dirty bananas and bbcs.

Well, it's been one month since John and I said our "I do's." Time flies when you're having fun...or so they say :) In all seriousness, I have enjoyed every single second of marriage, thus far. It's not only fun, but also fulfilling, exciting, motivating, interesting, full of laughter and love. It's the small things that make it so great, like waking up to a kiss on the cheek every single morning, throwing away the used coffee filter left from John's morning cup of Joe, folding his clean socks and making sure his pillow is fluffed, and taking that deep sign of relief together as we plop onto the couch at day's end. I love serving John and playing my role as "wife." It is such an honor to be his accountability partner and companion. I look forward to the many more months we'll share down the road.

With all of that being said, one month ago today John and I were headed to the beautiful island of St. Lucia for our honeymoon. Words and pictures cannot describe the splendor of the island and amazing time that we had. It doesn’t hurt to try, though, right? To recap, we stayed at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian. Of the three Sandals resorts on the island, our resort was the farthest from the airport…about a two-hour plus drive, to be exact. Lucky for us, we got to see the entire island and all that it has to offer: banana plantations, pot holes, emaciated cows and horses, rainforests, local life, harbours, mountains and rolling hills, unique beaches, communities, lacrosse games in action, resorts, and hotels, all while driving on the left side of the road (talk about anxiety). Upon arrival to the hotel, we were greeted with rum punch and cold washcloths. Our vacation had only just begun…

Over the span of the week, we did it all. One morning we woke up, ate breakfast at the buffet, and headed to Pigeon Island National Park next to our resort to explore and hike up to Fort Rodney and Signal Peak. Fortunately, it was a bit overcast that morning so the hike up to Signal Peak wasn’t excruciatingly hot. Unfortunately, the minute we peaked the sky opened up and it began to pour. Thankfully, it didn’t rain very long and we were able to snap some shots before heading back down the hill.

A view of our resort from the top of Signal Peak.

On a clear day, you are able to see the island of Martinique from Signal Peak. British admiral George Rodney fortified Pigeon Island in 1778 and used Signal Peak to monitor the French fleet on Martinique. The views from up there were stunning. We then ventured over to Fort Rodney to explore, which housed a powder store, a couple of cannons, and again, incredible views.

Emblem on the cannons.

The soldier's barracks located in the National Park.

Our resort hosted a “beach party” one night that was an absolute blast. We got to taste varieties of local cuisine, drink water from coconuts, and enjoy cultural entertainment provided by a reggae band and dance group. Little did John know that he was going contribute to the entertainment that evening. Yes, I’m an awful wife, and volunteered my husband, who does NOT dance, nor have great rhythm, to boogie in front of the entire resort. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by his moves. It was quite impressive. John = trooper. Take a look (and try not to laugh too hard):

In return, John volunteered me to participate in the fire-breathing part of the show. I’m almost positive that fire-breathing is possibly the most dangerous and potentially harmful skill to be found in a circus. My instructions: stick your tongue out and breath out hard. Can you please humor me and try to do that? Because I can’t exhale for longer than three seconds. After my three seconds were up, I was ready to inhale and the flaming ball of fire was still inside my mouth. Long story short, there was no serious damage, but I did burn my tongue. I guess the husband and I were even.

Another morning, we got up bright and early went deep sea fishing with Tobias and Chris, two friends that we met from Canada. It was a fun experience, but definitely not the highlight of my week. I have never experienced swells that high before in my life (8-10 feet).

Our captain, Ferdinand (but, we called him by his last name, James), was a seasoned vet. He operated the boat and managed the lines like it was going out of business. Unfortunately, we lost three big fish, and caught one dinky one. Here is John with the only catch of the day.

He tends to over-exaggerate...

Over the length of our stay, we met a lot of people and made several friends to keep. One evening, a group of us decided to sign up for the “Sunset Sail” excursion. What we thought was going to be a romantic evening on a sailboat with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, ended up being a party cruise. We all laughed it off and took advantage of all the Spirit of Carnival had to offer!

It was a bit cloudy, but we managed to snap some shots of the beautiful sunset. We also sailed to Rodney Bay Marina, where the “Black Pearl” from Pirates of the Caribbean was docked. The night ended at the London Pub at our resort, where we dined and lounged with our friends. It was a great night full of laughter and fun.

The boys: John, Charlie, and Jeremy.

The girls: Lindsey, Sarah, and myself.

The "Black Pearl"

In the midst of all of the activities, we did find time to relax. We got a couples massage one afternoon that was quite entertaining. This was John’s first massage and I don’t know if it was nerves or just his outgoing personality, but he talked to the masseuse the entire time. Mostly, he was praising her for doing such a great job. I think that he really enjoyed it. We spent a lot of time on the beach and by the pool.

The sun was intense, so we would find ourselves in the water most of the time. John found a new love: the Hobie Cat, a small sailing catamaran. On our last day, I let him take me for a ride on it. He also wakeboarded, kayaked, and we both rode on the Aqua Cycle. Talk about a leg workout!

John taking a Hobie Cat lesson.

We ate way too much and drank one too many “Dirty Bananas”, “BBCs”, and “No Pressure, No Problems” (the St. Lucian motto). What I would do for one of those right now…Lastly, we made friends with a few of the locals. Peanut, our favorite comrade, made John a hat and myself an angel fish and grasshopper out of palm leaves. He was a riot and we enjoyed talking to him daily.

Sarah and I with Peanut and our angel fish.

Just the other day, John and I were naming all of the natives that we missed, including Peanut, Junior, our wild and crazy pool entertainer, Jimmy, Dawn, the masseuse, Neil, the pool bartender, Charlie, and John John. Good times with great people.

Our friends from Colorado at the Piano Bar.

John's entree from Toscanini's, the best restaurant at our resort.

After dinner on the beach one evening.

Overall, we had a remarkable time in St. Lucia. We were sad to leave, but our departure and final excursion was both thrilling and amazing. We were able to see the island by land on our way to the resort and didn’t feel up to taking the shuttle back to the airport and enduring that long drive again, so we splurged and signed up for a helicopter ride, viewing the entire island by air. The views from above were breathtaking. We saw the Pitons up close and personal, Oprah and Mick Jagger’s homes, Bill Gate’s yacht, the paths throughout the hilly terrain cleared by the hot lava of the volcano, and the rainforest. The 15 minute ride was such a rush and got us to the airport in no time.

Once we landed, reality kicked in, and it was “back to the states we go.” Both John and I have no doubt that we will be returning to our honeymoon spot very soon. In the meantime, the gulf will do and I’m on the hunt for a good “Dirty Banana” recipe.