Paradise Lost

When I stand on the shore looking out across the vast ocean I feel in harmony with forces much greater than myself. It's a spiritual experience for me to look out at the infinite horizon line and hear the softly rolling waves. I feel soothed, comforted, and in awe of the natural beauty and rhythms of water. 

That all changed on Friday. 

All week the water had been especially mild, but on that particular day the wind was strong and the water quite choppy. We thought it might be a little tougher to manage, but we certainly were not expecting any extreme conditions. So on our last full day in Mexico, Kevin and I set off in a double kayak for one last snorkeling adventure in the ocean. Two of Mikey's friends came out not long after us and as we attempted to anchor our kayaks together the waves surged to six to ten feet high. 

The first of them capsized our two friends and Kevin jumped in the water to help them get back in their boat. Then it became clear that they were all struggling in the water and I pulled up our anchor and tried to paddle over to help them. Then a very large wave sucked up my boat and tipped me upside down and we were all at the mercy of the water. Kevin, who has been around boats his whole life, yelled for me to stay close to the boats (still tied together) so I did even though the waves were throwing them at me quite hard. I could only hold on to them in between the waves, but it still offered a rest, albeit very brief. 

When a large wave began it would suck the boat up into its crest and I would look up and brace myself for the crash. A few times it hit me on my right arm as I raised it to protect my head. The boats also hit me in the chin a couple times on their way to the wave, but I trusted Kevin and figured as long as I could avoid getting knocked out it would help to be near the boats. As each successive wave came over me I felt myself being pulled down deep underwater and as I swam back toward the surface I was terrified I wouldn't be strong enough to beat the undertow. 

When I hit the surface I looked around for Kevin and our two friends. A different terror filled me when I had no idea if they would all be okay. Four of us battling these waves gave some precarious odds. Kevin was holding onto the anchor rope that trailed about 30 feet behind the kayaks. I found out later that he had wrapped it around his hands so that it would pull him back up after he got pushed down. The rope severally burned his hands and took out chunks of his flesh, but it saved his life. 

With each wave we got a little closer to a reef, when, finally, we were standing on it. The waves calmed down around the reef and although we still got sloshed around on the top of the coral, we got into the boat with just cuts and bruises. Luckily, Kevin had the strength and frame of mind to hold on to two paddles and we maneuvered both boats over to our friends who were about 50 feet away and had one paddle left. Not knowing if we could rely on the temporary calm, we all got back on the boats, untied from each other, and paddled rapidly into shore. 

Kevin and I hugged on the shore and I felt hot tears of relief. I didn't stop shaking for about an hour. My life, and his life, flashed before my eyes, when I was underwater I felt a bit of an out-of-body experience when I wasn't sure how long the strength of the current would keep me beneath the surface. I prayed to God for our safety; I told Him I wasn't ready to go. Each wave felt like it was toying with the possibility of taking me for good. I felt how easily the ocean could dominate my best efforts. And it wasn't until I felt the warm sand in my toes that I could claim we had escaped a narrow brush with death. The ocean had flexed its power that day and to feel my body go comparatively limp to its strength made me feel shaken and unsettled, as if perhaps we weren't in harmony, but at odds.

CBD

So damn easy to say that life's so hard
Everybody's got their share of battle scars
As for me, I'd like to thank my lucky stars
That I'm alive and well

It'd be easy to add up all the pain
And all the dreams you sat and watched go up in flames
Dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain
But not me, I'm alive

And today you know that's good enough for me
Breathin' in and out's a blessing, can't you see?
Today's the first day of the rest of my life
And I'm alive and well
I'm alive and well

Stars are dancin' on the water here tonight
It's good for the soul when there's not a soul in sight
This boat has caught its wind and brought me back to life
Now I'm alive and well

And today you know that's good enough for me
Breathing in and out's a blessing, can't you see?
Today's the first day of the rest of my life
Now I'm alive and well
Yeah, I'm alive and well

"I'm Alive" by Kenny Chesney & Dave Matthews Band

Arrival in Paradise

View from the room

Tonight I write to you as I watch the sunset over the ocean and listen to the waves break gently on the shore. Birds in palm trees sing their nightly taps and a light ocean vesper soothes the warm air. I spent the day sea kayaking, snorkeling, and reading in a hammock. It sounds a lot like heaven but I’m actually in Tulum, Mexico, a small coastal town on the Caribbean Sea. Kevin’s brother Michael decided to ring in his new decade (the big three-oh) by taking a vacation with his close friends and family. So here we are, in a 12-person villa, eating family-style dinners filled with stories, banter, and laughter on a long reclaimed-wood table on a patio overlooking the ocean made by our personal chef. Our planned adventures for the week include deep-sea fishing and a visit to the Mayan ruins, but who knows what else the week may bring. I am perfectly content to press repeat on today.

