It is hard to appreciate the statement, “It is tough to get old,” while you are young.
Some of my fondest memories as a child were of the Christmas season. My mother and grandmother put a lot of love into making the season special. It was always in the same place. The food was always the same, but something the family always looked forward to every year. My mother’s mother (we called her Nanny) came from humble Polish Catholic roots, born in western Pennsylvania. Nanny’s mother (I only remember her vaguely) was either born in the U.S. or brought as an infant to Pittsburgh from Poland, where she was left to be raised by relatives. Her origin story was one that was not much talked about, but likely one that was sort of like Cinderella; only she did not get to marry her first prince. It was forbidden. He wound up marrying one of my great grandmother’s older step sisters, according to the story I was told. There are some interesting stories that deserve to be written down and preserved, but those will have to wait until I can investigate more. The point for now is that we all have a family history. Mine, I cherish, and I hope my children and grandchildren, as they age, will understand that sentiment and reminisce about and honor their family history. We have roots.
Until this year, my wife and I stayed close to home, often playing host to the family Christmas gatherings. This year, as you can tell from the photo above (taken by Natalie, my niece on my wife’s side), isn’t all that Christmasy. It is a selfie of her with an island dog who befriended her while we were on Grand Turk island. Still, I chose the image to represent the event because it was the best photo (in my opinion) taken on the trip and it represents this new family experience. Natalie and her parents wanted to go someplace warm, where scuba diving was an option. My son Drew was also interested in the scuba diving option. My scuba diving days are regrettably over (though I dream differently), but at my suggestion, Rich and Jamie booked a place for all of us to celebrate together. Grand Turk is part of the island nation, Turks and Caicos, which are islands extending from the Bahamas almost to Haiti on the western half of the Island of Hispaniola. Grand Turk is very small (about 7 miles north to south and 1.5 miles east to west), but is still the capital of the island nation — a British Overseas Territory. It and the surrounding islands have a history of producing salt for export, but that is no longer profitable and the economy is based on tourism today; a tough way to go during a world-wide pandemic. Things are easing a bit, but for this trip there was a lot of paperwork to complete to be allowed to travel and of course a negative covid test.
My wife and I visited the Island of Providenciales first. It is the most often visited island in Turks and Caicos, and it has one of the best white sand beaches in the world, according to those in the know. After spending the fall in France, we were hoping to take advantage of the bright sun, soft sand, and clear water. So, we booked a couple of nights on Grace Bay Beach. We had to go through the international airport there because it can handle commercial jets and Grand Turk cannot. Provo, as the locals call it, is a place for people who like food. There are plenty of excellent but expensive restaurants. Almost all the food has to be imported, but despite that, we had some of the best tasting and eye pleasing food we have eaten anywhere. The weather and the wealthy tourists have brought many foreign trained chefs who want to live the island life. Pair that with friendly local talent and you have a recipe that leads to happy customers willing to pay the price.
The trip from Provo to our next destination is a short trip to the east. The plane was so small I was asked to sit in the copilot’s seat. I squeezed my way up the center aisle and did my best to climb over the worn leather seat, working my creaking bones down into the small seat. I had never paid to do that before but I have to admit, it somehow made me smile. Compared to Providenciales, Grand Turk is small, but it has a deep water dock that can handle huge cruise ships. While we were there, a different ship (sometimes two) let passengers off to enjoy the beach next to the cruise ship dock or take various modes of transport to get away from the crowds or go scuba diving.
Despite a few hiccups, the stay was relaxing and a great change of pace. It was an atypical Christmas, but even though it is hard to beat family traditions, having the chance to celebrate with family and share something different made this aging traveler a happy guy. Even though I am feeling my age in all kinds of ways — and I know now from personal experience, it is tough to get old for lots of reasons — having family close, no matter where you are, helps ease the mind and the body.
For some random pictures of our holiday, click here. Relatives and friends with a password can click here to see family photos.