My Island Home: Moving to Catalina Island

I’ve had three, approaching 4 sleepless days. I am exhausted. However I need to write. So much has happened in the last few days that I feel it vital I share it before life goes on and these moments become merely my own incredible memories. I ended up my stay in Merlin’s Perch on a high. The two new wwoofers who arrived as I left were incredible and I felt a really strong, deep bond with them. I also enjoyed spending time with Lloyd alone and getting to know him more too. I feel like Merlin’s Perch is my home away from home and Lloyd became part of my ‘international family’. You know, those people you come across in life that make an impact on you in some way or another. I was also very fortunate to spend a lot of really meaningful time with Diogenes in the last week as well. Love & gratitude are flowing. I cried for an hour or so to myself in bed after we separated for yet another long-distant stint. My tears were completely one of raw love and deep gratitude though. They also represented the gratitude I felt not just for Di, but for everyone in my life and family and all the experiences I’ve had up until that moment. My time at Merlin’s Perch came to an end, knowing full well that I’ll be back one day soon.

My amazing friend and old housemate Mia drove me down to LA, cruising Hwy 1 to SoCal (Southern California) has a completely different vibe… I like it! Palm trees, people about everywhere on the streets, the summery vibe (despite being the middle of winter) is innate here. I stayed on a Tall Ship in Long Beach over night and caught the 6am ferry over the island in the morning. We were greeted with huggingly warm sun and a pod of dolphins. Fox Landing is the base where I will be living and it is only accessible by boat. It didn’t take us long to get our dive gear on and hit the ice… I mean water. Same thing here. It was freeeezing. We snorkeled and oriented ourselves around the bay. After, we enjoyed a three hour hike around the canyon. Later, we sat on the roof of the instructor accommodation and told stories and learnt about constellations. Aside from the WOW-factor of how amazing this place is, and how incredible everything we have done is, the people, the set-up and the program are pretty damn good too. We exchanged many laughs, ate delicious healthy food (a nori soup for example!), sang along to the guitar and just got to know each other. I am lying in bed, desperate to close my eyes and finally sink into my pillow. But my excitement was too great and I just had to quickly write something about my first day on the island. I am just STOKED to be here.

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This morning we woke up at sunrise and swam/drove a boat along with over 100 dolphins who were so inquisitive and played around the bow of the boat. We then went on an incredible 3 hour kayak. The water was so clear you could see 30ft below; it had the texture of silk. And we got paid for it… This is the life!