To Hawaii and back. Karla Weller

Finally, Bianca was somehow able to convince Roland to go golfing, but only under the condition that she drove him to the golf course and picked him up three hours later. This made no sense at all, since we had said we would stay at the apartment and therefore didn’t need the car. Roland’s request meant four completely superfluous trips for Bianca, leaving her only one hour of the three for herself and the other two hours would be spent in the car. But the man of the house didn’t care about logic.

      While Bianca took her first chauffeur trip, I set up the laptop and logged on for the radio show. Ultimately, we were able to enjoy sixty relaxing minutes with Doreen and it didn’t surprise me at all that today’s topic was on human relations. In prayer and meditation we were given the opportunity to release any and all toxic bonds. We needed it badly.

      That afternoon, we finally managed to drive to the beach together. We found a heavenly spot with deck chairs and shady trees. The ocean was calm, only few smaller waves breaking on the shore. Ideal conditions for swimming and snorkeling. There was a paddle boat rental place nearby that also offered paddleboards and I swore to myself that I wasn’t going home until I had stood upright on one of those boards!

      First, we put on our snorkeling masks and got in the wonderfully warm water. I was pleasantly surprised by the soft ocean floor with a lot of sand, only a few rocks and tons of marine life to marvel at. It was the first time Max had ever swum in the ocean and he was clearly enjoying the new experience. Bianca snorkeled like a pro and never got tired of discovering new flora and fauna. Completely relaxed, she floated just under the surface of the water and gestured happily. Quite in contrast to me. My mask didn’t sit right and suddenly water instead of oxygen ran into the snorkel, and in my amateurish attempts to avoid drowning, I had frightened and driven away most of the marine life. I tried to get a grip on a rock under water so I could stand and take off the diving mask. But I slipped, tore the mask down and tore out my earring, too. Huffing and puffing, I kept trying to breathe while Bianca floated calmly and happily in the water beside me. She seemed completely detached from the world around her.