since we can’t travel, let’s talk about traveling.   New Caledonia is part of France and is located in the southwest Pacific Ocean right above Australia.  there is a lagoon that has a total area of 24,000 square kilometres (9,300 sq mi), which makes it one of the largest lagoons in the world.  a very long time ago, we chartered that catamaran, hired that captain Eric, loaded up with food, and sailed around that huge lagoon fishing, diving, and looking for waves.

one morning, we sailed outside the reef so we couldn’t see how the waves were breaking.  the only way was to jump in and find out.  i remember being the first one in, and not knowing how big it was, how shallow it was, or how the wave even breaks, i paddled to the peak and this was my very first wave.  i will never forget looking out of that huge barrel into John Callahan’s lens pointed right at me.  until then, nobody knew there were even waves in New Caledonia.  after that, New Caledonia was on the world surf map and thousands of surfers flocked there since.  i would love to go back again because the fishing and diving is probably the best in the world!  and yeah, the surf is ok.  haha…