So THIS is Paradise...

5/28/07

By: Kelley Davis

5:45 and that annoying phone alarm goes off that wakes me up most mornings. I hate that sound! I am definitely not a morning person, but once I put my feet on the ground and washed my face, I started to get excited about Vieques. What would it look like? So many say the beaches are the some of the best around, but will they really be that great? I would soon find out! Riding the ferry was an adventure for me! I love being out on the open seas and I love the rocking of the boat. I felt sorry for some of my fellow classmates who suffer from seasickness and had to take Dramamine. The whole concept of the ferry reminds me of cattle being herded into a huge trailer to head down the highway to be slaughtered. But luckily for us we were headed for what I would soon know as paradise instead of the meat grinder. We finally arrive in Vieques and we head to Casa Alta Vista. With its simple accommodations, it is the perfect place to stay in Vieques. Vieques is a simple place and that’s what I love about it. Kelly Ann, Lauren, Hayley and I immediately put on our suits and fled to the beach. We wanted to check out this paradise for ourselves! Well the rumors proved to be true! I have never seen such blue and green water and felt such fine sand in between my toes. Every shade of blue and green somehow made its way to this part of the ocean. While sweating and baking on my sarong/towel, I looked behind me to the giant palm trees and realized I must be on the set of a photo shoot for a post card for the best beach in the world! Was I really lying in the middle of a paradise? And this is a class that is offered in college? I like this course already…great curriculum! Now I now why every time I call my dad, he asks if I ever have class! What did I do so great to deserve this? As soon as I couldn’t take the heat of the sun anymore, I made my way to the water (a whopping ten steps) from my towel. The water quenched my skin’s thirst. The water was the perfect temperature. Not too cold, but also not warm. A tiny uninhabited island lies straight ahead of me and luscious green hills hug the beach on either side. Civilization was nowhere to be found, except for a couple of tents near the beach, where locals had been camping for it looked like days. Listening to Dave, Zeppelin, The Stones, and The Black Crowes on my iPod, and surrounded by great company, I could not have been more content with my life! I hope this day never ends…