Barbados

My sister Jennie and I just returned from seven days of sunshine, turquoise waters, delicious food, and unforgettable Caribbean memories. There is something special about escaping everyday life and spending a week surrounded by sunshine, palm trees, and beautiful Caribbean waters. Our vacation to Barbados was an opportunity to relax, enjoy some luxury, and experience the island lifestyle while we stayed at Sandals. 

Stepping out from the airport into the warm tropical air, greeted by staff from Sandals to arrange our transport, and feeling the sun on our faces had us eager to get to the resort and change into bathing suits and flip flops. 

After settling in at the resort, unpacking for the week, and cracking open a couple of Banks beers from the fridge, we set about wandering the resort. We were able to utilize the facilities of the neighbouring Sandals Royal Barbados, so there were lots of dining options, bars, entertainment, and plenty of pools. The beach was private, with an abundance of lounge chairs and umbrellas. My favourite was the "Weather Station," which was a coconut hanging from a rope. During the course of our stay, the coconut remained still with the exception of about an hour when we had some wind and rain one afternoon. It didn't last long, and the coconut went back to calm.

One of the best parts of a resort vacation is not having to plan every minute of the day. Jennie was always up by 7 a.m. to reserve the best seats at the pool. Most days, we were the only ones out in the pool for the first couple of hours. Once the bars opened at 10, more people emerged. The atmosphere would start to pick up around that time with the water aerobics and music blaring. We heard Rihana's "We Found Love" more times than I can count, but I didn't mind. She is a national hero of Barbados after all. 

I read 3 books during the week. Jennie finished one and started on a second (more than usual for her). The biggest decisions we had to make during the day were what to drink, where to eat, and what time to get ready for dinner. Something about the tropical scenery makes it easy to forget about the everyday stresses waiting back home. A week away gave us the chance to slow down, enjoy the atmosphere, and appreciate the simple pleasure of having nowhere particularly urgent to be. 

Dining becomes a part of the experience when you stay at an all-inclusive resort. There were so many options (21 restaurants!) and a variety of meals offered. It was so nice not to worry about shopping, cooking, or cleaning up afterwards. We tried most of what the resort offered. Our favourite were the Indian and Japanese restaurants. We sat at the bar watching the sushi chef and sipped on their signature Sake cocktail and Kirin Ichiban beer. 

We also went to the teppanyaki restaurant, and although our chef was not Japanese, he put on a good show. It was one of the only three restaurants that required a reservation, which was nice. Dining at both of these restaurants made me nostalgic for my time living in Japan. The staff even greeted us with a Japanese welcome when we walked in, calling out いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase).

One of the benefits of spending time in the Caribbean is the noise and beauty of the tropics. The resort was teeming with roosters and chickens, which could be heard each morning, but it was a better wake-up call than my alarm. At night, you could hear the whistling tree frogs, which provided a background symphony before bed. The grounds were lush with flowers, trees, and bushes. The view from our balcony was stunning, and we loved to sit out there before dinner, watching the sun set and the lights come on around the resort. 

A week can pass surprisingly quickly when you're on vacation. Before we knew it, we were packing up and heading back home. Tomorrow I have to return to work and reality. But that's the beauty of taking time away. You get a chance to step back from the mundane routine, enjoy a different environment, and make new memories. The week away with my sister allowed us to relax, bond, and have fun. Until the next adventure...

~MT