Three days ago I was in Bali. Today I'm floating off the Big Island of Hawaii with twenty pilot whales gliding past me. None of this happens without sobriety.
Three days ago I was in Bali, Indonesia. Today I'm floating in the Pacific off the Big Island of Hawaii, watching over twenty pilot whales glide past me in water so blue you would think it was AI.
These are the kinds of things you don't always plan for. These are the things that happen when you show up long enough, stay sober long enough, and try hard enough to just be a decent person, and see where the road to recovery leads you.
I've been coming to Hawaii for years. The Big Island is my second home when I'm not in Bali. And every time I come back, the relationships I've built here remind me of something I couldn't see in early sobriety. Life gets bigger when you stop shrinking it.
The Ocean Doesn't Care About Your Resume
Today's adventure with Kaimana Ocean Safari is just a small reminder of the beauty of friendship and consistency and connection that lasts over the course of many years. It's a crew I've gotten to know simply by showing up accidentally and sometimes almost fatefully. This is not networking. This is not trying to get something from someone else. This is just what happens when you show up present, try to be helpful, and continue to do your best to be the kind of person that people want to invite back. In recovery, we call this leaving a place as good or better than you found it.
Today for our open ocean safari we had an abundance of wildlife, something that's not unusual, but what was unusual was the added gift, an opportunity to just reflect on the years that have passed and some full circle moments together. This occurred to me when we had those twenty pilot whales swim past in a way that can only be described as graceful. Not rushed. Not scared. Just moving through their world and letting us witness it. These are the kind of things that Kaimana teaches: how to respect wildlife and to be an observer, without attachment. This is not about harassing the animals, this is not about chasing the animals, this is about enjoying the world as it shows up for you, simply being a part of it and grateful to be a part of it. A mirror that aligns with recovery and sobriety. It's something that I strive to continue to grow and appreciate those that remind me of the best ways to live life, in gratitude and appreciation, and equally or more so importantly, in sustainable tourism and respect for wildlife across the world.
The animals weren't even the most important part of the day. It was my reflections over the travel these last three days. Getting the chance to see my best friend, his wife, his kid, and helping him role play being Spider-Man, walking on the side of the walls. An opportunity to spend a day with my parents, who I wished well before they headed off on their own trip that was well deserved. Friends who have become family over the years. All of those relationships exist because sobriety gave me the ability to actually be present for them.
The Byproduct, Not the Goal
Here's what I want to be careful about. I'm not sharing this to say, "Get sober and you'll swim with whales." That's not the point and it would be dishonest to frame it that way.
What I am saying is that the byproduct of showing up consistently and trying to be at least a halfway decent person is that magic happens. Not every day. Not necessarily on your timeline. But it happens.
The connections I've made in Hawaii have led to connections in Bali, which led to connections in the Maldives, which led to things I couldn't have imagined sitting in my first recovery meeting almost two decades ago. One relationship opens a door you didn't even know existed. And then that door opens three more.
None of it came from hustling or trying to leverage people. It came from being genuine. From asking how someone's doing and actually listening. From helping with the boat when the opportunity presented itself. From simply wanting to spend time with the staff because they were good people. From wanting to ask them more questions about the wildlife because I genuinely cared and wanted to understand more about the work they're doing, the conservation efforts. From going beyond that and encouraging and supporting opportunities to connect further on group trips when that was available. Ultimately leading to me coming back the next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.
The Gift Nobody Talks About
People in recovery talk a lot about the promises. The things that are supposed to get better. And they do. But nobody really prepares you for the sheer scope of what becomes possible.
Even with a head cold, I hopped a few flights to make it here in time. And standing on the boat this morning, salt water still drying on my face, I thought about how none of this would exist without sobriety. Not the relationships. Not the trust people place in me. Not the freedom to move through the world this way.
I write a lot about the inner work of recovery and what it means to stay sober one day at a time over at nomadicaddictt.com. And the relationship side of things, how we connect with others and ourselves, lives over at loveunlocked.com. But sometimes the best thing I can do is just tell you what happened today and let you draw your own conclusions.
Today, I swam with pilot whales in Hawaii because I got sober and I kept showing up. That's the whole story. You never know where life's going to take you.
If this kind of experience speaks to you and you want to explore what sober travel and adventure-based recovery look like in practice, I'd love to connect. You can learn more about my work at zacspowart.com, or reach out directly about sober companion adventures around the world.
Interested in 1:1 sober coaching, sober companionship, or custom tailored sober retreats?
Whether you are navigating early sobriety, planning your first sober trip, or looking for someone to walk alongside you, I am here. My book Love Unlocked digs into the identity and relationship work underneath it all. Learn more at Nomadic Addictt or start the conversation.