Mikey in all his birthday glory

At breakfast, three of Michael’s friends showed up in Mexican-flag Speedos and proceeded to present him with his own pair. It started the day off with a good dose of laughter and light heartedness. We had made-to-order eggs (huevos ranchos, huevos con jamon, huevos con queso . . .), orange juice, toast, granola and yogurt, and a huge platter of fresh watermelon, pineapple, papaya, and cantaloupe. Afterward, Kevin and I read books on the beach and jumped in the pool. Then we kayaked with the group to the coral reef not more than 100 meters offshore. I swam with schools of neon fish and wove around the dancing coral. Nancy (Kevin’s mom) and I used the paddle boat to come in for a lunch of shrimp tacos with mounds of fresh guacamole and pico de gallo with the whole group. Kevin made delicious margaritas that we drank before an afternoon siesta on the beach.

Paradise does wonders for the human spirit.

CBD

Finding Refuge

Lucky circumstances brought my aunt and uncle to Florida last week from Niagara Falls, Canada. They had long ago planned a winter getaway to a resort near Fort Lauderdale, so once Kevin and I moved down here we figured out that it would only be an hour drive for us to see each other. Aunt Sandy was my mom's sister and she has been married to Uncle Dave for over 40 years, so they both were very close to her and had lots of stories about the three of them. They ordered in pizza at the resort and we sat around, along with their travel buddies Barb and Dave, and caught up on all the family. My cousin Johnny finished med school and is now a practicing chiropractor. He's been married three years and just bought a house. My cousin Nikki is due with her first baby—a boy!—next month. I grew up not only the youngest in my family, but the youngest of the cousins, and Nikki and Johnny introduced me to the Counting Crows, my first cheese fries, and summer days at the lake. Sometimes I really wish my family all lived close together, it's hard to stay in touch and support people from such long distances. Unfortunately, we had so much to talk about we forgot to take a picture! I'm so bummed. I found an old one of her the last time she visited my mom.

My mom with her sister Sandy

Friday night filled me with a sense of nostalgia for family memories, which was still fresh in my mind as we continued our weekend wedding planning adventures. We found a venue called the House of Refuge Museum on Hutchinson Island that has a stunning 360-degree view of the water. The best part is that it has a lot more character and history than a modern resort or hotel. Built in 1876, the House of Refuge was built by the U.S. government to aide shipwrecked sailors. There were about ten built on the east coast of Florida and there were signs posted on the beaches for how far an ocean-torn victim had to walk to find respite. Each house also had a keeper who would patrol the beaches daily to search for such unfortunate souls. The keeper and his family would nurse the sailors back to health and saved many lives. I love that the house has a storied history filled with the adventures of sailors, pirates, and soldiers of years past. The warmth, love, and kindness from a family of modest means toward strangers expresses our family values. And I enjoy the symbolism of how our relationship is a refuge from the storm of life. Kevin and I both felt like this place was really something special and unique.

Painting of the House of Refuge on Hutchinson Island

After the House of Refuge we ate lunch on the water en plein air at a restaurant called The Sailor's Return. It also had a stellar view and a relaxed atmosphere, not to mention excellent beer-battered fish and chips. We came home and took it easy that night by watching college basketball rivalry week. 

Sunday we went to brunch with three other couples at a Worth Avenue/Palm Beach institution called Taboo. It was nice to branch out and meet some other couples, but comfortable friendships take time and it's tough to not have that right away. Other than Lois and Steve, there aren't many people here with whom we can just hang out. 

How could you hate this wittle face?

 On Wednesday, I bid Varsha a safe journey as she set off on her African Adventure in Namibia on Friday. Her first flight was Friday to NYC and then she boarded her transatlantic flight on Saturday. She was very excited but also a little nervous because, apparently, there are a lot of stray cats in Namibia, and Varsha hates cats. The funny thing is when I asked her about bugs, she was utterly fearless. She's a funny one that little V. :o)

Go Phil! (with his wife Amy)

Shout out to my favorite golfer Phil Mickelson for winning Pebble Beach and mercilessly annihilating Tiger Woods. For those of you that don't know, I can't stand Tiger Woods and think he's a self-absorbed, whiny, entitled egomaniac. Whereas, Phil Mickelson is a gentleman golfer who is ultra-talented, humble, and plays with class. Not to mention all of Tiger's character issues off the green... and Phil who took time away from golf to care for his wife when she battled cancer. I prefer being a fan of someone who I actually like as a person and as an athlete, that is what a "role model" is after all.

