South Florida – I have many memories of my multiple times living in South Florida. Some from my younger years and some from my adult years spanning multiple decades. And these memories bring to light the many highs and the many lows that I have experienced.
So, this time of year in South Florida it is not too humid, not like in August and early September. The daytime skies can be absolutely clear and cloudless. On some days the sky can be filled with little puffy white clouds. On other days you can watch the big dark clouds rolling in, presenting the next series of brief thunderstorms and heavy downpours only to give way to bright sunshine, recapturing the sky and forming brilliantly colored rainbows off in the distance.
And I will note that if you visit Fort Lauderdale during this time of the year and journey over to the beach you will find the sounds of music in many different genres and languages. And there is endless human chatter that you can secretly listen to. And then there are the sounds of children laughing and screaming in delight on the beach. I love Fort Lauderdale Beach during this time of the year.
And some of the best times for a young adult were during spring break in Fort Lauderdale. The tradition of coming to Fort Lauderdale and meeting fellow spring breakers has its roots way back in the nineteen thirties.
My spring break experiences come from the nineteen eighties and the early nineteen nineties. I will just say that the best wet t-shirt contests were during spring break on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The weather seemed to always be perfect and the people watching were the best during this time.
And downtown Fort Lauderdale has given me many fond memories too, especially from when I returned to college as an experienced adult with a young man’s desires. So, here are some of my memories of that time briefly noted.
So, when I returned to college for the second time, I had a little one-bedroom apartment about three blocks off Las Olas Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale. From this location I would ride my bike over to Fort Lauderdale Beach and hang out on sunny days to people watch while evaluating the quantity of skin exposure during the day. And there was always a lot of exposure.
I would also frequent some of the local eateries on Las Olas Boulevard in the day and party in the clubs at night. The jazz club was one of the hot spots for locals and tourists. I had a lot of good times at this club.
My college was in a ten-story building in downtown Fort Lauderdale so I could easily walk to classes from my apartment. If I drove, I would park in the garage which had the Miami Dolphins owner’s helipad on top and specially built for him. From our architecture studios we would often see his helicopter landing or taking off. I do have to admit it was a cool location to do your college studies. If I rode my bike to class, I would just take it up to our architecture studio which was located on the fourth floor.
Between classes, my friends and I would head over to one of our favorite restaurants for some food and beverages before our evening class began. My typical order was a dozen Key West Shrimp with Garlic Bread and a Corona with Lime Wedge. I am not a big beer drinker, and basically, I hate beer because of an event in my younger years as a teenager. But an ice-cold Corona with the Key West shrimp was an indulgence for me. We always went back to our next class feeling, well, overly refreshed.
Now back to my tempestuous Bahamas vacation for this year.
Day NINE – Tomorrow will be our last full day of vacation and so today will be a lazy day in general. Plus, my wife and my oldest daughter are still in the Bahamas and will be flying back to South Florida this afternoon.
I still am the first one up in the morning, but I don’t have to make a pot of coffee this morning. Now the exercise of making coffee is to simply put a coffee sized cup of water into the Keurig, pop in the selected k-pod and push start. Once my coffee was ready, I went outside to enjoy my hot beverage while watching the sky become brighter. I didn’t worry much about the bugs since the pool and patio are enclosed with a screen enclosure. This is how my mornings start in South Florida at the girl’s grandparent’s house.
This morning, my youngest daughter was determined to sleep for as long as possible. From yesterday’s crossing we were still exhausted, and I was a bit toasted from the sun. I was hoping to get a bit of a tan before heading back to Virginia and that is what happened. Well, maybe a little more than planned, but I needed to feel alive. So, I cooled my red skin with some chilly aloe vera lotion.
As the morning progressed, and the heat and humidity began to rise, we cooled off by going into the pool before noon. As I sank into the slightly warm, but still cool, body of water, I began to relax and float, and I felt the stress of the morning, and from the return crossing, escaping my bodily envelope. My muscles gave way to my mind telling me that this year’s journey was almost at an end and that there will be more rum to consume next year.
This is one of the things that make our annual summertime Bahamas trip so enjoyable and relaxing. Pool time in South Florida at the grandparent’s house with some wine nearby, and of course, the beach sand plus the rum in the Bahamas. And that is what I do to remove the stress of life and recapture my energy during our summertime vacation.
Later in the afternoon granddad headed out to pick up my wife and my older daughter. After they got home, it was decided that we would go out for dinner since grandma and grandad did not feel like cooking. No one disagreed. Now that everyone is back in South Florida, we new we needed to begin the process of collecting dirty clothes to wash them before packing for the trip back to Virginia.
While our Bahamas vacation started off with several days of delays in getting to the islands, there were now some new personal stresses that were beginning to develop while we were in the islands. And from what I was experiencing from my significant other while in the islands, what happened next was something that I felt was coming. And this feeling was based on the observation that my wife was no longer calling me by endearing husband names.
I was now simply being called by my first name. And I mean every reference and request being barked was only by reference to my first name. And there was a notice of distance with movement in and around the house, and it felt like a deliberate avoidance.
As the evening approached bedtime, my older daughter bunked with me and my younger daughter bunked with my wife. And this is the way it would be until we journeyed back to Virginia.
Day TEN – Today was our last day to chill before heading back to Virginia. Once again, I was the first one to get up and I needed my coffee. I didn’t sleep well. I was beginning to put together in my mind what was coming next in my life’s journey. So far, my recovery had become pretty much a solo journey starting in February, and I was now wondering if my life would also be following this path. Only time will tell.
It was a beautiful morning, and I enjoyed my coffee sitting outside by the pool. It wasn’t too hot yet and the humidity was comfortable. I just sat watching the sun rise higher in the sky and thinking about getting back to the gym and back to work. I never really get a full vacation since every morning, even I the Bahamas, I am checking emails and doing various tasks that need to be done for the College.
Everyone went swimming in the afternoon, which was bright and sunny. The pool water was warm and without typical pool chemicals. Grandad uses salt to condition the water, so the pool is like an extension of the clear Bahamas ocean water we had recently left. The pool is a great place to just simply relax and soak up some sun with family.
Other family members came to visit the girls today and went into the pool as well. Grandma was preparing an end of vacation meal. And there was plenty of wine and spirits set aside for the evening. I started my wine consumption in the afternoon out by the pool. Today’s family events were just another typical South Florida sendoff at the grandparent’s house.
After the guest said their goodbyes and departed, Grandma started the process of preparing dinner. Dinner consisted of beef tenderloins and lobster tails. It was a feast with plenty of wine.
After dinner, everyone pitched in to help with washing dishes, pots and pans, and anything else that required effort to make sure that Grandma could enjoy the last night with the girls. This included playing cards and other games while finishing off at least one bottle of wine.
While the girls and grandma played games, my wife and I began the arduous task of sorting and packing the clothes and island souvenirs into appropriate luggage for the journey home. Once everything was packed except for the items being left out for the next day, I went for one last glass of wine before bed.
Now it is time for bed. The day was filled with visitors, food, wine and spirits. And I was a little toasted with some red skin. I hoped that I would sleep better tonight. And as I began to drift off to sleep, I wondered what the journey home would be like.
Whatever…
“Follow my story for new vignettes”