Admittedly, I hadn’t heard of Mauritius before I found out that I would be stopping there. I wasn’t sure what to expect of this small island located east of Madagascar. As we prepared for this port, we were shown views of incredible beaches. Some might assume that looking at water would get old after living on a ship and seeing nothing but ocean for miles, days at time, but that assumption would be completely false. I was excited about sitting on the beach and doing absolutely nothing.
A group of us left the ship and took a cab from Port Louis to Flic en Flac, a beach village on the west coast of Mauritius. As soon as the cab turned off the road we faced a stunning white-sand beach. It was inspiringly beautiful.
We split up for breakfast. I had a freshly baked pastry that was stuffed with coconut. It actually reminded me of an almond croissant—which I love—so I was pleased. Following breakfast I spent some time taking in one of the most relaxing and beautiful scenes. As I watched and listened to waves gently rolling onto the shore, I couldn’t help but feel extremely grateful. I actually asked what I’d done to be so blessed. I could breath unassisted. I could see the contrast of blues from different depths of the ocean. I could smell the light scent of local eateries in the air. I could feel the breeze on my face. I could hear gentle waves of water. It was one of those moments that transcends time and will remain with me long after the day ends.
I didn’t see much of Mauritius since we were limited to one day, but it reminded me to be grateful. As I sat on that beach I thought about how far I’ve come. I thought about the times when life was less than kind. I thought about the years when I didn’t know if I had enough in me to do more than simply exist. As heartbroken as I was then it doesn’t compare to the peace I felt. I am grateful for such an impressive and beautiful reminder of the power of gratitude. Next stop, India!
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