On my final morning in Bonaire, I was bummed. There were all these amazing dive spots I really wanted to check out—Bonaire’s claim to fame is its dive scene, after all—but didn’t have time because I was getting my advanced degree and also my purpose for being there in the first place was Celebrate the [...]
Taking the Plunge: Becoming an Advanced Diver
March 8, 2011 By 43 Comments
Back when I was in Bonaire last August, I did something I never thought I’d have any desire to do: I became an advanced open water SCUBA diver. Now, if you remember correctly, a mere five years ago, I was terrified of being in open water of any form—lake, river, ocean, it mattered not. And [...]
Photo Friday: South Shore, Bonaire
November 19, 2010 By 18 Comments
The most bizarre part about Bonaire is how deserted so much of it is; a narrow paved road that rings the perimeter seems to lead to nowhere across the flat, barren landscape. Vast regions on both the north and south side of the isle lay wide open spaces, uninhabited. Uninhabited, I should say, save the [...]
Photo Friday: Elizabeth Harbour, Bahamas
October 21, 2010 By 20 Comments
The thing about the Bahamas is that it’s a short, extremely affordable jaunt from the mainland US—a mere hour if you’re in Atlanta, a couple if you’re up in New England. So how people can go back to the beaches of say, Florida, after experiencing this sort of paradise is beyond me when it’s essentially [...]
Photo Friday: Paradise Island, Bahamas
October 15, 2010 By 26 Comments
It was rainy during my only full day in Nassau, meaning no lazing about the pool. Instead, I decided to trek over to the famous Atlantis resort to wander the premises. I had often heard Atlantis compared to a Vegas hotel. Well, I’m no fan of Vegas, so I expected to feel the same way [...]
Swimming in Sharky Waters
October 13, 2010 By 33 Comments
Hey, remember this girl? The one who wouldn’t go further into the ocean than knee-wading depth thanks to her overwhelming fear of sharks? The one who was too terrified of all things water-related to even close her eyes in the shower? Oh right, her. Well, I’m not sure where That Girl went exactly, though sources [...]
A Comedy of Errors*
October 10, 2010 By 33 Comments
Really, I’m surprised Angie had the courage to invite me back to the Bahamas, knowing my infamous luck—or lack thereof; where I go, cyclones tend to follow—and having traveled with me a couple years back. On that particular trip, I caught some mysterious stomach bug that had me spontaneously puking off the front of our [...]
Bonaire: Freedom of Diving
September 30, 2010 By 16 Comments
Bonaire’s an interesting place in terms of the dive scene. Whereas in other countries, they stress that you always have a buddy and it’s rare that you’re allowed to go off on your own without a dive group—not to mention, you’re often limited to three dives a day—the opposite is precisely the mantra on this [...]
Exploring the Caribbean’s “Friendly Island”
August 23, 2010 By 5 Comments
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of one of my favorite commenters, Orion, whose mom unknowingly dubbed this glaring pink site “Camel Cupcakes.” (It’s partially for him that I have a new gender-friendly banner and theme that will go live in the next month!) Orion has a riveting life working in the oil industry up in [...]
Photo Friday: La Habana, Cuba
March 13, 2009 By 34 Comments
Do any of you out there work for the IRS? No? Good. Because a few years ago, I did something that wouldn’t really fly with our federal employee friends: I packed up and went to Cuba. What prompted me to do such a thing? Well, I met a girl, Andi, through CouchSurfing in New York, [...]
