Well, we’ve finally arrived at the big day: it’s Antigua Eve! Tomorrow morning at 7 a.m., assuming all goes according to schedule (which, as we all know, is a huge and hopeful assumption when it comes to air travel), Mike and I will be on a plane headed for the Leeward Islands. I waffle between being so excited to head out that I want to leave right now and being so anxious about leaving my home and animals in the care of others that I could sit down and have a good long cry, if I’d let myself do that.
But I won’t, because it’s ridiculous. Poor, pitiful me–I have to go to Antigua! For a week!
I won’t be blogging next week, of course, but I’ll schedule shares of some older posts on the She Dwells Facebook page and Twitter feeds. (If you’re not yet following them–well, what are you waiting for? There’s also an email subscription option in the sidebar, if you’re old school and prefer to make sure you don’t miss a thing.) For today, though, I’ll provide you with this list of five things I’m looking forward to enjoying in Antigua.
1. Sea turtles. Leatherback sea turtles nest on the beach in Antigua; nesting season begins in April. We’re probably going to be too early to see any hatchlings, but I’m really hopeful to see a mama nesting. The resort where we’ll be staying, Galley Bay, is involved with conserving the dwindling leatherback population. The fact that it’s a “green” resort is one of many reasons we chose it.
2. Sunshine. You’d think, coming from south Texas, that I might be looking for a break from the sun. Actually, we’ve been having a really dreary late spring/early summer. On the one hand, no one can be too sad about this, because we all know the daily temperature will be approaching (and exceeding) 100 degrees before too long, and the sun will be broiling us slowly. Still, I’ve really been missing the sunshine. At only 17 degrees north of the equator, Antigua is sure to have a lot of it.
3. Being unplugged. Although the resort does have wifi access in certain areas, I’ve already decided to make an effort to stay offline as much as possible. I’ll be checking in with my kids on a regular basis, but that’s it. My brain needs a break.
4. Spending quality time with Mike. Even though the two of us communicate better than pretty much any other couple I know, we’re as guilty of bad habits as anyone else. We don’t give each other our full attention (especially if there’s a phone in someone’s hand)–we listen until we think we get the gist, then tune out and miss an important detail. We spend too much time talking about less important things, like who’s taking the dog to the dog park and whether the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty–and as a result, we spend too little time talking about the really important things. This week, with the decks cleared, that balance will shift.
5. Relaxation. For the next week, there will be no dogs to walk or laundry to do. No meals to shop for or prepare. No pet mess to clean up. Nothing to do, in fact, except exactly what I want to do. Maybe I’ll read. Maybe I’ll walk through and take photographs in the bird sanctuary. Maybe I’ll go to one of the cooking classes offered at the resort. Maybe I’ll go to the morning yoga class. Maybe I’ll just recline in a hammock and let the ocean breeze rock me to sleep in the middle of the day.
I hope you’ll enjoy revisiting some of the earlier posts I wrote for She Dwells while I’m on vacation. See you in a week!
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