Resurfacing

 

Swam in the pool this morning with SwimVacation President, Hopper. He saw our slideshow last night, and throughout our workout, I keep thinking of more things to tell him about the trip..."Oh yeah and...." "Oh yeah and...." That will probably last another week or so. I feel heavy in the freshwater pool and catch myself looking for turtles. All I see are hairballs and that damn black line....

I like to try to do a final post when I get home from each trip, and each time, it's a really bitter sweet process for me. I love reveling in the past week just a little more, but it's also hard to know it's over (especially with the thermometer below 20 F this morning).

We all meandered off the boat by 9am on Saturday so the crew could get it ready for the next guests - they had only three hours to do it! Hugs for them - Kerry and Bazza I'll see again in just three months time, but my Princess Lulu, well, I don't know. I have faith I'll see her again in some exciting place, for some fun adventure, but in the mean time, well, it was a messy goodbye.

Paul and Jamie were headed to the airport on Tortola, while Alison & Ken, Bob & Judy and Will, Megan and I were all headed to St. Thomas by ferry. Somehow we were all booked on separate ferries, but we managed to connect in the airport before our respective planes took off.

As I sat in the airport eating an overpriced, overcooked veggie burger, I felt myself beginning to decompress from the week. We crammed so much into each day that I surfed on the adrenaline and joy into the next day. As we said our goodbyes to our new friends, I sat down and could barely keep my eyes open.

It was a pretty uneventful flight back up north to Boston, and once the clouds obscured my view to that impossible blue water of the Caribbean sea, I closed the window shade. I don't like watching the scenery change as much on the way home. When I did look again, I was treated to a stunning sunset - a perfect cap to a great week.

Bus to Portland, shivering, freezing, so glad I packed my hat. husband comes to collect me, son runs into my arms when I walk through the door. Climb into bed with fresh sheets and lie there in the dark for a while. Could it really be that just this morning I awoke to tropical air coming through my hatch on Promenade? Is it possible that just yesterday I swam three miles along the shore of Peter Island? Yes and yes. And now I'm in my wonderful, cozy home, all decked out for the holidays. I'm fit and tan from a week of incredible swimming, and now I get to share the photographs from the week with our friends and family. I'll spend the week editing, and get a big bunch of complimentary photographs to our guests just after Christmas. They'll ring in the new year with great memories of the things they accomplished last week, and new confidence to bring to 2012. As Alison said, Life is Good.

Actually, it's pretty great.

Until next time, friends, keep your strokes long, and don't forget to anchor.

- Heather

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