THE TOURISTS

you would think that living somewhere for an entire year would entitle you to 'local status,' but that never quite happens because you know your leaving is imminent. when mitch and I first arrived here, we should have taken the time to explore like tourists do. walking down the boardwalk in search of the perfect macrame coverup. sipping coconut water right from the source. having people take our picture in front of sandy beaches. but we never did. until yesterday. yesterday, mitch finished up with his tests early and rather going to swim in the waves (which is our standard go-to activity around here), we opted for something we never got the chance to do before, which was all of the touristy things. I think when we moved here I was a little too focused on not appearing like a tourist. I wanted to fit in. be one with the island and all that. but as I realized our time here is winding down, I find myself wanting to take more pictures and drink more coconuts (figuratively because, in truth, I didn't really like them).

after getting a very sweet lunch at one of our favorite places to eat on the island, we drove down to little divi bay, which is probably one of the swankiest parts of our side of the island. mitch had always seen it from afar but had never been, so we finally decided to stop. the infrastructure surrounding the place is perfection. it's condos, but it's also little beach shacks that make your stay on our island feel more authentic. and for whatever ecological or geographical reason, this beach has the coolest marbled sand that looks wet even when it's dry. not to mention it sticks to you like nothing else! for this reason, mitch and I decided not to lay out here and move onto the boardwalk, which is where all the cruise ships roll in.

everyone on the boardwalk is extremely friendly and helpful and we set out in search of coconuts. being honest, real coconut water was not what I expected. maybe I expected something sweeter or fresher tasting, but to me, it just tasted bitter and old. mitch finished mine off as we discussed what a miracle it is this island has coconuts. here they are surrounded by salty, undrinkable water on all sides, and yet they were given a source of clean hydration right there in the coconut. amazing. then we walked and walked past shop after shop as I searched for the perfect white, macrame coverup, which has yet to be found, whilst having passersby take our picture in front of the crowded beach. and then, assessing the crowd, we actually drove all the way back to our own little beach on the other side of the island for some relaxation because being a tourist is actually kind of exhausting. and then we went home to a perfect night in full of pizza and diet coke (mitch must love me or something) and sabrina, which we had forgotten completely, so we were both really into it.

and then it was wednesday! which means a whole day of hard work and sunshine followed up with girls night tonight. we've been watching the bachelor and is it just me or does this season seem a lot more crazy than the bachelorette last season? and I feel like just because he's a farmer, doesn't mean that all of the dates should be farm themed. just a thought. have a wonderful day and thanks for reading!

love, arielle