Perfect happiness

I just got back from what will go down in history as the most amazing week EVER...a week in which I discovered that perfect happiness = the beach, hot sun, crashing waves, a few fruity cocktails, lots of laughter with new friends from all over the world, no responsibilities, no stress, and no worries.

Yes, Debbie and I took a last-minute trip to Cuba.....a decision that was made one night as we unwound after yet another stressful day at work.....considered our rising blood pressure and ever-increasing levels of exhaustion.....looked at eachother, and said, "Let's take a vacation!" A few minutes later we settled on Cuba, and a few hours later, armed with permission from our bosses to take some time off, we booked our flights!!!

I've never been remotely drawn to the idea of a tropical vacation before. My travels have always included lugging around heavy backpacks, poring over maps, visiting record numbers of historical sights, and falling into bed exhausted (albeit happy) every night. For some reason, the idea of lounging on a beach has never been overly enticing. I like HISTORY. I like CULTURE. I like ADVENTURE! I'm all about Europe and Africa...right?

Nevertheless on November 19th I found myself on a plane bound for Cuba, my suitcase jammed full of bikinis and shorts and cute little skirts and lots and lots of sunscreen. I had very few expectations beyond a little rejuvenation from the most stressful, busy, and overwhelming fall on record...full of work, studying, deadlines, pressure, and so much to do that most days I had no idea how I was going to survive. (UGH...just thinking about it still makes me tired!)

But OH........when that first wave of humidity hit me stepping off the plane in Varadero......when my bare feet first touched the soft white sand.......when I found myself floating on a gentle wave looking up at a perfectly clear blue sky......everything changed!!! And thus began a week of total, perfect rest! A week of insane amounts of attention from men all over the world. A week of deep bonds being formed with a most random group of strangers...Alex and Yanna from Russia, Sam from Columbia, Larry and Dustin from Toronto, Merv and Vincent and Rodrique and David from Montreal.....just a few of the people who became our good friends and constant companions as we swam and tanned and played beach volleyball and laughed and ate and walked and slept and laughed some more. A week of God speaking to me about beauty and being pursued and having something of great value to share with the world. A week of tearing down the walls and letting my guard down and soaking up the stories and joys and heartache of the people we met. A week of falling in love with the passion and freedom and utter friendliness of the Spanish culture. Yes, it's safe to say...I have never known such perfect happiness, perfect peace, and uncontainable joy!

And so the trip that came out of nowhere has changed me! Two weeks later, I'm still at peace. I'm still "glowing" (or so they tell me at work!) I still refuse to take on stress. My accounting final is on Monday and I can hardly bring myself to even study. Instead, I laugh a lot, I smile a lot, I crack jokes at the most inopportune moments, I speak WAY too often without thinking, and every night Debbie and I pour ourselves a glass of delicious red wine and "make toast"...our simple way of keeping Cuba alive in our hearts, of taking time to stop and reflect and savour and connect, of remembering the ridiculous amount of things we have to be thankful for. I've never been more aware of the simple joys that each day brings...a late-night walk in the freshly falling snow, Christmas carols by candlelight, uproarious laughter, good movies, great music, warmth, and REST.

14 days till Christmas...I'm excited to spend it in Colorado, and even more excited to see how long this new ME lasts!!! :-)

"I've got my toes in the water....a** in the sand...not a worry in the world, a cold drink in my hand...life is good today!!!!"