Good morning ladies! The weekend is here, yay!
While I was trying to get to sleep last night, I came up with an idea for a new post, which could potentially be a TAG if anyone is interested!
I was reminiscing about my 2008 summer holiday to Grenada (Caribbean Island), thinking about how truly wonderful it was, and about how much I would LOVE to go back.
It was only my second real holiday abroad, the first being 2 weeks in Portugal when I was turning 16. Growing up my family and I holidayed in the UK, being as my Mum was terrified of flying. I had been abroad to the likes of France, Germany and Belgium on school trips, but the weather was always naff and you were with a bunch of grimy school kids and teachers - not what I call a holiday! Don't get me wrong, I loved our UK holidays (I didn't know any different) and have such wonderful memories, and was very grateful that my parents saved up to afford for me to go on school trips, but when you are a teenager and all your friends are jetting off to other countries, you wonder why you can't too!
Anyway, this isn't a life history, this is about paradise: that little piece of heaven on earth, that just makes me think "if I could chose to die anywhere, it would be here"! You know, that feeling of utter bliss. For me, that was in Grenada. I will be eternally indebted to Colin's family, they paid for us to accompany them on their holiday. They said we deserved it, we had moved out the year before, scrimped and saved (we still are!) and really struggled, but we never gave up, never begged for money or to come back home, which they were proud of! So, as a treat, they paid for us to go to Grenada with them for a week! FYI we stayed at the Grenadian Rex Hotel.
That one week in Grenada started my love affair with the Caribbean - I have no qualms in saying this is where my heart lies, even after I week, I would do anything to move out there! Granted, I would do anything to move out there and live in an all-inclusive hotel with a private beach, but fundamentally it is the lifestyle, the country, the people, the weather and the food that I fell for.
On this holiday I conquered my long standing fear of water, by swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, sailing...you name it, apart from scuba diving, I did it! Which for someone who gets panicked when my head goes under the water too much in the shower, is a BIG deal! I also slept better on that holiday than I ever have in my life, the air cleared my permanently clogged up nose, and just knocked me out every night! The food opened my taste buds (and expectations) to a whole new world. The sun (and OMG it was damn hot!) became my best friend...which when you think about how pale I am, and how the heat is normally my enemy, is quite a statement!
Yes I got sun-burnt a few times (on my bum from too much snorkeling, OUCH!), yes I got a tiny bit of sunstroke (I get that in the UK too, and always get ill on holiday, it's inevitable!)...but all in all, I just LOVE it. I want to go back, but part of me thinks I should try out some other Caribbean destinations first...but I almost want to stay faithful to my first 'country' love! I had the best time there! Love, as they say, at first sight!
So ladies, my question to you is, what is your definition of paradise...your little piece of heaven on earth?
x x x
