Hey everyone! I hope you have been enjoying your summers so far! Ever since summer began, I have been swamped with work in the Viterbi Business Affairs Office. However, I got a nice break from all the hard work when my family and I ventured on our annual vacation. This year we decided to voyage on a cruise starting in Fort Lauderdale and making its way to Key West, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. I thought I would give you a little glimpse of my week in paradise!
It all started on the morning of the twenty-first of June when my family and I made our way to LAX. We were all so excited to be able to spend a relaxing week in paradise together. Although the plane ride felt very long with its several stops along the way, we finally arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 11 pm. When we pulled up to our hotel, we were all so exhausted that we took a quick stroll around the pool and then headed back to our room for a restful night. The next morning, we went straight down to the pool where to our surprise we found that our hotel had a private beach. We jumped into the crystal clear ocean water and enjoyed a fun day in the sun! Later that night, my dad had heard that a restaurant called Billy’s had the best all-you-can-eat crab claws in the state. We all knew we had to try it and see who could eat the most! In the end, my sister somehow outshined all of us by eating almost 25 claws! To say the least, I do not think I will be eating crab any time soon after that meal.
The Lowe Family in Fort Lauderdale
The next day when we awoke, it was time to pack up our bags and head to the dock to board our Carnival cruise ship. After making our way through check-in, we boarded what would be our home for the next week. We headed straight to the buffet where they had an assortment of every kind of food you could imagine. It was delicious! Then we took a tour around the boat and found that it had a giant water slide, a trendy dance club, a lively piano bar, and beautiful dining rooms. We could not wait to see what the next week had in store for us!
Our Cruise Ship
The following morning the boat docked in beautiful Key West, Florida. When we walked off the boat, the sun was scorching hot. We immediately knew we had to do something that involved the water and decided that it would be a blast to go jet skiing. My sister and I shared a jet ski and were flying off of waves! At one point, I even felt my body leaning a little too far to the right but someone seemed to pull myself back into a balanced position. I definitely felt as if I was going to go flying off in that moment. Wee! The thrill from that excursion was amazing, but little did I know the next couple days would be even more exhilarating.
My Sister and I
The next stop was in Grand Cayman where we had planned a trip to swim with stingrays. We took a boat out to the sand bar in the middle of the water and we jumped off. When I got into the water, the man in charge brought out a bucket of squid to attract the stingrays to where we were standing. When they started to come, I realized that they were giant! Some of these stingrays had a span up to 7 feet! I was afraid to move, but my dad and sister went off trying to catch them. I finally became a little more comfortable and petted one. It had the most slimy and gooey feeling! Gross!
The Giant Stingrays
I did not think anything could top that excursion, but our adventure in Ocho Rios, Jamaica was incredible! My biggest fear is heights, but I decided to overcome that fear by going zip lining for the first time. As I was getting all strapped up and ready to go, my nerves were racing. In just minutes I was going to be hanging from a little wire high above the ground. Then before I knew it I was hooked up to the wire and the worker gave me a little push. I screamed the loudest I think I ever have as my stomach filled with butterflies. Then I could not stop smiling because I wanted to go again and again. The next couple zip lines gave me the most exhilarating feeling I have ever had.
Zip Lining!
Well that is my snippet on my family vacation this summer. I could go on and on about it, but those were definitely the highlights. I hope you all take part in your own adventures this summer! Back to reality! Fight on!
