Notes from a Far-Off Place

Right now, I'm sitting on a hardwood deck bar overlooking one of the most spectacular cays I've ever seen. I've got a frosty rum cocktail next to me and my only concern is keeping sand out of my laptop.

I arrived yesterday, and spent most of the day scuba diving in turquoise waters, then lounging on a white sand beach the consistency of powdered sugar. I returned to my villa and found that someone had taken the trouble to unpack for me. There were bouquets of tropical flowers throughout the space as well, although I couldn't say if they were new additions of if they were already there when I first checked in.

I found a beautiful seafood joint for dinner. Despite being exhausted from all of the travel and excitement, I forced myself to stay awake a while longer to hear some music. Back at the villa, the bed was turned down and draped in a canopy of mozzie net, candles lit and soft music played on the stereo. My invisible butler had thrown open the windows and shutters so that I could fall asleep to the sound of the ocean.

This morning, I hired a bike and cruised the coastline. The concierge at my resort warned me about flat tires and asked if I wanted a moped instead. I laughed and told him that, for the first time in months, there's nowhere I need to be...I've got all the time in the world.

As I kept one eye out for the promised potholes, I noticed a fruit stand along the side of the road. There, an older woman laughed maniacally as she deftly wielded a machete the size of my femur to hack the fruit. We chatted about her family as I ate, fruit juice dripping down my arm.

Back to the present tense...without even having to ask, a fresh cocktail just appeared at my side. Apparently my bartender knows what a tragedy it would be if I were to be found with an empty glass!

This trip was a bit unexpected. In fact, I only had about a day and a half to prepare. (But how much time do you really need to throw some beach gear into a bag and hop a flight?) It was a surprise thank you gift from a client...their way of thanking me for the nights and weekends sacrificed on behalf of that firm.

While my job can often be a chaotic mix of people, places and scheduling, there are times like this that make the idea of complaining unthinkable. One of the perks, to me, is the amount of travel. On any given week, I'm in some of the coolest cities in the country, and a few times a year, some of the coolest cities in the world.

And then there are experiences like this one. The toughest decision I'll have to make today is which beach to explore, or perhaps where to have dinner. I left my watch behind, and will pretty much spend the rest of this trip having no concept of time.