From Grief to the Gardenias of Tahiti: A Love Letter to Renewal

In 2019, I launched Marine + Vine, inspired by a desire to bottle a memory—a feeling—a place. Over the years, the brand grew, but one word began to echo louder than the rest: Tahiti. Why did it feel like home?

Then, life changed. In 2021, I became a full-time caregiver to my mother. When she passed in early 2024, I found myself hollowed out, both emotionally and creatively. Marine + Vine was on pause, and I was searching for something—anything—that could reignite my spirit.

One day, I looked at the original bottle of Tahitian Oil sitting on my desk, and without thinking, I booked a one-way ticket. A backpack. A journal. No plan beyond surrendering to the pull of this island that had lived so long in my imagination.

Two weeks later, I stepped off an Air Tahiti Nui flight and into another world. I abandoned my itinerary within days, chasing tiare fields, ancient monoi rituals, and dirt paths that disappeared into the rainforest. I skipped the resorts, skipped the comfort. I wanted the wild heart of Tahiti.

In Tahiti Iti, I rented a bungalow just past what locals call the end of the road. Beyond that, only rivers, barefoot trails, and the Fenua Aihere—the wild lands. At night, under star-soaked skies, I felt like I was standing at the edge of the Earth.

I returned to the end of the road more than once. Each visit peeled back another layer, and by the time I left, I knew: Tahiti wasn’t just inspiration—it was the soul of Marine + Vine.

Now, with a renewed vision, an elevated formula, and a brand that finally feels like me again, Marine + Vine begins a new chapter—one deeply rooted in the raw, untouched beauty of Tahiti.

Maruuru. Here’s to new beginnings.