The Best of Friends

Above is a photo that sits in my living room amongst other photos. This photo, however, will still be sitting in my living room long after the others have been changed to newer, updated photos. And I hope that my children, which ever one decided to take this photo when I die, will keep this photo out to look at and remember the friendship and the bond that the four of us shared. This photo was taken while snorkeling in the Bahamas in June of 2005. It was the best vacation that I have ever been on. It was, with the exception of booking the flight to and from Florida and booking the cruise, a fly by the seat of your pants kinda trip...no real plans, no hotel accomodations. I think we all could have slept on the beach and have been just as happy as sleeping in the Motel 6 that we slept in the first night we were there. We went on limited funds, but dang it we went and had the best time....EVER! We rented a car...an overpriced car at that...but it was worth it to see Ronnie drive it as he did all rental cars...as if he had stolen it and then had entered it in the crash up derby at the local fair...that poor car...Ronnie was the reason that car rental places sell rental insurance!

We boarded the ship and we had the best times...laying in the wind....literally, laying in the wind. The winds were so strong it made our skin move, it made us stay standing somewhat straight as we leaned into it...it was the darkest of nights out there on the blackest of oceans....the only way we knew each other was there, was that we could feel the love amongst friends and the moon lit our faces just enough to show us the face of friends. We got to the Bahamas and was immediately approached by men wanting us to buy drugs...so Ronnie and Mike bought us bracelets instead. We shopped in the small little town...mostly, we walked through the streets or alleys as they appeared to be. We went to Senor Frogs and drank that night, we walked along the water and could see the sting rays as they swam to and fro. We took an excursion to The Blue Lagoon....yes, the same island that Brooke Shields movie was filmed at. This is where we snorkeled. This was my first time and I think it was Mike's first time too. I am not sure if it was Ron and Wanda's but I kinda think it was Wanda's because we laughed so hard at her when she couldn't walk in the shoes...haha..it still makes me chuckle when I close my eyes and picture it in my head. I made my scuba steve appearance...oh to have those memories captured on camera as well as in my heart and mind are completely priceless to me.
We didn't plan this trip at all, so when we to get back to Florida, we had no idea where we could be staying again. Although, we did rent the car ahead of time, as to not have to steal someone's child to pay for the rental...we had left our own children at home. But our sleeping arrangements were a bit of a concern. We were tired and wore out from the sun and we wanted to sleep in air conditioning. There was a sales person in the Bahamas promoting the Ron Jon Surf Resort. He agreed we would attend a sales pitch that we could stay there upon our arrival. Well, hell that sounded great to us...if its FREE it is for us. All we had to do was pay the tax! Yippie! We could do anything for a free room. Once back on land we swiftly got our car and headed to the shop, luggage in hand and headed in. Well, we were told by the receptionist that we could attend but would not get the room until out next visit! NEXT VISIT...she obvisiously, did not ever meet anyone of the likes of me...I quietly informed her that we would be staying tonight as we were promised if we attended the sales pitch. She said she would see what she could do..well, I informed her that we would be staying TONIGHT...not a year from now and that if she didnt come up with a room for us...we would be waiting for her to get off work and we would be staying with her at her home....amazingly, she found us a room.
This was the best trip that I have ever went on...sure, I have been on other trips with other friends and have had a blast...but this trip meant so much more to me, to all of us...as it was the last trip that we would all take together as friends without children. This was the last trip of such fly by the seat of your pants that the four of us would take together. We camped and did other things as friends, Ron and Wanda and Mike and I. We had talked about taking more trips like this one, but Ron's life was cut short before we could do this again. This is why this trip means so much.There will never be another trip like this one. There will be other trips with other friends, but this trip will always hold a special place in my heart and in Mike's and in Wanda's. This was a trip where the best of friends shared something far beyond just standing on the coast of somewhere beautiful.