Bonjour

So I have officially and finally arrived in Tahiti. Basically the traveling experience to Tahiti from LA had me antsy and anxious and down right impatient the whole time, but thanks to my inadequate French and a super speedy taxi driver, I made it to the Gump Station in a enough time to make the day trip to the motus!! Literally within 2 hours of landing in Tahiti, I was snorkeling in the crystal turquoise waters. Apparently, my arrival on Wednesday was crucial because that was the most exciting day and they day that they actually saw marine life in the water...I guess everything DOES happen for a reason.  Anyways, I really wasnt expecting what I would see below the water's surface. I, like many other unknowning tourists (yet I did know some facts but just not the severity of the situation), envisioned a colorful benthos with lots of beautifully covered fish EVERYWHERE.  This is not the case.  FYI people, we are killing the ocean.  Coral was mostly covered in sediment, which was most likely brought from the cyclone a month ago or anthropogenic terrigenous input.  I did see a decent variety of fish but nothing like pictures or what one would expect.  My favorite was the Moorish Idol...saw two.  Their colors and they way they just kind of float neutrally buoyant in the water column is so cool (ref. Gill in Finding Nemo).  After snorkeling around the forereef and the motu, I was exhausted. We were swimming against some pretty outrageous currents.  Our quest to swim around the motu was more of a race.  We tried to go as fast as possible because we thought we were racing against the clock to return at a certain time...we werent.  All of the girls and our professor laid basking in the shallow water, conversing about really cool topics...you know, angiosperms, cyanobacteria, reef formation...typical girl talk.  It was absolutely heavenly and just what I needed after a long stressful day both mentally and physically.  On our return trip back to Gump, we stopped at this area that seemed like the middle of nowhere and jumped into the water with at least a dozen sting rays.  They were just swimming right up to us and around us.  I touched several of them...two fingers only of course.  Let me tell you, these werent aquarium sized sting rays either.  I'm talking massive!! Like the surface area of four baseball home plates.  It was magical.  I literally passed out once I showered.  Like slept through dinner and woke up at 9:30 starving. Luckily, Tim made me a plate and stuck it in the fridge...such a good buddy.  Then back to sleep and woke up this morning at the crack of dawn to French baguettes and nutella.  My favorite part of yesterday was definitely getting on the boat on the way to the motus and sitting on the edge feeling the breeze in my hair and looking at the island of Mo'orea and at the water in pure happiness.  Nick was sitting behind me and whispering all the details of topography and such that I had missed out on.  I just got the biggest feeling of relief and happiness and that I am the luckiest girl in the world.  After all the stress of getting there, I was in the French Polynesia with only the prospect of research, sunburns, laughs, and hardwork ahead. Just the way I like it :)  Everything happens for a reason.  Those few extra days I was without a passport allowed me to spend time with my dad and laugh while watching Austin Powers, with my sister prom dress shopping, and with mom just being us.  I would never give that up now.

I must go and get lunch...probably baguettes and pineapple haha.  We collected Galaxora algae in Cook's Bay all morning and made cages for our class group project (different from our individual/group project) that we are working on for the next week !