so, I did it! I went on a real vacation!! I relaxed, slept in , read two books, laid on the beach, got a great tan, tried new food, went snorkeling, saw some awesome sea creatures, bought a few things, went to shows, slept, and slept some more. it was amazing! two of my bestest friends ever came along, which made it even more fun. Kerstin and Laurie were great. I really didn't want to leave. but, here I am, right back in the swing of things with only pictures and memories to hang on to.
we spent the first few days in Miami. it was everything I needed to get my mind off the car accident I had been in the day before and all the stress and pain that came along with it and the tension that suddenly developed between me and my boss. it was cloudy and windy the whole time, but we still enjoyed the beach and ocean. our hotel was right on Ocean Drive, right on the beach. We ate Cuban food, accidentally stumbled across the famous Miami Ink, ate some gelato recommended by Rachael Ray, shopped the markets on Lincoln street, and witnessed a major bust by about 15 cop cars. It looked like a scene right out of a movie. cop cars flying down the street, lights flashing, climbing up over the sidewalk, dodging palm trees, chasing the guys running toward the beach, and arresting a guy in the middle of the street. welcome to Miami!! :)
the cruise was amazing too. it was my second cruise, so the ship wasn't as exciting as before, but it was nice to know the ropes. the food was great, but the desserts were mostly disappointing. we had the most amazing scallop risotto ever and I am really regretting that I didn't buy the recipe book! the comedian was hilarious, the ice sculpting show was great, my bed was even comfortable.
the weather cleared up for us in the Bahamas and I have to say that the beach on Paradise Island in Nassau was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! I would live on that beach if I could. we went on a tour of Nassau and the amazing Atlantis Resort which was fun too. it's beautiful there. the locals were fun. they were selling bahama mamas in coconuts on the beach. we regret not getting one... the whole day was picture perfect.
the next day we went to Cococay, which is a private island owned by Royal Caribbean. It was beautiful too, and I got quite a bit more sun. we did what we are now good at, we laid on the beach all day and got up only to take a dip in the water or eat.
when we got to Key West the next day, a lady we sat by at breakfast told us about a great snorkeling trip for only $35 that took you to the coral reef. we wandered around key west until we found it and signed up. I will admit right now that I was scared to death. haha! but, I was game for doing it. right across the street was an adorable little key lime shop with everything lime. we sampled everything and I had one of their famous "frozen key lime pies dipped in chocolate on a stick" it was delicious!
we then headed to the snorkeling boat and were on our way to the reef. we saw a ton of flying fish on the way out there. I hadn't even heard of them before! when we stopped there was a sea turtle on the other side of the boat, but I didn't get there in time to see it. there were quite a few jellyfish on our side. bad sign... it took a long time for me to get snorkeling down. you have to fight your instincts to do it. sticking your face in the water with your eyes open and then taking a deep breathe is so wrong! once I got it though, it was amazing! we saw a tons of cool fish, beautiful coral, and almost ran into a couple jellyfish. that scared me! I think I screamed through my tube. they were cool looking though.
it was almost time to go to the next stop and I was feeling VERY sea sick. it got to where I knew I was going to throw up, so I headed back to the boat. as soon as I made it to the ladder on the boat, I turned my head and threw up. and threw up. and threw up. and dry heaved, and swallowed salt water, and struggled to keep myself above water until a guy grabbed me and pulled me to the ladder. it was SO embarrassing! the staff gave me some ginger ale and pulled me up. you usually feel better once you throw up, but I sure didn't. so, I didn't get to go again at the next stop. while that was embarrassing and gross, I don't regret going. it was great while it lasted.
the next day we flew home. I then had two days until I had to go back to work, and I spent that time sleeping some more. I miss the beach, and I miss sleeping. I can't wait until my next vacation!
