We had an early flight so I was up at 3am. I don't think anyone feels their best at 3am, but I was more nauseous then usual and overcome with anxiety. I had a feeling that this would be one of the longest days of my life, and I was right.
The plane landed after a quick flight and we made it through customs extremely fast. BHD had arranged for transportation to the hotel and our representative was waiting for us. The enormity of the project hit us as we drove to a neighboring resort.
Our room had a gorgeous view of its pool and beach and I was overcome with envy for those who had left their obligations at home and were taking advantage of the gorgeous weather.
We had a few minutes before our "Island Tour" to grab something to eat. In the same clothes we wore on the plane, we certainly looked out of place as we grabbed a bite at the pool cafe.
I was trying to assess my feelings. I had half expected to walk off the plane and have the hot air hit me in the face and feel instantly that I was home, but I didn't. I thought that the first time I saw the deep blue ocean, knowing that this could be my daily view, I would want to sign on the dotted line immediately, but I didn't.
Instead we toured a Rum distillery- actually very cool.
A few art galleries, a Fort, a Chocolate and Cigar Factory later, we were confused and tired. Don't get me wrong, we learned a lot about the island that may be our future home. We know the best place to take guests for outdoor drinks, the best place to catch NFL games during Football season, and that Twin Brothers has the best daiquiris. We learned all about Queen Elizabeth and then Queen Victoria's reign and where the current Prime Minister lives and works. Apparently he was at a funeral that day because the guide pointed out his car at a local cemetery. We drove through downtown horrified that the hooks in the wall where they used to hang slaves for sale, were still visible. We saw the hoity-toity stores that the tourists flock to, and the famous straw market. We learned that Cable Beach got its name for being the point on the beach where the island received all of their cable from the United States. We toured every point of the island and even took a quick hop across the bridge to Paradise Island where we received a tour of the Ocean Club's lobby and private villas. We saw where Oprah vacations, how the truly wealthy live, and learned the name of the Real Estate Developer that we were advised to quickly befriend for his awesome parties.
My eyes held steadfast on the GPS as the hours ticked by and we headed every direction but West (which was the direction of our hotel, and a bed). My head was getting so heavy and my stomach was churning from more twists and turns. Four hours later, we pulled up to the hotel.
The sun was descending quickly but we needed some Vitamin D so we rushed to the last remaining beach chairs for the last few minutes of sun. We were overwhelmed by the day and finally retreated to our room and our bed to try to nap before dinner.
I don't wake up from naps easily so when my alarm went off symbolizing this day was still not over, I was not a delightful person, to say the least. Cranky pants turned into Medusa when the phone rang and Trav's counterparts advised they were meeting us in the lobby in 15 minutes instead of the 45 minutes the itinerary had advised. I had soaking wet hair, high humidity, and 15 minutes to make my first impression. I lost my mind and grew 12 snake heads in one instant. Poor Travis. In that moment, I wanted to die, cry, go home, give up, never hear of the Bahamas again, all at once. I actually cursed God out loud, truly feeling that he had created me to test me. I didn't understand how each step, no matter how small, was such a hurdle!
I have no idea how we made it out of the hotel room, on time, without a noise complaint or a broken window. I wanted to go get drunk and be done with this, but of course when I met their smiling faces, I mustered "oh, so not a problem". And just like that, it no longer was.
We drove to a freestanding gorgeous little restaurant in town and entered through the attached wine shop. The five of us sat outside sipping cocktails and getting to know each other. It wasn't lost on me that I was possibly dining with the first four people hired for this incredible project that would soon become a household name. The one thing I had lost was my appetite so I was very disappointed to settle on cantaloupe as my entree as I couldn't stomach anything else while everyone else's entrees smelled and looked amazing.
I felt myself drawn to one of the personalities at the table that I knew was of the salt of the earth variety. He had been with another hotel brand prior to this and something told me I wanted to know what made him choose this particular project. He told me the story of how he was working for another company when he was approached about moving to the Bahamas, and due to the nature of this project, he felt he had to pursue it. Even though he had strong feelings about the daunting, confusing, and prolonged process that followed. Sounds familiar. He said he was on a business trip for his job at the time, doing due diligence in the Bahamas, when he agreed to meet the same team Travis was meeting on this trip. He explained that he had felt tested throughout the entire process, but something kept him going. My chin was in my cantaloupe. Only hours after I had confronted God about testing me, He was letting me know He had heard me and responded bluntly. He was explaining to me that the world was much bigger then me, and so was the picture at hand. Humbled, I stopped fighting the night, and let it do its thing.
Three hours and two bottles of wine later, we had learned a lot about life in the Bahamas and the close knit family that currently made up this high-profile project. It was organic and refreshing and we felt revived. We fell asleep as soon as we returned to the hotel, as visions of coconuts danced in our heads...
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