It’s only a true adventure when something doesn’t go to plan…

It’s my second day here in Mauritius and we are making preparations for a potentially dangerous cyclone that should pass over or by the island this weekend. According to the locals , it isn’t unusual or a big deal in the summers to experience this, but there still is that pre-storm nervous energy in the air– everyone is rushing out to stock up on provisions.

That said, I’ve found that some of the strongest bonds in my life have been made in situations that are out of the ordinary and /or dangerous, and I think hunkering down in the candle-lit villas with a bunch of world travelers for the weekend fits that bill.

In order to prepare for the storm, I went shopping with a few others this morning before heading to the beach for some sun. It was my first time swimming In the Indian Ocean and it was incredible. The sand is pure white and the water is clear and very comfortable. I enjoyed reading and swimming at the beach for two hours before grabbing fish + chips at a food truck and then heading back to the villa.

In the evening, we all decided to go down to the beach again for sunset, despite the heavy cloud cover, but it was fun anyway! We all chatted and then grabbed dinner at a local restaurant down there. I had planned to head back to the villas after dinner but ended up staying out for a few drinks with some of the group. A few drinks turned into more and before I knew it, it was 2am. Really got to know the people I was able to go out with and, even though I’m not happy about the hangover, I’m glad for that.

Now it’s time to do some laundry and figure out the plan for this weekend.