My latest article in the Island Moon ( island newspaper)

Celebrating Us

A Bad Start
“Oow ” I blurt out, as tears seep out uncontrollably. We were in the very beginning seconds of our Carribean get away/ 10 year anniversary trip , and I have whacked my head while not quite ducking into our taxi. Ugh, gosh that really hurt I stammer as I try to will the fog out of my head. My husband squeezes my hand and looks at me pitifully. You see the head whacking thing is a constant in our travels. To be honest it’s a constant no matter where we are, just a bit more memorable and inconvenient while traveling. So, I get through the blur of our taxi ride through the mountains of Roatan, quite perturbed that my head is screwing up my ability to relish all this new scenery. We find our cozy cabana which is the closest one to the beach (Yay ) and get ready to take in the bluest of blue ocean I have ever seen. Well, to make a long evening short, I had to take a nap to sleep off the pain and still felt discombobulated until the next morning. After that long nap I realized I had: 1. Forgotten my favorite swimsuit, and 2. Left my makeup in some unnamed spot , leaving me foggy headed , plain faced and clad in my second choice swimsuit- which after I put it on should have been my, “never purchased” suit. This trip was clearly not supposed to revolve around me and my desire to look great. Changing this focus gave way to 3 days of surprises and more fun than Lonely Planet could guide me through.
It Got Better
We ate barefoot at local restaurants, snorkeled a little, strolled markets, and my favorite, took a scooter for a whole day discovering the entire island of Roatan. We rode from isolated mountains to small neighborhoods with narrow streets. This place was amazing. The people were going about their daily lives , working, playing, keeping house. It was most definitely less developed world looking except I was impressed with how clean it was. Small humble homes scattered the coastline with dignity. Little girls played on porches braiding each others hair and reading magazines. Women did laundry, rocked babies and swam in the ocean with toddlers. It was very serene, very tranquil. The guys at the scooter rental advised us to stay out of the neighborhoods and keep to the beaches. He told us about various bars that served great drinks. Well we had already seen a lot of beach and I knew as soon as the guy said “ don’t go that way” my husband would no doubt go THAT way. It was great. At one point we were at the top of a mountain and could see the ocean on both sides. My husband pulls out 2 local brews that he has kept cold with frozen water bottles in his back pack. Much better than a watered down Margarita at a bar. Private view, with a local drink and my favorite person in the world.

You Feel what You Focus on


I had decidedly switched my focus to my husband. After all, the purpose of the trip was to celebrate us. What we both like to do best is go somewhere and embrace it. We both highly dislike going to a different culture and being bombarded with American food and music. My husband has the gift of fitting in really well in foreign places, esp Latin ones because he can speak Spanish. It was freeing to embrace him and his ways. While dating I thought every single thing he did was magnificent. When we traveled, I was star struck at how he walked to his own beat. It always ended up more fun and adventurous. Besides the fact that he could speak language he also has his first degree in Aquatic biology and a deep love for botany. So I had a personal tour guide both in the mountains and in the water. Over the last 10 years, work, kids and home life being our focus I haven’t had much time to goggle at his knowledge of the coral reef or relish in our love for new places.
Reminders of our Roots
As we sat on our balcony eating fresh avocado and sweet cream in corn tortillas flavored with fresh limes I remembered who WE were. This was us. We had taken a water taxi to a local supermarket to pick up some essential items and come back at sunset. No weird tour with strangers. Just us on a small boat coming back with groceries. Bliss. I watched my husband’s blue eyes sparkle as he took in the ocean. As he described the wind movement on the water and patterns it made I thought back to a time we were in Africa, just engaged, at a local supermarket. We were sitting on the steps waiting for a ride, drinking a soda. I will always remember seeing my husbands eyes sparkle as he went on about Zimbabwe agriculture. He was highly excited to be where he was. He saw things in this new place I could not see. I felt uncomfortable, hot, and a little scared. He was invigorated with a new place. I tried to embrace his attitude. In Africa it was much more difficult for me, but I remember trying desperately because I saw the value in his attitude and I wanted him to be glad I was his future partner for life, not let down. Back to this trip- On the balcony, I realized how easy it was to embrace this attitude, it was the Carribean for goodness sake. I was overcome with joy that right then we were both totally happy to be together in this beautiful place, and we lacked for nothing. Truly a gift. The gift of who we STILL are.