Thoughts About Paradise, and More Diving In Bunaken, Indonesia

Thoughts About Paradise, and Diving In Bunaken, Indonesia

After a few days of drift diving in Bunaken, I feel like I am flying, even when I am on land.
The sensation of being carried away by the strong current without resisting it is actually very pleasant.

Whenever I sit quietly to read or lay down to close my eyes, the sensation of drifting in the currents is with me still.

I guess that if I were trying to resist it, I would be struggling and feeling a bit seasick.
But because I simply go with the feeling, it is quite soothing, like the movement of being rocked gently in a crib.

Whenever I can, be it under water while diving, while walking or just sitting around, I feel safe and comforted, amid the pure, sweet, nurturing energies of the Divine all around me....

As I rise up from my rest, I walk around feeling extremely grateful.
I look at everyone and everything with so much love, but I am sure they do not sense it.
Each person lives in his or her own world, seeing only what they wish to see and what they believe to be true.

Paradise truly is an inner environment.
It is not a place on earth.

Here in Indonesia, it is easy to imagine on the surface that life here is paradise, but one can clearly see the problems that come with living on a remote island with little or no services.

An old documentary that I once saw comes to mind.
It was the true story of a group of European people who had settled on a remote island, hoping to recreate paradise.
All of them had good life skills; they knew how to raise vegetables, they’d brought domestic animals, and settled in houses they built from local wood.

During the twenty years they lived there, some brought children into the world.
All of them grew grumpy and antisocial.
One of them was murdered, along with a visiting sailor.
Since there were no other people on the island, the unofficial blame was placed on one of the men.

Instead of helping one another, they fought with one another constantly, stole food from each other and fought over fresh water.
One by one they died, disillusioned and angry.
The last one left the island and returned to Europe as an old man with a sobering understanding that there is no earthly paradise.

Some tell me that Jules and I live in Paradise, being able to travel the world and have so many adventures.
Anyone who actually travels a great deal would not agree that traveling is paradise.

This morning we woke up and there was no fresh water in the resort.
We were lucky today, but at times the weather is stormy and major typhoons strike these islands.

Yes, there are ways to minimize the aggravations and, like a wave, you can let them wash over you.
And it is true that when you have this skill, everything works out perfectly, even if it takes a little bit of time.

A traveler must leave behind all the comforts of home and learn to be comfortable within oneself.

I believe that if we allow it, the challenges of long term traveling can really help us shape our personalities for the better.

Personally, I wish to become more adaptable, flexible, open minded, joyful and, like a kid, to be comfortable in all circumstances.

When things do not work our perfectly, I want to laugh about it all.

With laughter and joy, I send you blue light,
Tali