Turks and Caicos
Rise and shine! 6am is an awfully early flight out of SFO, but the destination is worth the pain. I'm heading to Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean for my company's President's Club. What is Prez Club? you might ask. It is a little R&R for the top performing sales teams, and this year my rep and I were one of three who were lucky enough to partake. My sweet friend Krista and I hopped on a plane headed for Miami, had a four hour layover, and then on a plane to Providenciales in Turks and Caicos. From the airport a van picked us up and drove us to the marina where after a 40 minute boat ride we had arrived at the beautiful Parrot Cay resort .
Of course by this time it was pitch black so we could only imagine where we were actually going. Parrot Cay is private island owned by Singaporean businesswoman Christina Ong who turned it into a resort focusing on holistic medicine after here daughter discovered it while diving in 1997. The next morning we got to actually see where our travels had taken us. The first view of the beach at the end of a long, palm lined stone path is amazing. The water is bluer than blue, and the sand as fine and white as sugar. Once you arrive at the beach the staff grab some towels and take you to your own pair of lounge chairs and give you a flag. When you plant the flag in the sand they run out and get your drink order, very fancy. Monday afternoon we headed to the spa for a 75 minute massage. I'm always up for the deep tissue massage which was awesome! It is interesting that all of the staff comes from Asia rather than locally, they come to the island for 6-9 months of work, and then return home for a break. Monday night we had the awards dinner to reflect upon a successful sales year. It was good to relax with work folks and talk about things one would never talk about at work. It turns out we are pretty good at that ;) On Wednesday we chartered a boat to entertain us. First the captain took us to Iguana Island which is a nature preserve, and as the name would lead you to believe, is covered with iguanas. Then we went snorkeling outside the reef and saw a ton of fish and coral which was awesome. Next stop was Sand Dollar Island which was covered in shells, on the way the captain pointed out the exclusive homes of celebrities like Keith Richards, Bruce Willis and Donna Karan. Finally we were dropped off at our own little paradise beach to have lunch and enjoy the afternoon. Back at Parrot Cay we relaxed besides the infinity pool as the sun set behind the tropical clouds. As the sky turned crimson I enjoyed this brief pause in our hectic lives where all that matters is the company you are with, and whether your tan is even. Thursday it was back on a plane through JFK and back home. Relaxed yet tired, glad to be home yet wishing we weren't, happy in the experience yet sad it is over. Life is just a string of experiences, and I'm looking forward to the next adventure.