Photo by fellow whale watcher Tim Kohsman.
I spent the last days of 2014 and the first of this new year on the island of Maui, with my husband, daughter, my husband’s parents, his sister, her husband and their two girls. Extended multi-generational vacations can be perilous, but this particular one was set in paradise, and we had the wisdom to spend a few hours on a boat with the naturalists of the Pacific Whale Foundation, experiencing first hand the wonder of the humpback whale.
I didn’t take the picture above, because I was too busy gasping for air and being blown away by just how incredibly huge and powerful and graceful and majestic these creatures are- this one breached about 10 feet away from our boat- but luckily a fellow passenger had the presence of mind to capture it on film (or disc as the case may be).
We also listened to their ethereal songs when a crew member lowered a mic into the sea (you can listen to some here) and felt suddenly like a very small and largely ignorant part of a large and mysterious world. Like we were somewhat-tolerated guests in somebody else’s home.
That feeling of wonder is part of what I am hoping to nurture as this year matures, because it is that openness that allows us all to really be a part of the world we live in and motivates us to find ways to make it a better place.
So here’s to keeping our eyes open, to checking out the uncharted territories, both in our backyards and on the other side of the globe, and to remembering what an incredible magical place we all get to inhabit.
Happy New Year everybody!
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