| BAHAMAS |
A SUNSHINING RABBITHOLE
We spent the trip into international waters day-drinking and blasting throwback songs from our best 90's playlists. Sailing on this mega yacht really takes booze cruise to a whole new level.
Mentally, it's like I fell into this tropical stupor that inhibits my senses from seeing or feeling things clearly. I fell down the rabbit hole so to speak and landed inside the sun.
It's our first morning in the Bahamas. Hours ago I watched our first sunrise in paradise. Well, Brooks and I watched it together from the deck off our stateroom. We arrived in the Bahamas sometime yesterday afternoon, but we only reached the Exumas this morning; we've been weaving in and out of sandy cays ever since.
We've encountered some other yachts and boats, but so much of the island chain is completely unpopulated. Desolate in a beautiful way.
That's what I'm thinking at breakfast when Brooks runs past me.
"See you later," he says, kissing my cheek.
"After sunset," Travis echoes.
The guys sprint across the deck in a blur of color.
"No, I said it starts at sunset! Be here!" I shout after Travis.
"Yea, yeah," one of them mumbles."
The boys jump off the boat in rapid succession –from the middle deck. Alex's striped board shorts are the last things I see before a splash of seafoam.
The bag of snorkel gear is still open on the table, right where they left it –next to the sunscreen bottles. Ten different SPF options, bronzers, sprays, lotions, you name it.
"Dumb boys," Meg says, rolling her eyes.
"Mhmm," I agree, slicing a mango.
"I can't wait for a good yoga sesh. Been so long since I've stretched –gotten any exercise," Lauren says.
"Sunset yoga is goals. Still think we should have pushed for sunrise yoga though," Whit jokes.
"Just be happy the boys agreed to yoga at all," Meg says. "Don't think Nate knows what he signed up for."
"Very true. What's on the yoga schedule anyway?" Whit asks.
"Ask yogi queen over there," Meg shrugs, looking at me.
"Such a loyal subject." I fake a bow.
I walk across the deck to the railing and watch the guys swim towards a reef visible in the see-through water.
"I'm thinking that place –right there." I squint my eyes and point to an island about 200 yards from the MS (Yes, Mobile Star).
"There?" Lauren says.
"For sunset yoga, yes. It's perfect." I nod.
"As long as we don't have to swim there," Trix says, joining us on the deck. "I am in."
"Good because you already agreed," I tease.
"What are we doing until sunset though?" Lauren asks, polishing off her morning yogurt parfait.
"Why is everyone looking at me? I'm not the travel guide," I whine.
"But you are queen," Meg laughs.
"You're basically co-leader of this Bach party, hun. Considering it's Mr. Brooks' mega yacht," Trix says.
I shake my head and fold my arms. "What about Lauren? She's the one actually part of the family."
"Hey!" Lauren shouts.
"Precursor!" Trix pretends to cough the word.
I shoot her an obvious glare, but can't stop the smirk, absentmindedly twisting my incognito engagement ring.
"Fine. Fine. Beach hunt?" I suggest.
"Yas. Def beach hunt. Need a good girls' day," Trix says.
"Do we swim? Or take that blow-up boat thing?" Whit asks.
Meg snorts with laughter. Much appreciated, Meg.
"Oh, I think I saw paddleboards down there," Lauren says.
"Travel queen?" Trix smirks at me.
I roll my eyes. Can't argue with the bride-to-be, right?
"Let's take the wave-runners," I tell them. "And we'll tow the paddleboards."
Thirty minutes and lots of salty hair later, the five of us end up finding a secluded cay just out of sight from the boys. Pretty sure it's the one I spotted from the deck. Can't say I'm eager to have a feminist reenactment of Lord of the Flies though, so MS is staying in view at all times. I didn't like LOST that much.
Lauren and Whit roll out a palm-print beach blanket, weighted down by the cooler. Trix is already pouring some type of daiquiri into coconut shells and I am pretty sure this should all be on a postcard.
Meg and I just finished pulling the paddleboards onto the beach. We stash the wave-runner keys inside the center box and pile the floats up next to the cooler.
The crescent beach is perfect. The weather is perfect. Trix's mango daiquiris are perfect.
"Cannot believe I let you talk me into leaving our phones on the boat," Lauren says, looking at me.
"You'll thank me later. Not like you need it." I shrug.
"Seriously. I feel naked without it," Whit says.
"Guys, look around. It's paradise. Do you see any phones in paradise? No." I shake my head, matter-of-factly. "And speaking of paradise... I think this is the spot," I say, stretching out on the blanket.
"Hmm?" Trix asks.
"For yoga class."
"Sold." Meg rolls over on the sand beside me.
Whit reapplies her lip-gloss after almost every sip of her drink. Lauren's oversized sunglasses take up half her face. Trix's straw hat shades her face perfectly. Me? I feel every single ray hitting every inch of my face. I revel in it.
Is this really the girls' day I had in mind?
"Who wants to paddleboard around the cay?" Meg asks.
"Oh my god you read my mind," I say, jumping up.
"No way. I just got comfortable." Lauren laughs.
"I need to relax," Trix adds. "Drink my daiquiri."
"You're going to turn into a daiquiri, babe," I joke.
"We just laid down," Whit says, confused.
I see her combing her hair in my periphery, full set of bangles on her wrist. Meg rolls her eyes at me.
"Just us two, then," Meg says brightly. "I'll get the sunscreen, you get the water."
I grab two bottles out of the cooler and follow Meg to the water. I pull my sunnies off my head as we push our paddleboards over the flat waves.
YOU ARE READING
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