Life in Paradise..... Tues 10th April 2018

Life in Paradise.....  Tues 10th April 2018

As you know, it is our tradition to have visiting friends and family write a blog entry before they leave. Here is Bridget's contribution ...

I recommend to grab opportunities when they arise to escape and disconnect from your every day busy life.  Why?  It is important to understand what is truly important in life and to reprioritize when you’ve gone astray.

A couple of months back my friends Gloria and Mike rang and asked when I would join them on their Caribbean adventure on their boat.  We agreed on the week after Easter and the destination of Antigua.  This is the second time I have visited them on their boat and was very excited about the adventure! 

The start was a little rough when my flight from Miami got turned back for some “mechanical issues.”  But I finally made it to Jolly Harbor past dark on my first day greeted by my friend Mike on the dock to whisk me away to Paradise.  The week started off with visiting more remote harbors (Indian and Green Island) to get away from the hustle and bustle to connect with friends and nature.  Many sea turtles, stingrays and a variety of tropical birds greeted us during our adventure and the weather could not have been more perfect.  I completely disconnected from work and concentrated on connecting with great friends, snorkeling, living on the boat and learning how to use my new camera I got for the holidays.  I also found a new favorite cocktail, the painkiller, to take all my worries away!

The second half of the trip focused on more settled places, English and Falmouth Harbors, for some hiking and to start to reconnect with society.  We hiked to the high points over the harbor for tremendous views and saw some playful mongoose along the way.  I got to learn the various functions of my camera and even ventured out one night to learn how to take evening pictures of English Harbor.

What a tremendous opportunity this adventure!  Don’t get lost in the stresses of work and grab those precious opportunities of fun adventures to escape the worries of work.  Life is short!  Focus on what is truly important, friends, family and adventure, and don’t take them for granted. 

Bridget

We had a fabulous couple of nights in English harbor before moving on to spend Bridget's final evening around the corner in Falmouth harbor

Maggie - an eccentric steel boat from South West Harbor, Maine

Undoubtedly distinctive ... but not attractive in my opinion!

English harbor - abstract evening shot - handheld from the boat

English harbor - abstract evening shot - handheld from the boat

A feral mongoose raiding a rubbish bag up on Shirley Heights

We made an abortive trip up Shirley Heights to photograph English Harbor at night. However, there was a concert that night and we  decided to avoid the crowds and not pay the $EC 25 cover fee to enter. This guy was our taxi driver

English harbor at night from the hillside behind ... photo taken using a tripod ... it does make a huge difference, but not so much on the boat which still moves!

English Harbor at night from Slipway Marina