Meet Amelia Marjory
As featured @ Manakai Swimwear
Photo credit: Landon Smith
We pulled up to the Lahaina loading dock just after dawn, casting lines from the starboard side of s/v Wild Thing to the same weathered pilings that pirates and Polynesian princesses and pedestrians have relied on for over 100 years.
At the time, I was more pedestrian than pirate. And, as I stood before a group of quintessential queens, I felt far from of any regal archetype, even that of a princess.
One by one, the women stepped from the loading dock to the stern of the catamaran. They were adorned with lovely hats that shaded their perceptive eyes, flowing pareos, and jewels that dripped from their sun-kissed skin. And they came bearing baskets of produce and flowers and sacred offerings, which I delicately helped transfer aboard.
Despite the dazzling array of forms, the ambiance was peaceful. The air crisp, the sun soft, the seas serene— all elements divinely converging for a ceremonial Manakai day sail.
As crew aboard the s/v Wild Thing, I kept a respectful distance from our guests. However, this divide was soon dissolved by a deeper exchange, a gift of being seen for something I was yet to see in myself…
Within an hour of casting off and hoisting the sails, I was called up to the foredeck. Expecting to lend a helping hand, I was instead met by an embrace. Before me was a circle of sisters with a single seat left open. All women aboard were welcome, including Captain Kerstin and myself. Within that circle, I met, for the first time, the collective manifestation— the essence— of Manakai.
While I was yet to comprehend the significance of that day, it now stands out as a pivotal point in my journey. Recalling those moments literally brings tears to my eyes. Like a droplet of water upon the still waters of a misty dawn, that day sent a ripple of resonance through my being. Silently, softly, serendipitously, the energy of Manakai awakened within me… summoning forth my mana (life force) and sanctifying my relationship with kai (the ocean, the sea, the wise waters of the world).
Since that day (a mere seven months ago) I’ve sailed over 8000 nautical miles, traversed three blue water passages, surfed waves that pushed me over the falls of my comfort zone, spent breathtaking minutes diving into the surreal South Pacific seas, and sipped ancient earthen memories from florescent glaciers along Alaska’s coastal wilderness.
I’ve communed with coral and been carried by countless currents. I’ve counted my blessings, tide-by-tide. I’ve found my infinitely-fluctuating flow.
Since that day, I’ve resurrected my inner-pirate, I’ve incarnated the kind of queen that wears a wildflower garland for a crown, I’ve relinquished my self-limiting, pedestrian ways.
In stride, I’ve united with Manakai. Now, adorned with a uniform that befits my unbridled elemental existence, I get to explore the inspiring seascapes… and, whether serendipitously or divinely, I get to be a voice for the wisdoms that flow forth from the life source (the mana of kai) that connects us all.
Mahalo, Kelley, for onboarding me as a writer for Manakai Swimwear. It’s an absolute honor to collaborate with you, to coalesce, to contribute my gifts to a cause that stretches far beyond the surface of what we see.
