GRENADA, WEST INDIES

hi peeps!
It's November 2021 and we are officially 20 months from the start of the COVID pandemic. So yeah, travel has not been on our priority list. Our last trip was one month shy of two years ago (!!) which is the most we have gone together without a venture to somewhere new (or old) to us. We are so privileged to be able to travel and to know the feeling of missing it. Now the time has come to reunite with 3AM alarms, airport crowds and that good ole' fashioned overwhelm of navigating new territories. Kidding - but all of those things are real. But they're fun things! One thing we certainly have learned in our years together as travelers and as two people in a relationship is the benefit of a positive outlook amidst the chaos that life can and will bring on the day to day, week to week, of life. Not to negate the very real stressors of life and of travel - but we have navigated both with non-productive ego responses (which makes things worse) and with productive humility and self-reflection (which improves the sitch) so we try to choose the latter as much as we can realize it. K. Back to the trip. This trip was booked entirely by Matt... which is a first. He, being the kind soul he is, wanted us to go somewhere for my 30th birthday and I requested that perhaps he book it so I don't have to think about it - a gift in itself. Around six weeks from our departure, Matt booked the flight, accommodations, a rental vehicle, had completed the COVID procedural requirements, and had already purchased a birthday gift without my consult or opinion. Impressed/freaked/excited are words to describe how I felt to have found this out  - so much planning and coordinating goes into our travels (though we are still last minute with packing/extensive planning). Most of our trips are adventurous, but this trip was a true vacación - our first all-inclusive, resort-oriented, beach-walkout, butler-helping, room-serviced, relaxing-as-f*ck vacation. Nothing but smooth sand, tans, food, drink, and lots and lots of near-the-equator sunshine.
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Follow along --

DAY 1 - ARRIVING TO GRENADA

Gosh, this feels foreign. We stayed at a hotel near the airport for our early AM flight in CT. With all of the COVID requirements, we almost didn't board. We read on this flight-prep app that a physical copy of our negative COVID test were required to board. We had a screenshot of the results on our phone along with the attestation of travel to Grenada and proof of vaccination. All of which Matt took care of prior to our day of travel. But luckily, the airport attendant accepted the screenshotted version of our negative results. Due to all of these new requirements, though known to us but unaware of the time added to checking in, we almost missed our flight. We ran over to the terminal and hopped on the plane without grabbing any snacks or food for the flight. We stopped in Miami before landing in the humid and hot island of Grenada. I'm in love. We step off the plane onto blacktop before walking to the tiniest airport we have seen in all of our travels. It looked no bigger than a grocery store at home and we loved it. We checked in, was cleared by Grenadian officials and grabbed our rental car. Turns out, not many people drive rentals on the island (we'll find out why later). The rental company employee joked that they have been waiting for us and we drove on the left side of the road to our resort. And those wonderful feelings of travel set in. Newness, change, a fresh perspective in the West Indie sun. We checked in to the main entrance only be told we have a *separate* entrance for the Diamond Club. Matt went all out for my birthday, so much pressure!! I was so uncomfortable the first few hours when we met our butler (!!), the staff that will be waiting on us and upon seeing our room. The freaking place walks out to our private pool area which leads to the beach. The room was fresh, wood floors and white linen. The shower looked fancy and there was a plate of fresh fruit upon arriving. It was so all too much and yet, so perfect. If you've traveled with us before, you know we willingly and preferably "rough it" with the base necessities as our room is usually where we spend the least amount of time. But here? Well, we can get used to this.

DAY 2 -

After eating at one of the three all-inclusive restaurants for dinner last night, we enjoyed a drink by the pool at night before making our way to bed. The resort comes equipped with an area specific for the Diamond Club members that included wait staff bringing you all-inclusive drinks and snacks while you hung out on the beach. Our phone service makes it a little difficult to send photos back home, but oh well! This is a trip for staying present and taking a break from hyperconnectivity. And it feels great. You truly don't realize the low-level anxiety you feel for staying connected with people or having the option available at all times until you are so far away that it wouldn't make a difference anyway. At any point in the day, we have the option for a golf cart to come pick you up at the Diamond Club building to bring you to the main building equipped with the restaurants, spa and a cafe. But with a waterfront walk-up bar, a pool bar and a server stopping by our beach chairs and outdoor porch area asking if we would like anything, why leave this area (like, ever??). Breakfast is all you can eat with traditional western food (which, eh, okay cool) but also with more local and traditional options like papaya, roasted vegetables and other savory options which we loooove. We enjoyed our beach and took a walk down the beach before exploring outside of the resort. And here we learned why most tourists do not rent vehicles. These roads... are challenging. As is anything new and different, but this was at the speed of the locals. Matt drove (on the left side of course) and navigated the round-about with more and more ease the more we did it. This particular area of Grenada had winding roads that led you through the neighborhoods into the mountains. The sides of the road consisted of deep troves for water run-off that we actively worked to dodge while driving. Once a tire gets into that groove, I'd imagine it wouldn't be getting out any time soon (LOL). Being a passenger on these roads was anxiety inducing to say the least. And according to my driver (mister Matt) driving was equally anxiety inducing. 

DAY 3 -

DAY 4 - 

DAY 5 -