Settling In

THE TUAMOTUS DIARIES #5, DAY 11

A strong Low passed to the south of us, a Cold Front passed just above us last night, and the wind has been blowing. As much and from where I expected. I’m starting to get this.
Gosh, it’s hard to believe Wednesday is nearly over already. Soon it will be a week that Adriana left.
For some time now, we won’t have any schedules. We will stay here, watch the weather closely, keeping ourselves safe, and enjoy this beauty of an anchorage that we are at. Life has been settling in, with our long breakfasts early in the morning, followed by homeschooling, a boat “project”, lunch, snorkeling or playing on the beach in the afternoon, then a movie, and off we go to bed.
The great irony of all, though, has been – again – the weather. We are at a fantastically beautiful place. Super-clear water, white sandy beach lined with palm trees, and a long reef full with live coral and marine life which partially surrounds and protects us. But calm, sunny days have been a rarity, and it is always windy, and often cloudy and rainy as well. People who have been to the Tuamotus before say it doesn’t use to be like this always, implying it must be an impact of the intense El Niño that took place earlier this year.
But you know what? It doesn’t matter much. Even with the weather not being ideal, it is so great to BE here. It is a powerful feeling to know we are here, so far, on our own, right where we wanted to be. It is also cool to watch our lives settling in an already known domestic routine even though we are in such a place. Every morning, the kids come wake me up just before sunrise. I watch the sun come up from behind the palm trees while preparing breakfast, then we chat, make plans for the day, gear up for homeschooling, and off we go.
I get the sense Paulo and Raquel are having a good time as well.
As I write this, I am sitting on deck, watching the last colors of the sunset on the sky, and the headlights of the kids playing on the beach together with our friends from sv Nogal. Soon they will be back, we will watch a movie, there’ll be popcorn, and we will then go to bed.
And so life goes in Makemo.
Have a good night !