“I am a water sign through and through and am drawn to being close to it, to painting it, to being in it. It’s a bit ironic that I am currently living in Beijing, which is a very dry inland city, but I digress…
One of my most memorable days at the beach took place on a little island called Gili Meno, situated right next to the much larger island of Lombok in Indonesia. It’s the kind of island I would imagine was similar to the one Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked on, with a few more comforts ;).
No motorized vehicles are permitted, just donkey-powered carts and one can walk the perimeter of the island in about an hour. Take in the sunrise against the silhouette of Mount Rinjani and then at the end of the day, make your way to the western side of the island and watch it set behind Mount Agung. Basically, it’s heaven on earth.
On this particular afternoon, a friendly local man directed us to a spot known for its coral reef so we put on some snorkeling gear and jumped into the turquoise ocean waters. We swam out to the edge of the reef and followed alongside the slope. No one was out there. It was just us and the great expanse of blue. I was a bit timid to swim directly above the dark abyss so I kept close to the reef’s edge…
The colors of the coral and the shimmering schools of fish in the diffused sunlight was overwhelmingly beautiful. I spotted an iridescent jellyfish, then another, and another and we dodged them like a couple of playful sea lions in the current. We considered turning back to shore but all of a sudden, a sea turtle swam right by us, checking us out in the corner of his eye. Another sea turtle appeared on the other side of us and we both realized, “They’re feeding on the jellyfish!” We saw many more turtles during that swim, eating to their hearts content…
It was a magical experience: to witness these creatures in their natural habitat who welcomed us into their space. I was filled with a sense of childlike wonder. It’s nature-inspired moments like these that open the door to an authentic part of myself, reminding me to stay open, playful and curious.”
– Aimee Zvinakis AKA @aimee__Z
010/100 of #100Daysof Confessions Instagram Project