Bahama Babymoon/Anniversary Trip!

I feel like there should be some sort of special Bahamian greeting to begin this post… like the Hawaiian “Aloha!” or the Australian “Greetings from Down Under, Mate!” But, the national language in the Bahamas is English, so alas, we begin with a simple “Hello!” (Maybe say that in your best Bahamian accent for effect!)

Incase you were wondering, we had a lovely time this past week doing ab-so-lute-ly nothing of importance. How often do any of us get to enjoy that luxury!? We had opted to leave Anabelle at home and upon arriving it didn’t take long to realize that was definitely the best choice we could’ve made. A family friend made this trip possible by offering his private beach house to us, and though it certainly would’ve worked to have a kid there (they had the pack-n-play all ready for us just incase!) as I looked around the place with the eyes of a parent (ie, at the quite accessible pool with no shallow end, the numerous interesting crabs (alive & dead) on the ground, and the décor that would quickly become children’s toys) I was happy we didn’t have to constantly be on the lookout for, and schedule of, little Miss Anabelle. We missed her immensely, but got some Skype dates and she always looked perfectly happy where she was, so our minds were at ease. Another great blessing!

A few notable highlights and observations from the time:

The Bahamian people are wonderful. We really didn’t meet a single one that didn’t have a genuine smile for us, make kind conversation, and just exude a spirit of peace. I was quite impressed. That said, we also didn’t see many people as the population of the island is a mere 8,000 (smaller than most Universities!) and we were quite secluded on the Family Island of Eleuthera near Rock Sound in Cotton Bay… but what we saw, we liked. In addition to some of the institutional differences, such as driving on the left-hand side of the road, there are also some wonderful cultural differences, such as waving to everyone you see and simply taking life at a slower pace.

We took a day trip around the Island and got to see the popular Glass Window Bridge and then take a ferry to one of the more populated towns, Harbour Island, with a pink sand beach (side note, the ‘pink sand beach’ is actually filled with white sand, maybe it has pink flecks of sand (?)…but beautiful nonetheless!)

Adam had another big surprise for me a few days after we arrived. We sat down one evening and watched a video of our engagement day – a video of which I had no idea existed until now! It was fun to relive that day not only in our memories, but to be able to really see the proposal go down! Special thanks to my fam who a) kept the video a secret all these years and b) were the videographers of the event.

I started and finished three books over the vacation. Adam read nothing, which was a great break from all the reading & studying he does for school. Plus, we found out he got a 4.0 this semester… such a great reward for all the sacrifice and hard work he’s been doing!!

We were welcomed by “Mama” Miriam, who watches over the house while the owners are away. We quickly realized she would be our “mama” during the trip… making most of our meals (some of the best we’ve ever tasted!), cleaning up the house, and just being a friendly smile and wealth of information about the island, the house, and the Bahamian life. It was SUCH an added bonus to have a “Mama” of our own caring about the little and big things for us. We got to meet some of her family as well and eat at her daughter’s restaurant… and let me say, everyone in that family CAN COOK! Adam, Baby Boy & I enjoyed the change in menu – more fish and home grown veggies, less cereal and boxed foods! =)

OK. There was perhaps one ‘thorn’ in the vacation. The first 2 days were charmed. Weather was great, slight wind to cool things down, slept 12 hrs. a night, and we only saw little crabs running around in and outside the house. About the time Miriam said she never sees any spiders, they decided to come on out and say hello. Every night from Sunday on, we saw atleast one tarantula in the house. Of course, I was ALWAYS the one to see them first. And, they weren’t always in the same part of the house… one night, the living room, then the dining room, then the kitchen, then – oh my – our bedroom. We also saw a massive cricket/beetle on our ceiling over the bed, which didn’t thrill me either. Fortunately, Adam can handle these things much better than I can, and the spiders don’t move too quickly. As my younger bro Peter once said while rubbing my shoulders then punching my back, “You take the sweet with the sour”… I think that is pretty much how you can sum up the whole insect fest we were witness too.

So, back to reality. The great thing about this sort of trip is that you get a little breather and step back into life refreshed and grateful for all the comforts of home, and the people that are there. We’re happy to report we are still quite pleased we married one another 5 years ago, and we are thankful for the children, the family, the friends, and the opportunities we’ve been given!

And now, the pics. Keep in mind we were pretty much the only ones around and there wasn't much to do but admire God's green earth... so the slideshow may be a bit redundant =)