"The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.” ― Joseph Campbell

I spontaneously decide to go to Flores about a week before we actually leave. I know very little about the island except of course that its home to the infamous Komodo dragon. I conduct approximately 18.5 minutes of online research during the baby’s naptime and deduce that it is in fact the place for us.

Today is my birthday. I’m 39 and I’m in Vava’u, a beautiful group of islands to the north of Tonga and I’m a little shitting-myself because today I plan to go swimming with whales. Like in the middle of the ocean.