Due to the pandemic halting travel around the world, I wasn’t able to visit a new country in 2020. Like everyone else, I was forced to enjoy the small things in my home, my neighborhood, and local haunts in an effort to stay sane and safe.
And then 2021 happened - replete with health crises and personal loss as my father passed away. There was also an onslaught of other issues and I didn’t think 2021 could get any worse as I tried to stay afloat while generally feeling drained and sad.
So when an opportunity arose to go to the Bahamas, and squeezing in a new country for 2021, I was excited. But then I was torn about my blog for several reasons - I was traveling with some new friends who might be more private, but also because thinking about writing a post made me really sad. For those blog fans out there, you may know that writing about my travels gave me great joy, because I knew my dad was getting an automated email with stories and pictures each day. He was my #1 blog fan.
For history, I had committed that I would write a post per day so he knew I was safe, since I traveled often and sometimes alone since 2011. He always remarked that he felt like I was on the level of a “NY Times travel writer”, which I’m not. I write for me for sure, as I relish in the anecdotes which are reread to jog a memory or just to make me smile. But thinking about my first post, not being read by my dad was hard. It was something we shared and he was proud of too (he used to send the automated emails to his siblings when I’ve tried to explain he can just share a link or begged me to blog domestically which I’ve only done for him when traveling with my cousin). As such, instead of writing at the end of each day which takes a lot out of me, I write this a few weeks after returning from a weekend in the Bahamas, and have chosen to summarize instead of my usual play by play.
The trip was wonderful and better than expected with a large group of kind and considerate folks whom I’ve become close with during the pandemic. We may have been close before, but we definitely became more like friend-family during these past few years. I’d like to think we helped each other survive this crazy pandemic.
In summary, we saw a celebrity (on our way there and back), flew first class, listened to Junkanoo, lazed on rivers, feared slides, insulted people’s intelligence (lovingly), coordinated tests and health visas, napped on beaches and poolside, danced and played in casinos, wandered in the aquarium, struggled with WiFi, negotiated shuttle seats, forgot cash for cabbies, ran into an old colleague, floated by sharks, was referred to as a spouse (incorrectly several times), ate fresh conch salad, drank the local beer whether Kalik or Sands along with obligatory piña coladas, misunderstood jokes, went to Nobu for the first time, ate a lot including spam and ramen for breakfast, left our NY attitudes, relaxed in the spa, and just enjoyed each other’s company a lot…to the point where we were referred to as “a team.” (Where’s the team? Is the team all here?) “The team” definitely conquered the Atlantis resort together.
The trip was filled with so many laughs and smiles, that I replenished my soul even just a little, as I knew my dad didn’t need to read my blog to know that I was really happy. Specials thanks to those who made this trip happen. I’m grateful beyond words.
Some pictures below….
And then 2021 happened - replete with health crises and personal loss as my father passed away. There was also an onslaught of other issues and I didn’t think 2021 could get any worse as I tried to stay afloat while generally feeling drained and sad.
So when an opportunity arose to go to the Bahamas, and squeezing in a new country for 2021, I was excited. But then I was torn about my blog for several reasons - I was traveling with some new friends who might be more private, but also because thinking about writing a post made me really sad. For those blog fans out there, you may know that writing about my travels gave me great joy, because I knew my dad was getting an automated email with stories and pictures each day. He was my #1 blog fan.
For history, I had committed that I would write a post per day so he knew I was safe, since I traveled often and sometimes alone since 2011. He always remarked that he felt like I was on the level of a “NY Times travel writer”, which I’m not. I write for me for sure, as I relish in the anecdotes which are reread to jog a memory or just to make me smile. But thinking about my first post, not being read by my dad was hard. It was something we shared and he was proud of too (he used to send the automated emails to his siblings when I’ve tried to explain he can just share a link or begged me to blog domestically which I’ve only done for him when traveling with my cousin). As such, instead of writing at the end of each day which takes a lot out of me, I write this a few weeks after returning from a weekend in the Bahamas, and have chosen to summarize instead of my usual play by play.
The trip was wonderful and better than expected with a large group of kind and considerate folks whom I’ve become close with during the pandemic. We may have been close before, but we definitely became more like friend-family during these past few years. I’d like to think we helped each other survive this crazy pandemic.
In summary, we saw a celebrity (on our way there and back), flew first class, listened to Junkanoo, lazed on rivers, feared slides, insulted people’s intelligence (lovingly), coordinated tests and health visas, napped on beaches and poolside, danced and played in casinos, wandered in the aquarium, struggled with WiFi, negotiated shuttle seats, forgot cash for cabbies, ran into an old colleague, floated by sharks, was referred to as a spouse (incorrectly several times), ate fresh conch salad, drank the local beer whether Kalik or Sands along with obligatory piña coladas, misunderstood jokes, went to Nobu for the first time, ate a lot including spam and ramen for breakfast, left our NY attitudes, relaxed in the spa, and just enjoyed each other’s company a lot…to the point where we were referred to as “a team.” (Where’s the team? Is the team all here?) “The team” definitely conquered the Atlantis resort together.
The trip was filled with so many laughs and smiles, that I replenished my soul even just a little, as I knew my dad didn’t need to read my blog to know that I was really happy. Specials thanks to those who made this trip happen. I’m grateful beyond words.
Some pictures below….
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| We still don’t get this joke… |
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