Publish Date: Thursday, January 1, 2009
Location: Cambridge Cay, Exumas, Bahamas
In this new lifestyle of ours, you never know how traditional celebrations are going to translate. But if there is a way to translate it, I have no doubt my amazing wife Kathryn will find it.
We were hooked to a mooring ball in Cambridge Cay in the Exumas. There were four other boats in the mooring field, including a 100+ foot megayacht. We all gathered on the beach to watch the sunset and toast the Parisian New Year (6pm local time). The weather was beautiful, and the green flash was seen by those who were not distracted by conversation. Soon we were all in our respective dingies on our way back to our boats.
Our New Year’s tradition is usually to have a nice dinner at home, and then try to stay awake until midnight to toast the New Year. This year, Kathryn prepared Bahamian lobster in a cream sauce, served over rice, and we enjoyed a superb bottle of Champagne that had been given to us by our dear friends the Carlins. The table was set with white linens, candlelight, and flowers. The girls were wearing sparkling plastic tieras and I donned a cardboard “Happy New Year” top-hat. It was idyllic, and perfectly translated.
At 11pm we took our sleeping bags and pillows up to the boat deck and settled in for a night under the stars. The moon was small, and it set early, so the stars were unbelievable. We talked and laughed until the clock struck midnight, when we sat up and blew the cardboard horns that Kathryn had packed to bring with us several months earlier. We slept well until a passing squall awakened us with wind and the threat of rain at 2am, and we decided to move inside for the rest of the night.
Most of what we talked and thought about on this New Year was how fortunate we are. Last year (2008) was a whirlwind of activity to transform our life from Boulder to Three@Sea, and here we were under the stars in the Bahamas. Life is rich and good, and we look forward to what 2009 has in store for us. Happy New Year to all!