The Bahamas

Gorgeous. 

My friend and I took a $4 bus-like taxi to a beach called cabbage beach whew we lounged, took pictures and I read and wrote (while being made fun of by passing strangers for bringing school to the beach.) 

The weather was stunning, balmy, sunny, blue skies and so warm, but not too hot. The sand was off-white smooth to touch and got everywhere, and the water was so very blue. The kind of blue that was in your face and obvious and got darker as it went further out. (I always thought it was edited into certain photos to look that blue…I was wrong. ) 

We walked in the water, and it was pleasant and tropical and warm. The beach was packed, but everyone was friendly and there was room for everyone to have their own shenanigans (including some energetic children throwing sand during our photoshoot. We lounged on the beach breathing the ocean air slightly tainted by cigar smoke (apparently they are like the best ever), and wish we brought a portable speaker like our neighbor's did.

We got cheated out of $20 for coconuts that gave us free drinks all day, and we lounged under an umbrella that the beach workers set up for us. 

It was easy to get around Nassau, and with some recommendations from the locals, we visited a local fish fry (as a vegetarian I didn't eat any, but the view was meal enough. Also I ate at the ship.) Then we struggled to walk back. 

Overall the Bahamas has my full five-star rating. 

Next time I would for sure have more than $25 dollars cash on me, and I would love to explore Atlantis (because yes, i went the Bahamas stood fifty-feet from the Atlantis and did not go look around.)  I would definitely stay more than one day, and totally try the jet-skis. They looked ridiculously fun.  I would have loved to eat at a restaurant that sat right by the port, and met more people, but there is only so much you could do in a day. 

All in all what I loved the most about this trip is the flexibility and freedom I had. The spontaneity of making a decision the day of, and doing it-- just because we could.  We found out about cabbage beach from a woman who had already been to the Bahamas and sat at my breakfast table that morning. We went to the fish fry after asking the local where the best one was, then got a taxi over. We wandered the island (well more like walked back to the boat) and got to see the brightly colored buildings and so many local stores, and some I didn't expect to see. (Like Gucci? What up? How did you end up in the Bahamas?) This trip had to be the first one where I really tasted the kind of travel lifestyle I would love to have. I am definitely going back. 

Have you had your first taste of your travel goals yet? What is your dream trip?