This morning on my way to work, it was snowing and I felt this huge tug for Barbados.

Barbados, yes the beach is pretty fabulous but that rain oh the rain!! I haven’t quite figured out what made Barbados so magical. Perhaps it was the dashing from tree to tree looking for cover and trying to escape the millionth downpour while holding onto melting ice cream cones, or the doubling over in laughter at our well laid out vacation plan that was turning out to be anything but hot sunny days. We could have both packed sweatpants and no one would have been the wiser.

We lime’d (and no it’s not a dirty term), played alot of cards, drank Starbucks instant coffee, ate Kraft dinner Bajan style (this just means the water boils at a different rate 🙂 and the cheese is sticky from the humidity!), dashed to the store and back between thunderstorms, spied on rich British travellers and learned how to drive on the wrong side of the road 😉

When I see snow falling at the end of April all I want to do is close my eyes and be transported to that magical rainy place that turned out to be the most unplanned, relaxing Vacation full of wonderful local hospitality (and sticky Kraft dinner, seriously the theme for my next vacation should be “eating wonderful local cuisine”, I admit we did have Bajan food a few nights but honestly what is with the Kraft dinner on vacation!)

I did close my eyes but I was not transported far far away and instead I found my feet firmly planted in Canada.

The good thing is there are equally magical things to a rainy day on a hot island and one of them is having conversations with a 5 year old about life. There is one concerned little lady who is on the look-out for my well being and my not owning a car. 🙂 She feels this life-style change will greatly impede my life and here are some of her suggestions on solving this dilemma:

1. Don’t move, moving costs money and you need to save money so you can buy a car.

2. In two days, what day will it be? Sunday. Umm ok, how about in 6 days? Thursday. What about 10 days? Monday. Ok, well ummm, how about you save as long as you can and when you get to $500 you’ll have enough for a House AND a car.

3. Your neighbour who parks beside you at your house, they can lend you their vehicle when you need to go to the store.

4. Here is a dandelion, I picked it extra long so that it doesn’t wilt so quickly. It’s pretty and will brighten up your house.

5. How are you going to visit? We’ll figure that out. Ok, well you can take a taxi maybe or you can just stay the night and if you stay the night then you’ll be here in the morning.

I can’t say I followed the entire conversation, but I did have a huge smile on my face and was no longer thinking about the snowy, cold morning; I was engrossed in how inventive and creative little people really are; brightening anyone’s day here and there.