read more