Day 6: Dolphin Day

I awoke very early this morning to get ready for our dolphin excursion. I was feeling like I didn’t do well enough a job of staving off my impending illness… oh let’s keep it real; I felt like shit. And I was a little freaked out by the prospect of swimming in the freezing cold waters (at least at this time of year) of South Australia where Great White sharks are known to inhabit. But nothing was going to stop me from having my dolphin experience; I’ve been waiting to swim with the dolphins for years. It feels like their delightful little spirits have been beckoning me to come and play with them ever since I knew what a dolphin was. I have yet to see them up close, let alone have a swim with them in their element, so naturally my excitement overruled my excruciation.

I took another handful of herbs and got a coffee from downstairs on our way to catch the cab that would take us down to the harbor outside of town. We were running late (not because of my coffee, thank you) and rushing to catch a cab to take us down to the harbor in Glenelg approximately 20 minutes away. I was ready to ask for a paper bag to hyperventilate in because I was so afraid of missing the dolphins! Wouldn’t you know it? The taxi driver had no idea where he was going; what cab driver doesn’t know his way around?! The one we chose, obviously.

“Call the sailing company and tell them we are running late,” I said to Keevin.

“No, we will get there in time. I don’t like calling unless I know for sure I’m going to be late,” he replied.

“Are you CRAZY?! The boat leaves in 20 minutes, we are supposed to be there 20 minutes ahead of departure, and we are a good 10 minutes away… we are late, CALL THEM,” I said.

He didn’t call them (ugh, men). We finally got to the harbor and could see the boat we were supposed to catch was still docked (thanks, God) but it was a long walk from where we were. I wasn’t going to wait for Keevin to handle it anymore so I grabbed the phone and called them myself. The phone rang a few times.

“Temptation Sailing, how may I help you?”

I vomited the words in a flurry of nervous excitement mixed with a dash of poorly disguised annoyance at the whole situation.

“Hi, this is Jaena Moynihan and we are supposed to be on the boat that’s leaving soon and we are late but we are here and the taxi driver didn’t know where he was going and I can see your boat but I don’t know how to get to it and I want to see dolphins; pleasedontleavewithoutus!”

“I’m sorry, ma’am we tried to call you earlier. Didn’t you get our message?” he asked.

“What message?” Trepidation mingled with relief; perhaps they bumped the time back? It was pretty windy after all.

“We had to cancel the sail due to the weather. We tried to get in touch with you but weren’t able to. We do have another sail tomorrow that you could take and it looks like the weather will be shaping up. Would you like us to put you on that one?”

Moisture glazed my eyes and tears began to well in them. Crestfallen, I said, “No that’s ok. We are leaving Adelaide tomorrow and won’t be able to reschedule. No worries; please just refund our deposit. Thanks.”

He could hear the disappointment in my voice and tried to offer a few pointless solutions for things we could do in Glenelg as to make our trip down there something less than a total bust. I just hung up. I wasn’t going to meet the dolphins. Again. Shit. Images of them water-dancing began to swim through my mind and a bitter anger began to replace the disappointing sadness currently in occupancy. How could it be that yet again, I wasn’t going to meet the dolphins? They’ve been calling to me my whole life but is it just a farce? Like one of those things you’re supposed to just want but never have? Is it the Universe’s way of taunting “Nah-nah-ne-boo-boo”?

A voice spoke in my mind.

“It’s just not the time, Jaena. The right time will present itself and you will encounter your dolphin friends in the future but not now. Your vibration is currently being shifted in ways other than what the dolphins can help with so just accept it. Look to things as they are rather than how you wish they were. All things happen, as they should and in Divine Right Order; you know this. Waste your energy not on resentment; focus it on acceptance instead. All is well.”

I agreed with the Voice; the same voice that has guided me ever since I was a child. Some call it the Voice of Reason, or the Inner Voice but I think it’s the Voice of Spirit. It always rings true and is always lovingly detached from any outcome for it seems to know that the High Will is going to be brought forth no matter what. I like to ask myself, “Is this My Will or the High Will?” in times of emotional stress; I find it helps me let go of my control-ridden agenda and simply surrender to Spirit (which is essential for me to do what I do). So that’s what I did; I let go. I wasn’t going to meet the dolphins and it still sucks, but it is what it is for a reason so… ok. Deep breath… and we’re back. But I had something left to say to that Voice.

“Oh, one last thing, Spirit… since I don’t get to meet the dolphins right now I trust that you are going keep me healthy and well for the remainder of my time in Australia? I am going to dive on the Great Barrier Reef and have a fabulous, meaningful, experience for the rest of my time here without health or environmental-related complications arising to steal any more of my thunder, right? I mean, you gotta give me this, yes? You didn’t bring me here just to write about getting sick and bitching to my readers about it, did you?”

Normally, I don’t get an answer to these questions. I usually just get this feeling of someone looking at me with their eyebrows raised like they’re telling me that I know better than to project my personal agenda to the Universe; that I should trust I’ll end up where I need to be and that I’ll find the medicine I need in that moment. But dammit, I need a little more than that right now and I guess Spirit thought so too.

“Yes; you will remain in good physical health and there will be no further interruption to your itinerary. You’ve learned what you needed from this; enjoy the upcoming surprises.”

I trusted the words at once and breathed in relief knowing without doubt that I am going to get better and still be able to scuba dive, which you just can’t do if you’re sick. Total silence filled my mind and I knew the transmission had ended. I know better than to push for more when I feel that kind of silence; there’s a finality to it that dares you to break it at your own risk. We hopped on the train back to Adelaide and spent the rest of the day doing laundry, re-packing for the 2nd half of our Australian excursion, and just resting. Honestly, I felt grateful for the day of repose from our busy travel schedule, once I got over the dolphin disappointment that is. We had lunch at Bliss Café again where I got some more of that outrageous medicinal tea. Later, we went to the market, cooked dinner in the apartment, and headed to bed early so we can be fresh for another day of travel to Cairns in Queensland.

I understand that my reason for coming to Adelaide was to nurture myself and listen to what my body is telling me and to accept things as they are (including myself) rather than how I wish they were. I’m halfway through my time in Australia and I’ve already had some breakthroughs. It makes my mind reel to think about “the surprises” yet to come so I’ll just stay in the moment for now, secure in the truth that they’ll benefit me in whatever way I need.