What a week... 

Reflecting on the way back, now that we have put our shoes back on, this trip was "out of time". It was as if we had moved outside our selves, and detached completely from our daily lives. Grant wrote about taking the "slow lane" and I can relate to this one. We stayed on the road, but in a different lane than the one we usually take. The communication with the sea and nature was such that I activated different sensors in my body and experience something very different. The image of being barefoot illustrate this well, feeling freed from the mould in which we usually live in.

The connection with the boat and with the Horsfield family was very special for us. Very smooth, very simple, almost natural and extremely enjoyable. Sea angels... looking after us from spiritual mornings to delicious evenings, detouring through marine activities for kids and grown ups. Always with care, attention and inclusion, patience and adapting to us: Apple cooking and bringing succulent Asian lunches on the upper deck, Azania with her contiguous ease in the sea which uninhibited us, Alex with her creativity, her ukulele and her complicity with Sofia, Arabella's calmness and mastery on board inspiring all of us, Delphine's invisible presence and constant anticipation, and Grant with his dedication to make his crew and his guests stay safe and happy.  

The discovery of the sea and sea life was like entering a new world. A space in which one feel very small, in which one has to be very respectful and humble. A space which has so much to give to the one ready to welcome it. Above and below the waterline, we filled our heads with many wonders and magical encounters. Sofia and Karin with Dolphins, Nathalie with Sharks and myself with coral gardens... Lot of fun and accomplishments (well done Arabella and Nathalie) as well with E-foiling, knee boarding, spear fishing, wake boarding, "donut"... and enchanted memories from beaches, sand spits and sundowners together.

It was also very revealing to see how the Henrys entered this new experience. Sofia arrived not having had any English class and having not made any English sentence by herself in her life. She initially behaved more as a follower and was not particularly excited to come. The fact that she eventually shot a movie on the boat with Alex and Azania and could not stop herself talking (in English!) showed her some of the inner secrets that lie in herself, and that this experience unleashed. Not a great swimmer nor an experienced snorkeler, she intensively chased whale sharks on my side in the high sea, wow. Her best dream came true with the encounter with dolphins which gave her a deep sense of completeness. A special thanks to Azania and Alex for their patience, empathy and inspiration to get Sofia outside her comfort zone and truly enjoy this experience.

Nathalie was more excited by our adventure in the Maldives, her appetite to discover news things was driving her willingness to enjoy every moment and opportunity. The calm and determination of Arabella was the best ally to cross the bridge from land to sea, from air to water, from snow boarding to wake boarding. The quiet complicity between them was great to see, few words, but smiling faces and strong mutual respect. Nathalie's tenacity eventually paid off when she flew on the water pulled by the dinghy following the advices of Arabella, this image will stick with her (and with me) for long. Karin was the most experienced from all of us in boating, thanks to the time she spent as a kid sailing with her dad. Many years have passed though, and she had a real apprehension to get seasick, and not to be "in sync" with the rest of us. Seeing the smiles on the girls’ faces and on her husband’s face, appreciating the kindness and the soft onboarding from Delphine and Apple, feeling very safe under Grant's high professional sailing skills supervision, she progressively let her guard down and followed happily all that happened on board. The bubbles on the white sandy beaches looking at the sun setting on the horizon, with high quality company and real deep conversations, will be unforgettable for her. A few words from me to finish with: anxious, Tamara, Arabella (2x), bowline, sting ray, very special friendship, Tiger beer, dinghy, nurse shark, e-foil, sand spit, Luiggi & Mario, turtle, moray eel, weber, Meimei, Twitter, bommie, cloud egg, spier fishing, Apple, donut, sail vs drive, bare foot, dolphins and Delphine, ukulele, atoll, delicious meals, wake boarding tenacity, naked Chef.

Life on board of Arabella is a few days to adapt, the rest of your stay to fully enjoy a lifetime experience and many more days to remember! From all of us, to all of you, THANK YOU!