I Guess It's Not Boring?

Pristine blue lakes, breath-taking views, gushing waterfalls, and holiday-happy-snap beaches: there's nothing quite like a journey to Vanuatu. The first time I travelled there we swam in waterfalls, sipped cocktails on the beach, and even looked down into the belly of a volcano on Tanna Island.
But the travel story I tell most about Vanuatu? Riding out on horseback to look over the hills as the sunset, sitting down to complimentary wine, and proceeding to get so drunk I'm still amazed I could get on the horse again.
Now, just to set the record straight, I want to precede this by saying that lunch was a bit rushed. Suffice it to say that I didn't eat much that day. Oh, and my best friend and I had just turned 18, and knew next to nothing about what drinking a whole bottle of wine between the two of us would do to us.
So, as we watched the sun go down, I thought I was on top of the world. Then suddenly it was time to leave. Belly full of wine and cheese, I sauntered over to my horse, somehow scrambled back on top, and we were off. I let the horse lead me because at this point in time it was dark and I couldn't see a thing, I figured the horse knew it's way back, and?what's more?I was starting to realise that loudly discussing the 'castles' in McLeod’s Daughters doesn't exactly qualify me for navigator of the year.
So when we finally made, I slipped off the horse, whispered to it not to tell anyone how drunk I was, and taxi'd it home. Now, a plus of tourism in Vanuatu is that you can pretty much always catch a cheap taxi. The downside is that most of the roads are bumpy as all hell. I spent the whole ride hoping I wouldn't throw up my almost-lunch.
Now, why this story? There’s something magical about Vanuatu, something that makes one think there might be adventure just waiting around the corner. My time there was bliss, and I often finding myself wishing I could just sit back with a cocktail on Hideaway Island. But you know what? Getting drunk and feeling absolutely awful for the rest of the night also makes that trip memorable. It's part of what ensured I'd always remember that trip. And maybe that’s important. Maybe it’s not just what we do, or what we see, or whether what we did was something we could have done from the comfort of our homes. Maybe the reason we travel is so that we can push ourselves, test our boundaries, and make bonds that last. I know I did. And that’s why getting drunk on a horse in Vanuatu is my very favourite travel story.