Have to Leave – Day 13

As I write this, it’s the day after travel day and I am dealing with ‘travel warp’ - when you find yourself saying "I can’t believe that just 24 hours ago I was…”(fill in the blank: walking at, swimming at, drinking at, eating at…) I woke up pre dawn again this morning and got a morning walk in, but as I’m sure you can imagine, it wasn’t the same!

Yesterday was an amazing final day of our vacation. It didn’t vary much from all of the other mornings. Sunrise walk the entire length of Orient, coffee and croissant on the beach and as much time on the beach as we could get. Check out at Club O is at 11, but we asked about getting a late check out and they were able to accommodate us, so we didn’t have to leave until 1. Mid morning we went to the Perch to share a pre happy hour goodbye drink with a very good friend. I asked JP if he had a special drink that was his own that he could make for me. He smiled and said that he could do that. Into the blender went a variety of fresh fruits and rums and I don’t even know what else! He concocted the best drink I have ever had in my life! Then it was time to head back to the beach chair a bit longer and then take a final swim.

Much too quickly the time passed and it was necessary to leave the beach and go get cleaned up and get ready to leave Club Orient. More than a few times this week, I’ve heard, ‘you have to leave to come back’…how true, but right then, I didn't want to leave!

We managed to get all of the MaDouDou and Guavaberry into our carry ons and now planned on checking 2 bags. Marissa’s bag was pretty stuffed, so we just decided to go ahead and check all three.

John went to the office to settle the bill and as we were waiting in the car, I realized that I hadn’t purchased the t-shirt that I wanted to get….’happiness is no tan lines’. John came out shortly; I got some cash from him and got my t-shirt!

We didn’t have to turn our car in until 2:30, but we weren’t sure how much time we’d have to get lunch in a restaurant and it was already getting a bit late to check in first and then go get lunch, so we decided to just grab a bit to eat at the airport. Marissa was thrilled to get ‘real’ pizza at Domino’s. She does not care for the thin crust pizza that one gets at most places on the island. John left briefly to return the car and cell phone. Marissa and I went on through security and he met us at the gate a short while later. The plane from CLT arrived early and before we knew it, it was time to board.

In CLT, it took awhile for our bags to come around on the carousel, but they eventually made their way and the reward is the MaDouDou and Guavaberry supplies that we now have at home!


All the flights were on time, so we had no issues there. Pulled in the garage at 1:30 and I pretty much fell into bed. Last trip, I went to work the next day, but this time I took the day off. Poor John had to get up and go to work.

To all of our wonderful friends, old and new, we had so much fun meeting and spending time with all of you this trip – thank you for helping us to make some more wonderful memories.

And to all that have hung in there, reading all of these reports and posting all of your kind comments, thank you.

Now it’s time to start planning for next August and wait for DIF to hit hard…

Hope you enjoy the photos, many of which were taken by Marissa this trip.

http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/vd8kd6Gb