BAHAMAS Day 1

FYI: I wrote this yesterday but didn't get internet til today.

All of the traveling began this morning at 7:20am when Jordan took me to the airport. Poor Jordan had to sleep in the car because her allergies were acting up in Carmen’s house. But at least I could count on her being in the car, ready to go on time.

It all hit me as we got closer to the airport and I could see the drop off point. I was so scared to leave everyone behind. Jordan and I had so much fun and it was really sad to say goodbye. The Raleigh-Durham airport is much smaller than I thought and I ended up at my gate a solid two hours before my flight (which ended up being delayed an extra half an hour or so). Needless to say, I had plenty of time to enjoy the airport. I tried to keep myself busy so that I wouldn’t start to think about leaving and get emotional again. So I went to the bookstore to find a book or at least spend some time staring at them. I told the woman I wanted an inspiring and enjoyable book that took place in any of the countries that I am going to. And I warned her that I did not want anything depressing because my heart just couldn’t handle it. She picked out “A Fine Balance” which takes place in India…and is over 600 pages long. I guess I’ll have time on the beach to do some reading.

One thing you should know about me is that there’s this thing about me and airports. I tend to meet more people than usual. I think it’s because I get dropped off and I get lonely so I want someone to talk to. Before I even got on the first flight, I talked to an airport security man about North Carolina versus California, some random man about my trip (he gave me his card), and to employees of both bookstores I went to. I told everyone about my trip and they all were so excited for me! The guy I sat next to on the plane helped me navigate my way through the JFK airport to make my connecting flight. Then I went straight to the ticket agent at my gate to double check that I was all set for documentation. I asked him if I needed to show my passport right then or when boarding the plane. He said that they check when boarding…but then he said “but I’ll check yours out now.” EW! So eventually I ended up showing it to him and he stared at it forever before I finally grabbed it back. When I was boarding, the SAME GUY was there and he said “My friend said I should ask for your number.” I said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea…” and I walked onto the flight. The man I sat next to on that flight was really nice and helpful in the Nassau airport because he lived there so he was able to direct me around to get through customs and whatnot.

I sat at the window seat and I couldn’t believe the view of the ocean. It looked like someone dropped turquoise food coloring and swirled it in the ocean close to the shore. It was an absolutely amazing sight. I got to the beautiful ATLANTIS on Paradise Island where I met my friend Sara in the room at about 5:30pm. I was so relieved to see her and we both were still in shock that we were actually in the Bahamas together at that moment. Everything here is ridiculously expensive. Sara and I looked around for the cheapest food and we split a bill of $26 for two dinky hamburgers and one small order of fries. In case you’re wondering, you could get that for $3 at McDonalds. But I guess it’s worth it to be at such a beautiful place. We toured around the resort and found this incredible aquarium! We saw sooo many beautiful fish, big and small. We walked to the beach and around the rest of the resort…it’s huge! There are so many pools, walkways, restaurants, towers, etc EVERYWHERE!

After Sara and I explored a bit we headed back to the room and met our roommate Danika! She is so nice and I’m really glad she was able to meet up with Sara and I to share a room at the Atlantis. We all just chatted about boys and everything we packed or didn’t pack for the trip. I pretty much felt super unprepared after Danika went through all the little things she brought…but I guess there’s not much I can do now! She thought of things like: a map of the world (go figure), shoes to throw away after being ruined in India, a travel pack of toilet seat covers, and a calculator to convert the currency in each country. So I’m feeling a bit uneasy about my preparedness.