Always Looking Up: Part I: Our "Honeymoon" in Tahiti!

Pre-Cruise
Several years ago Austin and I started saving up for our 10 year anniversary trip. We wanted to do something special and memorable. My dad was one of my biggest “motivator” to do something special. He reminds me that life is short and we need to take the time to do things we want to do when we are young and healthy. And travelling is definitely something I truly love!
So, this year we started dreaming of places we wanted to go. We talked about Europe (mainly Italy or Greece) or Tahiti (because I have heard it is one of the most “beautiful places on Earth”). After much thought, I felt like a relaxing beach vacation sounded better in this phase of life (with 3 little ones). So, we found a last minute “deal”( I put deal in quotes because I thought it was still REALLY expensive….but it was a significant break on the price for a trip to Tahiti) on a cruise that would travel through several islands in the French Polynesians for 7 days. We booked our in April and paid for the cheapest rooms on the cruise but a month later received all of our paperwork and found out we got upgraded 2 “levels” to a balcony. We were so excited and felt very blessed!
We had a scare before we left…there was a local strike at the Tahiti airport. So all flights were cancelled 9 days before we left and the strike continued until 4 days before our flight to Tahiti! Whew….we were so glad that everything worked out…especially since we didn’t get travelers insurance! Well, this scare made us appreciate our trip even more!:)
We landed in Papeete, Tahiti on Saturday late afternoon and went straight to the ship. It was beautiful. We were welcomed with champagne and fresh flowers in our room. The room was beautiful (and you can’t say that about most cruise ships). I LOVED the balcony and was thankful each day that we were upgraded! We explored the ship, ate a wonderful dinner and then enjoyed music outside for the rest of the night.
Day 1: Raitatea
We were docked on Raiatea on Sunday morning….but unfortunately, it rained all day. I found it ironic that Raiatea means “bright sky”. I have to say I was okay with the rain because we were tired from the long flight so we took this as a day to rest and enjoy the boat. We had a special program in the afternoon called “Children of Raiatea” that was such a highlight of the trip. The children were so adorable and boy could they dance. The best part of the show was when they introduced the youngest dancer. It was his debut! He was only 18 months (the same age as Jack). He was so adorable and didn’t dance a single step….he walked and did his own thing. After his “dance” with 2 beautiful little girls, they announced “well, he dances, when he wants to dance”. Isn’t that the life of an 18 month old? I could relate to that. Well, I took some of my favorite pictures at this show. One thing I have to note is that the food on the ship was amazing. One thing that was nice about the cruise was that all drinks are all inclusive. So, we were able to enjoy some fun tropical drinks. I, especially enjoyed the fresh seafood. I had oysters for appetizer and tried Moon Fish for the first time. It was SO delicious. I loved the flavor of the moon fish and would love to eat it again….but somehow I don’t think I will find it in Indiana!:) We enjoyed an evening show with the Polynesian Dancers onboard. In my mind, I’d like to think that I could dance like these dancers….but let’s be honest., my hips could never move like these girls!:) The dancing is beautiful and I really enjoyed watching it. Here are our pictures from the first 2 days (Warning: I couldn't narrow the pictures down. so, these blog posts will be picture heavy.)

Day 2: Taha'a

In the morning Austin and I were able to have a video conference with the kids! It was so nice to see the kids faces and hear their voices. It was music to my ears. I enjoyed seeing them so happy and goofy...especially Jack who kept blowing kisses to us and smiling. I loved it. IT was the perfect way to start the Monday morning. After our phone call, Austin and I went upstairs and found a private balcony area. We took a picture and while we were sailing saw dolphins diving below! It was so amazing to see them when we least expected it! We anchored at Taha'a, a small island with only 4,470 residents. Apparently, the island was center for fire walking ceremonies (yikes) but today, they are a rare occurrence. I found that interesting. We ate breakfast outside and looked up to the most beautiful rainbow above(picture below....although the picture doesn't do the rainbow justice)! Everything about this morning was absolutely beautiful!!

We had access to Motu Mahana, a private islet in the afternoon. The beach was beautiful and it included a grill buffet lunch and a floating bar on the beach! The best part of this day was the lunch! They had fresh Marlin shish kabobs to die for. I kept going back for more!

Austin and I went snorkeling and went kayaking for a while but the day was cut short in the late afternoon when a rain shower sprinkled through.