Friday, July 30, 2010

Flashback Friday: Barbadian Tropic Girls

As the days, weeks, and aches progress, I think it is time we all reminisce on a day when I could still fit into drawstring pants or a two piece swimsuit.

"Do you want women who want bikinis to buy your two piece? Or do you just wanna make sure women who want a two piece don't suddenly buy a bikini?"

We wanted the bikini.

Aubrey was notorious for perfect posture, precise enunciation, and a little hip inflection during sorority rush. She made us all look bad when she'd perfectly announce, Aubrey Lastname, Atlantasuburb, Georgia. It became a running joke that I was the girl with the bum knee, Chandni was Bitter Betty, and Aubrey was the Hawaiian Tropic Girl. Aubrey was finally ready to prove she was the real deal, at least the real Barbadian Tropic Girl.

My senior year Bitter Betty decided we all needed to go away on Spring Break to go out with a bang. We discussed Florida. We considered Mexico. We debated the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. But there was something about driving to Atlanta to take a plane to Montego Bay, have a layover in St. Lucia to finally end up in St. Lawrence Gap, Barbados.

It was going to be just Bitter Betty and her sixteen closest friends for a little R&R. There were Land Rover tours of the island, trips to the Mount Gay Rum factory, afternoons on a catamaran, fresh seafood for breakfast lunch, and dinner and some sunburns. Or in my case, serious sunburns. Ask Martha about my cancerous feet if you ever get the chance. Thankfully, the impact of all the funky tan lines were overshadowed thanks the perfect Barbados weather and a recipe for perfect hair. No joke. You should try it sometime.

After spending the days doing very little resting or relaxing, there was always something to do at night, more fresh seafood, sketchy clubs where Rihanna would one day be discovered, or a fine meal at Chefette (http://www.chefette.com/). Barbados may not be Cabo or Paradise Island, but it is home to one of the most delicious drinks around, the Bajan Smile.

Bajan Smile: In a blender, combine ice and equal parts coconut cream, strawberry, cream of banana and three parts rum (preferably Mount Gay). Yum!

Sometimes in life you need a friend to make you pose like a beauty queen on a beach, or spend the last of your savings on plane ticket to a third world country. Looking back, you won't regret a minute or a dime, or the snapshot to remember just how lucky you really are.

No comments:

Post a Comment