Just a week ago, my family and I returned to Michigan for good. We are moved home and getting settled back to our routines here. With only a few days left to the vacation time, everyone is enjoying every second that passes by. In a few more days the the year 2010 will come to an end.
But before the new year begins, there are still a few memories left to record.
Just over two weeks ago, the five of us were on our way to the Caribbean island St. Maarten (Netherlands)/ St. Martin (France). This year being the sixteenth birthday of my brother, it was his turn to choose the destination of our family vacation. And after much back and forth, research and discussion, we came to St. Martin.
Though the airport is on the Dutch side of the island, we stayed on the French and ventured into the Dutch side for a few short sightseeing trips.
Most of the activities we enjoyed were physically based: water sports; an obstacle course; snorkeling trips. While mom took pictures, the four of us tested our hand at wind-sailing. We took an hour lesson which took us out into the water a little ways and then each of slid off the boat, into the warm ocean water. (Yes, surprisingly is was warm! Like bath water.) There we each detached our boards from the towing line and climbed on. Lifting the sail out of the water was actually much easier than I had expected it to be, especially once I got used to the gentle jostling of the waves. Luckily we tried the sport on a relatively calm day with intermittent winds, allowing us to get accustomed. One of the biggest surprises was that the youngest of us picked it up the quickest. We was sailing over the slight waves long before the rest of us.
A couple days later, we drove to Loterie Farms which has an obstacle course with zip lines attached to trees many feet above the ground. The obstacle has to be one of the coolest things I have ever done; being up in the tree tops, moving from branch to branch, wire bridge to wire bridge, zip line to zip line. At first I noticed how high I was above the ground, attached to the safety cables by two safety hooks, but after only a few minutes I forgot about that and just got caught up in the course. Luckily mom was below us with the camera.
The trip was incredibly relaxing. We were active during the day but it didn't feeling exhausting. The ocean was warm and the sun was, of course, hot. All of us have a tan now, ever much out of season for a Michigan winter.
Near the end of our eight day vacation, we took a little boat to the small island of Pinel, which is were we tried out snorkeling in the Caribbean for the first time. The was water had been quite rough for a few days before, but thankfully it was calm the day of our snorkeling venture. We must have been in the water for well over an hour, swimming around and over coral while trying to keep out of each other's way. I'm sure we kicked each other a few times.
When we weren't on some small adventure, we were at the beach just having fun. We laughed a lot, played card games at night and made yet another set of memories that I'm sure will fuel future stories.
But before the new year begins, there are still a few memories left to record.
Just over two weeks ago, the five of us were on our way to the Caribbean island St. Maarten (Netherlands)/ St. Martin (France). This year being the sixteenth birthday of my brother, it was his turn to choose the destination of our family vacation. And after much back and forth, research and discussion, we came to St. Martin.
Though the airport is on the Dutch side of the island, we stayed on the French and ventured into the Dutch side for a few short sightseeing trips.
Most of the activities we enjoyed were physically based: water sports; an obstacle course; snorkeling trips. While mom took pictures, the four of us tested our hand at wind-sailing. We took an hour lesson which took us out into the water a little ways and then each of slid off the boat, into the warm ocean water. (Yes, surprisingly is was warm! Like bath water.) There we each detached our boards from the towing line and climbed on. Lifting the sail out of the water was actually much easier than I had expected it to be, especially once I got used to the gentle jostling of the waves. Luckily we tried the sport on a relatively calm day with intermittent winds, allowing us to get accustomed. One of the biggest surprises was that the youngest of us picked it up the quickest. We was sailing over the slight waves long before the rest of us.
A couple days later, we drove to Loterie Farms which has an obstacle course with zip lines attached to trees many feet above the ground. The obstacle has to be one of the coolest things I have ever done; being up in the tree tops, moving from branch to branch, wire bridge to wire bridge, zip line to zip line. At first I noticed how high I was above the ground, attached to the safety cables by two safety hooks, but after only a few minutes I forgot about that and just got caught up in the course. Luckily mom was below us with the camera.
The trip was incredibly relaxing. We were active during the day but it didn't feeling exhausting. The ocean was warm and the sun was, of course, hot. All of us have a tan now, ever much out of season for a Michigan winter.
Near the end of our eight day vacation, we took a little boat to the small island of Pinel, which is were we tried out snorkeling in the Caribbean for the first time. The was water had been quite rough for a few days before, but thankfully it was calm the day of our snorkeling venture. We must have been in the water for well over an hour, swimming around and over coral while trying to keep out of each other's way. I'm sure we kicked each other a few times.
When we weren't on some small adventure, we were at the beach just having fun. We laughed a lot, played card games at night and made yet another set of memories that I'm sure will fuel future stories.
Our hotel; the view from our balcony.
Since were stayed on the second floor, we could see over the trees to the ocean from the balcony.
Our beach!
Trampolining in the ocean's waves as it rained on us.
A snail we discovered one night on our way back to the hotel.
During our boat ride over to Pinel island, dad took this pictures looking back in the direction of the beach we stayed on.
During a sightseeing trip to the French capitol of Marigot, we walked around a few streets and looked out over the bay (below). Above is the fort still standing in Marigot.
Mom took this as the four of us swam to the boat that took us out on our wind-sailing lesson.
One of the fish we saw while snorkeling on Pinel.
The full moon on the beach. A few nights we strolled along the shore, enjoying the quiet evening since most people had already gone home.
Back in Chicago, ice was on the lake and snow on the ground.
A few days and dad goes back to work; a week and a half and I start college. Though is feels like time has passed quickly for vacation (it always does) and that the new year is coming very fast, just like 2010 only good things can await us.
じゃね！
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