Random Thoughts and Musings

(This is one of my personal photos, on tripadvisor.com. Go here to see the others.)

Is it possible to get into a habit of something after only doing it twice? If so, this is a **hard** habit to break. In more ways than one!

For the last two years, during the 2nd weekend of November, I have gone (with friends) to Jamaica for four or five days.  We went to an all-inclusive resort, adults-only. Clothing-optional (clothing discouraged, in fact ). Hedo II, for those in the know.

The first time I went, I was very hesitant. I thought I would be miserable and uncomfortable there. I thought I would have a hard time letting loose. I thought I would be too worried about “life” to really have a good time.

Boy, was I wrong!

I didn’t even bother putting on a bathing suit when I went to my room to “change.” I just put on a bathing suit wrap, wore it as a dress-type shift. I slipped into my flip flops, grabbed a towel, and headed for the beach with my friend (her husband had already disappeared to explore the resort). Once we crossed the (invisible) line from the “prude” to the “nude” beach, we dropped our wraps. No questions, no hesitations … it just … happened.

We stopped at the beach first, dropped our stuff on the sand, and went out into the water. It was beautiful, warm, delicious on the skin. We’d been hot for the last couple of hours, traveling through customs in the airport, then to the resort from the airport on the shuttle “bus.”

After a little while at the beach on one of the provided floats, we grabbed our stuff and headed towards the nude pool. It has a swim-up bar, and a couple of tables and benches in the water. We met up with our other friends, grabbed some drinks, and sank into the blissful awareness that we did not have to worry about a THING! Anytime anyone went towards the bar, we could call out our drinks and they would magically appear. It is amazing how much you can remember when you don’t have to worry about anything else!

Not too long after we got into the pool, we realized we were hungry … but were told if we just held out for half an hour, the jerk chicken would be arriving (4:00 on the dot every afternoon!). When we heard the call, two of us took orders and went to grab our portions. Yes, it really is better in Jamaica. In the pool. Naked. Yes, really.

The whole vacation runs pretty much like this … you move from pool to hot tub to beach to pool to someone’s room to pool to beach to hot tub to pool … oh, with stops in the dining room during meal times! The dance club is awesome at night, the water slide runs during the day, there are activities you can (and will, believe it or not) participate in each evening. There are three restaurants on-site: Jamaican, Italian, and Hibachi. The Hibachi and Italian restaurants have a Jamaican flair, and are incredibly delicious.

The drinks flow freely, but since they are there all the time, most of us don’t feel the need to drink much. There are no other stresses - there is no need to *force* yourself to relax with alcohol! The only “appointments” you have to make are for dinner reservations in the restaurants (if you choose to eat in one) or massages/waxes/manicures in the spa (spa activities are not free, sadly. But they are no more than if you pay for them at home).

One of the things that makes you feel great from the moment you step into the resort is when the staff looks at you and says, “Welcome home!” in their beautiful Jamaican lilt. I miss Jamaica this year … I wonder if it misses me?

So, tonight when I finally fall asleep, I will be dreaming of where I *should* be this weekend: in the pool in Jamaica, cuddled up to my friends, floating around and drinking a Purple Rain.

xoxo

6 Responses to “Jamaica-me-not … (NaBloPoMo #9)”

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