The 3 Values Of Island Life

I’m in the Cook Islands this week photographing a wedding. I love island life because it breaks me of stressful habits.

It reminds me that life is SO much easier when you practice these things:

1. Simplicity.  Outfit? Swimsuit. Shoes? Optional. Hungry? Catch a fish. Thirsty? Pick a coconut. Hot? Jump in the water. You do what you would naturally do without having expectation or other distractions. Life is easy when you keep things simple.

2.  Surrender.  I am a crazy person. The internet here is worse than 1991 dial up. The first day I was trying to send a work email. It kept failing. Frustrated, I clicked the “try again” button angrily 50 times in a row. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. At that point, I decided that I can either continue being a crazy person or surrender. It took a few days, but eventually I became comfortable with not desperately trying to respond to emails every day. Not having internet makes me realize how addicted to it I am.

3.  Trust.  If you hitchhike, anyone and everyone on the island will pick you up with a smile on their face. I can leave my camera equipment unattended. Nothing gets stolen, ever. Upon arrival I went to pick up a rental car. I asked if they needed my driver’s license. The lady handed me the keys and said, “Nah, just don’t drive it into the lagoon.” Island life reminds me how GOOD it feels to trust. Your soul thrives when you feel safe and connected to others. Isn’t this the way life should always be?

Aitutaki_Cook_Islands

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Anna Ye

    Good thinking with paddle boarding 😉

    Through a business presentation today, I was reminded of the importance of simplicity. With this in mind, happiness comes in ease 🙂

  2. Ram

    Have you visited Boracay Island here in the Philippines? Just send me an email if you want to visit this one of the best white sand beach in the world today. Btw, thank you so much for the christmas card. It made my christmas and new year celebration worthwhile. Thank you and God bless Christine.

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