Baby, it is cold outside!! Record lows have been recorded in my neck of the woods. To be honest I haven’t been out today so I haven’t felt how cold it is. In trying to decide what to write about I was going to go for the random winter travel thoughts but decided thinking about someplace warm was a better choice. Travel that involves escaping winter cold is always a plus. So here are some random thoughts/stories on winter escapes.

1. My idea of a winter escape is a short flight to some place warm that includes sun, warm water, sandy beach, a lounge chair and a good book or two. Between 2003-2005 I visited St Thomas, Virgin Islands 3 times. Yes, I am a brat. 🙂 I stayed at the same all-inclusive resort each time. My feeling is if I only have 4 days I want to go where I know what I am getting. I wasn’t going to explore I was going to sit on a beach and relax. All-inclusive works great because you don’t have to carry money.

2. One morning while we visiting St Thomas my daughters were sleeping and I was trying to move around the hotel room quietly so I won’t wake them. I decided to look through the notebook of information that most hotel rooms have. As I opened the notebook I saw a green lizard and thought that is a weird place for a plastic lizard. It wasn’t plastic, it was alive. So now I am trying to open the balcony door and throw the lizard outside without throwing the notebook out. All I want to do is scream but I am trying to not wake by daughters. I am flipping out on the inside. Just as I throw the lizard out the door, I hear “mom, what the heck are you doing?” 🙂

3. Whenever I am snorkeling I always remember my husband telling me “you are the visitor, the fish live here.”

4. My daughters, mother and I went to the Bahamas in 2002. On that adventure we learned if the crew of the boat you are boarding are wearing rain gear believe their attire more than their words. Heading back from the dolphin adventure the ride was coming a little more exciting than I enjoy. It was raining, windy and the waves were splashing all around. At one point I looked at my daughters and said “if the boat starts to go down save yourselves and I will take care of Nanny.” I glanced over my shoulder and noticed a young child snuggled in a towel and resting in his mother’s arms. And in that moment I realized it is all perspective. That child wasn’t worried he was safe in his mother’s arm. Thank you Lord that I am always in your hands.