Travel Day – Every summer our family heads south for vacation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then over to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas. Our daughter’s Grandparents have a beach house on Green Turtle Cay, Abaco. My wife and I designed the house in 2007 for them, and we were married on the island after the house was completed in 2008. As a family we typically spend a week at the beach house during the summer enjoying the island and all of its quaintness and hospitality. You get around the island by golf cart, and you need to remember to drive on the left side, British road rules.
So here is a little side story about getting married in the Bahamas. I think my wife had always imagined getting married in the Bahamas from the stories she would tell me. And after the grandparent’s beach house was completed, we planned to get married on the island as she had wished for. I am pretty sure she had the beach where the ceremony was to be held already picked out. She also wanted the ceremony to happen at sunset which means that the ceremony would not finish until well past sunset.
When we met with the minister who oversees a small parish on the island and noted her wish for a sunset wedding, he said that we could not get married after sunset. He then explained why. And here is what he told us with a bit of a grin on his face, but he made it clear that this was factual and we believed him.
“Back in the days when the pirates basically were the overlords running various islands, brides were often exchanged with a different bride after dark when the pirates were drunk and could not see clearly. So, the pirates banded together to make a rule that marriages had to be completed before sunset and that the groom was not allowed to drink before the marriage. A drinking party could be held the day before the marriage but not on the day of the marriage.
Ultimately, when the British took over control of the Bahamas, they also adopted this pirate rule and made it law.”
My wife and I got married just before sunset thanks to the “Pirates of the Bahamas” tradition. And we had the pirates “get everyone drunk party” on the day before the ceremony. Drinking only happened after the vows were said and the bride was confirmed to be the real bride.
The ceremony started well before sunset. But before the ceremony was completed which was schedule to happen a few minutes before sunset, the minister stopped the ceremony, and we walked to a table where there was this large book opened to a prepared page that graphically looked like a family tree, and there was a fancy pen set in the gap of the fold of the register. I was not expecting this, and neither was my future bride. But it was a pleasant surprise.
The open book was the official Bahamian marriage register that we had to sign along with the parents and witnesses. We were told that this book was to be kept in a vault in Nassau where all official records are kept. Once this register was signed by all required parties, we then returned to the ceremony and its conclusion with the traditional kiss. Hope you enjoyed this side story.
Ok, back to my vacation and the worries I was experiencing.
So, this will be my first trip back to the island after experiencing my major medical event back in November. I have been concerned about traveling on the plane to Florida and then on the boat crossing over to the Bahamas. If something were to happen during the crossing, there is no quick medical support to help you. You are basically on your own to survive and this was a big worry for me.
And then of course, getting back to Florida by boat and then back to Virginia by plane was another worry that I carried. These worries are considered normal after a major medical event such as mine and do mess with your mind with the various “what if” scenarios.
But after completing my cardiac rehab and my first three months at the gym, I felt a new energy running through my body and my mind was beginning to become happy again. I was confident in my ability to survive all of these journeys, and to enjoy them while doing so. Also, my doctors said that I was doing well and that they had no concerns as long as I was taking my medications. And these feelings are part of my recovery.
The morning of our travel day to Florida started out with some chaos of course. The girls started to antagonize each other, and my wife and I were trying to get the last-minute packing done. And as planned, she went to the office during the morning to get some work in while I focused on the final packing. I also had to mediate the arguing between the girls. We had an afternoon flight, and I did my best.
When she finally came home from the office we were mostly set to travel. The girls were now a bit calmer. It felt like the vacation was finally about to begin. One last thing, we needed to take our dog to the family he would be staying with while we were out of town. Fortunately, they lived just across from our townhouse, so it was a brief walk and then a knock on their door.
When we finally got to the airport, we had to navigate the check-in lines to check our luggage, and then off to the security checkpoint with the usual removing of the shoes, taking out the laptops and other digital devices and getting all of this onto the screening belt to be x-rayed.
This year my daughter’s medication was again flagged while we were going through security. Because of the age of the girls, we did not need to go through that swirling detector machine with our arms elevated. This machine always scares my special needs daughter.
After we moved pass the screening line, we retrieved our stuff except for my daughter’s medication. It was being thoroughly looked at with higher ups being called into the review process. After about fifteen minutes or so we were finally cleared and was given her medication to pack back into my backpack. We got to the gate and had some time to get some food and relax before boarding the plane.
The flight to Florida was basically uneventful.
Of course, there was the stress of flying and getting through that typical security routine of being checked thoroughly. For our family when flying together, our daughters typically can get us through the screening process a little bit more quickly. What typically delays us is having my daughter’s seizure medication checked and cleared by TSA since it is a clear prescription medicine and we must take more than the allowed ounces in our carry on. We used to carry emergency seizure medication as well but that stopped several years ago.
We landed safely and started our typical Florda stopover at the grandparents’ house.
Once we arrived at the grandparent’s house, we unloaded all of the luggage and began the sorting process of what stays in Florida and what goes to the Bahamas. We then repack the selected clothing and goodies into duffle bags for the boat and smaller luggage for the plane. The flights to the Bahamas typically have a weight restriction for each piece of luggage you bring.
While us parents are working on the luggage and duffels repacking, the girls are typically enjoying pool time before dinner. We then take a break and get in some pool time as well. Sometimes I will have a glass of wine during this relaxing period.
After swimming in the pool for about an hour, it is time for dinner which is usually cheese pizza, garlic rolls, and Minestrone soup.
Once we have finished stuffing ourselves with this really fine Italian feast, we load the boat with all of the non-perishables and selected duffle bags. We also load any items needed for the house and make sure everything is secured for the crossing. Now it is time to get the girls ready for bed, which has always been stretched out by them until the later hours in the evening. This is allowed since it is vacation time at the Grandparents’ house. And it gives me and grandma a chance to enjoy another glass of wine before calling it a day.
We will finish loading the boat in the morning, our day of departure, with all the frozen and other cold foods. Time to get some rest. The crossing will be exhausting as always.
Good night. Hopefully my dreams will be of clam water…
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