This is the first time in years that I have gone abroad and not written a post every single day. Maybe it was that this trip was so short, or that the Bahamas seemed less and less like a foreign country the closer we got to them (though there was plenty of Spanish on the ship and in Miami).
So, I will do a retrospective post instead. Sitting in the airport, spending five hours waiting for a flight after doing just enough Miami exploration to call it a day.
TL;DR: Went on a four-night cruise to the Bahamas for my friends' (Greg and Lesley's) wedding with my travel buddy Nyk. Met their friends and family and re-met college buddies. Played board games, karaoke, and a scavenger hunt. Sat in the sun, in hot tubs, and in attendance at a beautiful wedding.
Day 1: DC to Miami to Royal Carribbean's "Adventure of the Seas"
We got up at the crack of dawn to catch our flight straight to Miami. Ellie had gotten picked up by Renee the night before, so my dog was taken care of already that morning.
I was doing the typical last minute tango of adding and subtracting items into my bag, but it was an easy flight, an easy transfer, an easy purchase of two bottles of wine and a big bottle of sunscreen (the non-carry-on-able things), and an easy arrival at the port.
One of the major themes of the trip was lines. It wasn't even "hurry up and wait", it was just plain "wait." We ran into Teddy (the first of a couple of CMU acquaintances I got to know better in the last five days), and began the first line. Then the line to the line. Then we got to sit in a line. After about twenty minutes, and some debate on whether we were in a stack or a queue, my friend and travel partner Nyk made a hilarious computer science joke - "it's like we're in a heap and they've lost all reference to us."
But they didn't lose us, and we made it on to the ship two hours later. We booked it to the dining hall, ate, then our rooms were supposed to be ready. Which, in our head, meant a nap. Or was it first exploring and then a nap? Either way, we mapped out the ship and caught up on those wee morning hours of sleep that were missed. And got our first of many fruity drinks in the sun. And the dedication to take a selfie a day.
Dinner was at six, and - besides the glimpses of others passing us in the terminal - it was our first chance to solidify and meet up with others along for the cruise.
Nyk and I got to meet Lesley's coworkers (and former coworkers) that are out in California during that first dinner, which I appreciated. We had great conversation and then scurried up to the welcome reception. After a party game, so more connections and names, the lounge we were in turned into karaoke... So we joined in! I "convinced" a fellow CMUer Frank and a new friend Carmen and another guest to sing Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time." It is actually in a great range for karaoke, if you are ever thinking about it.
We arrived back to our room to find the first of what was going to be our growing family of towel animals - a dog! And he was wearing my sunglasses!
Day 2: Day at Sea
Today was loaded with things to do, but the first was to do a couple laps on the track on deck! I kept my eyes peeled for whales and dolphins, but (spoiler alert) didn't see any this trip. However, without Internet, it was discussed but impossible to know just how many elephants big is a blue whale, so the threat of one attacking the cruise ship was uncertain. (Someone at dinner mentioned their fear of whales, and it spiraled.)
After that, it was time for sun. 11am and the pool was already crowded. I put on my bathing suit and layers of sunscreen and started my relaxation time.
It was good I got the hour there to relax, because it was right after lunch that the next adventure began. Greg and Lesley organized a scavenger hunt for us! Not just a wedding, but a wedding with competition! Nyk and I were at an advantage after exploring the ship the day before, but my team was no match for his in competition. We saluted the captain, "rowed" a lifeboat, got a styled mohawk (not me, actually), collected pictures of miscellaneous items (including a golfball, a red hat, a diaper, a tote bag, and a book), and spied on the other teams. However, the group was a stickler for rules, and we had quite a few dubiously disqualified. (That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!)
We made it back in time to dress up for dinner and sit with a different group. It was fancy night! Briana (Lesley's cousin) and Rob were fun to interact with. He got quizzed on his yacht chartering business - the only non-programmer at a table, and he had it coming.
Sadly, dinner was not one of the better ones. There was food that didn't take good, miscommunications, and awkwardness.
Regardless, we made plans to meet for board games, popped in on "The Newlywed Game"... And I found a French bartender that poured a mean glass of wine. Oh, Cristian!
Day 3: Coco Cay
After looking it up before the trip, I was sad to find that the cruise called it Coco Kay, instead of Coco Key. I had studied that pronouncation, and it was taken from me!
