80 degree swing

located 48 km south of the bahamas and just north of hispanola, turks and caicos is 40 islands set amongst the worlds 3rd largest reef. about 15000 'belongers' call them home. they are reportedly descended from 193 slaves whose ship trouvadore wrecked off east caicos in 1841.

abandoned ship

given the delightfully warm temps (fully 80 degrees warmer than where i left) and delicious breezes, it seems bratty to frown while napping under casuarina trees in the porch hammock, tummy full from gorging on fritters made from endangered caribbean queen conch (relax, theyre farmed here). saying anything other than 'its been wonderful' seems awfully spoilt after spending an afternoon fishing off the reef or seeing the shallow water illuminated by millions of glowworms 5 days after a full moon.

siblings

but for some reason this hasnt been the vacation i imagined. despite my sisters inlaws hospitality, i still feel tense being in someone elses home- involuntarily shuffling in and out of their family drama. but it aint all that. i can tell that even in solitude id feel this weird tightness in my torso whose cause i cannot pinpoint. all said its been good to be reunited with zuzu and sissy, to have started and finished a novel (been a while) and to get some color despite my prodigious application of sunscreen because although black dont crack, off-white do.