1. Be careful where you hang your sarong. Otherwise you just might find yourself chasing it down the beach flashlight in hand at 2 AM.

2. Study the hermit crabs. They are fascinating. Of course, the best time for this is 2am flashlight in hand.

3. You can always get more people on the boat than you think. Really.

4. When watching the sunset try to view what’s really happening. Imagine rolling back on the earth instead of seeing the sun sink. It is we that are moving. Not the sun.

 5. Have sand stuck to some part of your body at all times. This won’t be hard.

6. Let the waves rock you. No one else will ever do a better job.

7. Let a hammock hold you. Let go.

 8. Let yourself be intoxicated by the place that you are in. Don’t worry it happens to everybody.

9. Don’t sleep anywhere where the waves won’t sing you to sleep.

 10. Realize that nothing is yours and that some type of creature will usually invade everything that you have at some point.

 11. Remember ths rule especially when drinking water that you have left overnight by the side of the bed. When the water tastes funny and your tongue starts burning maybe try looking at the bottle before taking 2 more gulps. Having ants bite your tongue is not a pleasant thing.

 12. There is no such thing as too much sun especially when you’re from Portland, OR.

 13. Man really can live by banana pancakes alone. Well that and blended watermelon, ice, and salt.

 14. Realize that to see the awe inspiring things in this world like Nemo (he’s doing fine by the way), reef sharks and moray eels, and to have 3 of the cutest little fish nuzzle against you and follow you around in the water all day, you may have to get stung by a few jellyfish. Well, OK, a lot of jellyfish even on your earlobes but it’s pointless to try and avoid them. They are the size of mosquitoes and you can’t see them. Sometimes in life, to get to the good stuff you just have to get stung.

 15. Never stalk a moray eel. He will eventually turn around and show you that he has more teeth than you and they are sharper. Then he will start swimming towards you. At this point the thing to do is swim for your life and ignore the fact that your heart is about to come out of your chest and land on the beach with a thud.

 16. Know when to get the hell outta da water…

 17. Become the island. Wear coconut oil in your hair, spray the fragrance of the flowers on your skin, eat the fruits, taste the salt, laugh at the moon. Kayak it’s coves. Only than can you see it’s flying fish, it’s birds. Submerge yourself in it’s depths. Lie on it’s shores.

 18. Don’t be afraid to tell someone how they have touched you or that you simply enjoy them. Telling them that you have made their day simply because they were in it may just be the thing they need to hear. They may just be on an island a little far from home, wondering if anyone misses them. You will make them happy that they matter to someone.

 19. It’s Ok to be sad the night before you leave for two opposite reasons: one because you are starting to miss the people back home and two because you can’t bear to leave.