Regardless, we grabbed some food and hopped on the shuttle boat that would take us from the cruise ship into the cove of the private island. Cruise lines made this into a tourist island haven - there was a nature trail to jog along with lizards (and chickens), as well as a mile or two of sandy beach.
Nyk and I took an hour to run around the island before changing. We attempted to eat lunch, but ended up with a couple hotdogs and some curious meat after massive lines and people made it hard to get more. It was definitely the worst meal. But, laying on the beach - that part was quite fine.
We found yet another line to wait in to take the shuttle back, but we found amusement playing the card game War. I made a comeback with just three cards left (won a War and kept going), but we never completed the game, so only God (and the fact that the game is completely deterministic) knows who would have won.
It was lobster night, but after that disappointing lunch, it was most definitely snack time. We enjoyed it at the very stern of the ship. Water everywhere!
A few lobster tails later, and it was yet again a night of board games, (casino, if you were Nyk), and some early-to-bed. We had a wedding to get to the next morning!
Day 4: Nassau, "The Poop Deck" at Sandyport, and a wedding!
We got our breakfast and made it off the ship at 9am, just as we were supposed to. The next couple hours happened on Island Time. Eventually the buses to take us to the location and restaurant showed up. Eventually they figured out we were there for the wedding and not just to hang out at the beach. Eventually the restaurant opened up. Eventually we were seated. And soon there after... The ceremony!
The waves crashing in the background made it tough to hear, but we all just leaned in and made it an intimate ceremony. It was a Jew-ish wedding, so I got to learn about the chuppah (a canopy representing a house held by friends and family) and Greg got to break a glass to symbolize how completely this marriage changes their lives - as impossible to go back as to put together that glass again.
And then, that was that! It was time for food, a first dance, a father-daughter, a son-mother, and some extremely heartfelt speeches. If waiting in line was the theme of the cruise, crashing with Lesley and Greg was the theme of the reception. Everyone talked about a time that Greg and Lesley came to the rescue and housed them. Or they were roommates , so it didn't count.
There were a couple fun surprises thrown in. Lesley's sister sang. The cake exchange was almost civil. And "The Shoe Game" (Greg and Lesley blindly picking which of the pair of them had certain trait - like cleanliness - or were better at something - like programming) was highly amusing.
It was with regret that we all headed back to the ship (to stand in line, again, though this time I won at Dots, so much more successful than War).
Dinner was with a smaller group, since others had decided to go to Johnny Rockets for burgers. (I just had sliders in the fancy dining room.) I was ready for some chillaxing time before hot tub at 9, so I watched Iron Chef in the room while Nyk whiled away his time at the poker table. I finally got some time to catch up with Lesley (and her sister) while we semi-watched "Some Like It Hot" in the hot tub. (I just now see how appropriate that movie title is...)
It was yet again another night of board games with wine. There was a group that was playing D&D, and those of us observing decided on a meta-drinking game, where keywords turned into sips of said wine. We got bored and played a real game (which we won - again. Pandemic is easy now that I actually set up the board properly instead of shuffling the cards back in immediately) before a final turn-in.
Day 5: Miami to DC
We awoke to finish our packing and say goodbye to our blossoming family. The swan and the elephant had joined the menangrie.
It was a disappointing 9:05am when we were told the dining room was closed for breakfast. We scrounged up some pastries and spent the next forty-five minutes hungrily clinging to our phones that now fed us with Internet and texts.
There was another purpose to this Internet. Nyk and I were planning on dropping our bags somewhere and then being a little bit of tourists in Miami. We (well, maybe just me) chose Vizcaya, a villa on the bay with art, architecture, and gardens.
We sprung for the tour, and, as we headed inside, who did we see but two of the other guests from the cruise! JJ and Jeff wandered through the tour with us. Our guide was knowledgable, but didn't pause for a second. It was a breathless tour.
We ate, wandered the gardens, then finished with a classic "prospector" pose - one of the scavenger hunt clues asked for that and it became a pervasive trend on JJ's team.
They volunteered to drop us off back at the airport. (This seemed more tempting than waiting for the Miami Metrorail to meander through.) We arrived five hours early, with hopes to jump on an earlier flight.
Since there was a change fee, we found Teddy one final time (started and ended this trip with that boy) and napped or read (or blogged) until his boarding time.
And now, it is just an hour until our boarding time. One more country, one more travel partner, and one beautiful beachside wedding that is now going to be the yardstick for all the others I go to.
Congratulations, Greg and Lesley!
