#8- Live where others vacation...

Travis was up and out early for interviews and I didn't really know what to do with myself. I went down to the pool but of course it was cold and rainy so I came back up to the room. I bounced from the balcony, to the couch, to the chair, to the bed, not able to sit tight. Finally Trav came back and told me all about his morning meetings. Everything had gone great. This was awesome news.

We met a real estate agent downstairs in the lobby. He had been given a budget from the HR team and showed us nine homes. These places were crazy!

Each home was in a different gated community within 10-minutes of Travis's new work. Each unit came fully furnished and had beautiful grounds to walk Bob. All properties had pools of every shape and size and all but one had beach access. Some had beach access from their back door.

Our favorite was a free standing home that had 3-bedrooms and an office. There was a large veranda, out three patio doors. The veranda led to a grass area and its own boat dock. There was sand that led into the crystal blue lagoon where Bob would be able to take a swim whenever he pleased. The beach was a perfect spot to house kayaks or paddle boards. We could see ourselves spending numerous hours having coffee or wine on the deck or down in the water, swimming with Bob. It opened up the possibility that we might actually be able to live the life we've always dreamed of.

By the end of our trek through west end suburbia, we had a good idea of what we were looking for and what price range. We were so much more confident that a life in the Bahamas was actually possible, and so much better then New York.

We returned to the hotel excited and for the first time, able to picture our lives in the Bahamas. We had so much running through our mind, though little time to talk about it. We rushed back to the hotel and got ready for dinner.

Reservations had been made for Trav and I at Mesa Grill at the Cove in Atlantis, Paradise Island. We took a cab over and enjoyed a few drinks at the bar before letting the waitress order our entire meal. It was fantastic and so was she. I was so impressed by every Bahamian that crossed our path and enriched our experience. From the tour guide to the hostess, everyone was so happy to be there and it showed.

We walked around the restaurant and the grounds of the Cove. For those that believe in The Secret- here's one for your vision board.

In 2007, I was working for a company that decided to have its annual meeting at the newly built Cove in Atlantis. It was amazing. One of the nicest rooms I've ever stayed in. While the majority of my days were spent in meetings, we had one free day to ourselves. It was one of the best days of my life.

People have told me throughout my life that there's nothing like taking an amazing vacation, by yourself. But who has the opportunity to do such a thing? I now know what they're talking about because for my one free day, I was able to pretend like I was on a luxurious vacation, all by myself. I was free to do whatever I wanted to do and everything was at my disposal. I had a long massage and hung out at the spa. I pool hopped at the main Atlantis pool and went round and round in the lazy river. I grabbed lunch and a cocktail at the Cove pool bar and dragged my beach chair out to where the sand came to a point. In this crowded resort, I was the only one on the beach that day. I felt such peace and sheer joy in that moment. I have always remembered that day and that moment and I have frequently envisioned myself back in time. This specific moment is my happy place.

Now 7 years later, we were standing in the same spot where this special moment was created. My happy place was about to become our home.


Read Next: #9- Strangers on a Train, Mar 15