Footprints in Fiji

Methodically and laboriously a man smoothed the sand on a portion of beach adjacent to our resort, The Outrigger, in Sigatoka, Fiji. I felt strangely shameful to trespass across his sand canvass. As I did, my footprints looked out of place and oh so alone. Mine were the first to touch the blank slate for the day. I knew by mid-morning my footprints would be erased by masses beach combers. Thinking about footprints, I kept running out of the resort area. Very soon I encountered rocks, kelp, and shells which made the sand look littered in comparison to the man’s artfully raked expanse of beach.

Natural beauty prevailed. I liked the beach in its natural state, though running required more attention to what loomed under foot. When not looking down at the path, I gazed out over the water and noticed the ocean was free of lights and ships (this remained the case all day). In other morning runs this year I’ve appreciated the quiet of American farmlands, a few days ago I reveled in the silence of Aoraki, New Zealand and now I enjoyed the calming white noise of the Pacific Ocean. Like all our travels, Shannan and my footprints won’t be the first or the last, but thankfully they get added to the mix.

Leave foot prints. Run.

Tom