CBD

Busy Bee Weekend

Dum, dum, dah, dum . . .

This weekend, we found a beautiful wedding venue on Singer Island. We're still looking at other venue possibilities, including a resort several miles north in Vero Beach, but I'm starting to see that do-it-yourself isn't necessarily better value than a hotel package. Kevin and I had lunch with his co-worker Jonathan who has worked in catering sales and event planning (specifically ten years at a resort in Palm Beach) and he walked us through how quickly vendors add up when you think you can just throw up a tent on the beach and hire a caterer. For example, normal, logistical things like transportation and bathrooms become an issue. Not to mention the fact that someone has to be in charge of coordinating all the vendors and set-up. Plus we think since pretty much everyone would be staying in a hotel, it would be fun to spend the weekend all together. I'm hoping we can pull off a beautiful event and stay within our hardworking 20-somethings budget.

Go lil turtle, go!

After looking at Singer Island, we went to a natural state park near the ocean and went for a walk around the grounds. I saw my first real Loggerhead turtle since I've been here. It was in a tank, but it was the real deal nonetheless. Turtles are a big thing around these parts since they lay their eggs on the beaches and the season for nesting/hatching lasts from May to August. I'm looking forward to my first "turtle walk" where you watch the baby turtles scurry from the dunes to the water in the moonlight.

I think we wore Leo out.

On Friday night, Lois and Steve took us out to dinner as an advanced thank you for watching Leo for the weekend. We went to a hibachi place in Abacoa and then crashed the college dive bar next door. Good times. It was a very gracious gesture, as I was psyched to have Leo for the weekend and he was truly no trouble whatsoever. Kevin was less psyched but I think he likes Leo more than he likes most cats, and although he won't admit it, he had some fun playing with him too. Leo is an active, playful cat. He loves to chase toys, hunt little frogs near the pool, and he especially cracks me up when he fights with his own tail. He is well-tempered little guy who didn't even get too upset when Kevin squirted him with water (he simply hid behind a plant). As evidenced by his water-squirting tactics, Kevin's idea of playing with a pet is playing with a dog. I like dogs just as much as cats, so if we get a pet, we'll probably get a dog. We're just enjoying our DINK status of no responsibilities for the time being, and we're not quite ready for the responsibility of another living creature for longer than a weekend. Maybe a fish. Or a turtle!

Giants win 21 to 17.

We watched the Carolina game on Saturday and I was extremely happy to see some fire and tenacity on the road. It wasn't a stellar offensive game, but we played smart, scrappy basketball and Maryland put up quite a fight. It's definitely great momentum going into this week's game against the Dookies! HUGE game. Can't wait. Speaking of big games, a little thing called the Super Bowl was on yesterday, hence my lack of a blog post. I guess if the 49ers couldn't win it all, they may as well lose to the team that did. Plus Patriots fans are more annoying and entitled than Giants fans, and I like Eli Manning better than Tom Brady. If you're a fan of Super Bowl commercials, Kevin's brother Michael is a film editor in L.A. and edited the "Hulu" commericial. The Matthew Broderick commercial was clever, but just made me want to watch Ferris Bueller. I also thought the Volkswagen commercial and the Sketchers commercial were funny and cute.

Varsha leaves for Africa this weekend and we have been playing a bit of phone tag. Hopefully I get to talk to her before she leaves for the semester! 

CBD

Happy Groundhog Day

Groundhog jammin' out

 Happy Groundhog Day! Looks like we're in for six more weeks of winter. Sounds like a great time to visit friends in South Florida!

Man, this year is flying by. I can't believe it's already February—so much to do, not enough time. Sometimes I feel like I can hardly stay ahead of responsibilities and chores, let alone be done with them all and relax in peace. Boot camp has exhausted me this week. I took the night off to recuperate a bit. I can hardly walk, and Kevin has a hilarious new habit of squeezing my multivarious tender muscles to watch me squeal. Truly. Hysterical.

OH YEA! I have a cat for the weekend! Sa-weeet. Lois is going to be out of town, so I get some quality one-on-one time with Leo. Too bad his catnip plant isn't ready yet. It'll still be good times.

CBD