What Happened When I Dipped My Feet in Warm Water

A story about an island without a dock.

A story about an island without a dock.

I didn’t realize that touching those warm waters would change my life forever.

As the boat approached the island, we rolled our pants before dipping our feet in the South Pacific Ocean. “Who needs a dock in paradise?” — I remember saying to myself.

“Bula!” — The welcome ‘committee’ said “Hello,” as we were offered a ‘Salusalu’ (Fijian for flower garland). This practice is not a touristy thing but is ingrained in their traditions.

Back then, Fiji was so unspoiled that it felt unreal.

Our trip to this island resort was a last minute thing. Moira Dillon, my girlfriend and I were visiting my sister who was living in New Zealand back then. Something was telling us that we needed to go to Fiji. Soon we would find out why.

We spent our days snorkeling exploring — even more remote — islands and reefs. A local fisherman became our guide while he was catching fishes with a small harpoon.