1 month in to our 3 month staycation in Paradise – living the dream

So here we are—one month into our grand adventure of spending three months in one country each year for the next ten years. Ambitious? Absolutely. Mad? Quite possibly. Fun? Definitely.

Tahiti has been everything we imagined and more. Yes, it’s technically winter here, but honestly, if this is winter, then someone seriously needs to rebrand our Aussie summers. It’s a blissful 27 degrees during the day—blue skies, sunshine, and just enough humidity to give your hair a personality. Nights are 26 degrees, balmy and mozzie-light, which means we can sip wine on the villa balcony without performing interpretive dance moves to swat the bugs.

Can’t believe how quickly a month has flown by. We’re starting to feel like locals now—well, we look a little more like them too. A touch darker in skin tone… and slightly rounder in shape. (No offence, lovely locals—you wear it better.)

The Tahitians? Genuinely the kindest, most beautiful people you’ll meet. Always smiling, always helping, always greeting you with a warm ‘Iorana!’ Even the homeless folk are friendlier than most people in the car park at Woolies. A couple of times we’ve passed along leftovers from dinner, and they’ve been genuinely grateful. Back home, they’d probably just throw the food at you and ask if you’ve got a card machine for cash.

Our daily walk has crept up from 3km to 4km—we’re building resilience to the hills and humidity (or we’re just trying to justify our baguette consumption). Speaking of which, the patisseries are dangerously good. I’ve discovered the world’s best chocolate éclair—filled not with boring old cream, but with silky chocolate mousse. And don’t even get me started on the magical round pastries that look like croissants went to a fancy French ball and came back covered in toffee. STOP. IT.

Now, you might be wondering how the “clean, healthy living and losing 5kg” mission is going? Still on track. Technically. We’re intermittent fasting (if you ignore the wine), walking daily, and somehow managing to balance the equation of champagne and sweat. Could we be thinner? Sure. Would we be happier? Probably not. Beer and baguettes are our love language.

On the work front, I’ve surprisingly found a groove. Turns out when you’re not stuck in a chair from 9 to 5, you actually get more done. I’ve made some tough calls, had space to think big, and I’m grateful every day for the team holding things down back home. Thanks to Zoom, WhatsApp, and the 4,000 charger cords we brought, I’m still in the loop—just with a better view.

Our days are jam-packed—Rowdy hits the golf course, we walk, swim, eat, work, and repeat. I even packed my pencils and paints to keep my creative soul entertained. I’ve been dabbling beyond the pottery wheel, and while it’s fun, let’s just say you won’t be receiving a “Suz Original” under the Christmas tree. Crisis averted.

Grocery shopping is now a daily activity, which would normally make me groan, but here it’s like a culinary treasure hunt. Plus, the wine aisle is all French. We haven’t met a bad bottle yet, and frankly, I’m concerned about the emotional damage that will happen when we go home and have to drink… not French wine.

So yes, we’re loving life as pseudo-locals—minus the language skills and plus the SPF 50. The only thing missing is family and our two puppy dogs.

They better be missing us too.

What have you enjoyed about our first month of travel blogging in paradise?