T&C '19

This week’s blog post is on something very near and dear to my heart: the annual trip my dad’s side of the family takes to the tropics. I’ve been blessed to be able to call Turks and Caicos my second home for fourteen years (and counting!). This beautiful island has so much to offer, and during this trip I tried to do everything I could in the four full days I was at the resort with my family. Without further ado, here's my recap!

eat eat eat

This is the one week of the year where I feel like I have a bottomless stomach. Turks has some of the freshest seafood to offer, and does a wonderful job making sure there’s some of everything on the resort. My dad’s favorite restaurant is definitely Soy - basically an all you can eat sushi bar where the fish just keeps coming. My sister Sophia loves the Sky Lounge for breakfast, partially because of the pancakes, and also the fantastic view of the ocean from the rooftop. as well as savory meals, there are plenty of dessert options, my personal favorite being the frozen yogurt truck next to the water park.

snorkeling

This is my favorite part of the trip by far! Dad and I went to princess Alexandra’s national park twice, and had the chance to see lots of wildlife up close. The reef boasts everything from puffer fish to rays to barracudas. The highlight of the swim, though, was the four turtles we saw within a few days of each other. They almost look as if they fly through the water with flipper wings, and since the reef is so shallow, it’s easy to take photos and swim right next to them.

other water activities

Sophia and I love to take advantage of the stand up paddle boarding, and we successfully took turns on the board sitting and paddling while we watched my dad fall off several times and then proceed to lay on the board and float. The water in Turks is very clear and smooth, so gliding on the water is one of the perfect activities to cool down with. Another fun thing that the resort puts off shore are these water trampolines, which my little cousins especially like to jump off of while playing 500. Lastly, the water park contains three very fast water slides that my cousins and i flew down, trying to play catch up and yelling through the tunnels on the way.

palapas 

After having a few drinks and eating lunch, dad and I passed out a few times on these built in loungers under a hut like roof just off the beach. This was such a good spot especially because the shade lasted almost all day, and it was comfy as FUCK. Sophia, Paige and I also sat inside reading a novel to each other while the sun began to set (something out of a movie right?) What's a vacation without some relaxation anyway?

All in all, this vacation was amazing, but bittersweet to say the least. I can definitely speak for my entire family when I say that felt something was definitely missing without my mom there. Turks was her favorite place - she always brought an infectious energy with her, and made the trip more fun in every way. When I was snorkeling with dad during the last few hours of my stay, I was able to follow around an old tagged turtle on the reef. The turtle let me touch its shell multiple times, and didn’t seem nervous at all. While walking back to the resort, I thought that maybe the turtle could have been my mom’s spirit or reincarnation or something. I guess that I’ll never really know - maybe it’s a sign to keep on coming back to the place that gave her so much joy.

Until next time,

Anna xxx