PACIFIC DRIFT Part 1 in Tahiti with Malia Murphey + Brooklyn Dombroski

Words by Malia Murphey…

From one part of the Pacific to the next, 1 flight a week, 7 days. I was feeling the urge to disconnect from the world and Tahiti has a way of allowing you to do that, I can’t quite explain how or why. It’s so different from Home and in certain ways similar. Being there makes you look at life in a new light, reminding you why life is so beautiful, the simpleness, the realness, the culture, the people, the vibe. It reminds you who you are in a sense and why we are here, forcing you to take a step back and appreciate all that you have in your life. For some reason, this slice of paradise has that effect on me. Tahiti Market is one of my favorite places, filled with locally made goods, fresh fish, farmed goods, restaurants, pearls, leis, flowers, it has everything, I wish Hawaii had something like it.

Time is an illusion on Moorea, a week feels like 2 weeks, especially when you spend every waking moment in those waters. Submerged beneath the transparent electric blue water is a feeling I cannot put into words. The sun rays turning my skin 50 shades of brown, the ocean floor covered in sea veins. The sharks and rays allowing me to feel connected to something greater, I could spend all day in the water with them, if only my body would let me… Salty skin, rosy cheeks, and sandy feet. Fresh flowers, fresh coconuts from fruit stands on the side of the road. Drinking Rotuis down the 2 lane highways, people watching, dazing into the horizon, taking in the lush beauty of these islands, so green and so alive. Eating freshly made baguettes and croissants every morning, iced coffees, cold rombutons, poission cru and fresh fish every night, and never getting sick of it. My heart holds a special place for French Polynesia, I’m lucky enough to call the Pacific Ocean my home, born and raised in this water, it’s only fitting we get lost and explore, dive in with us as I take you around two of my favorite islands, Tahiti and Moorea…Pacific Drift, Part 1.

Photos by Brooklyn Dombroski