After previous Hedonism II trips, I had a pretty good idea what my trip report was going to look like. Last summer's trip (1998) was a departure from that. It took me a while to figure what I was going to write. While at H-II for the 1999 Wet, Wild, and Wicked (WWW) Summer group trip I had no clue what my trip report was going to look like. Keep in mind that the WWW trip was about 100 people from all over the U.S. (and Canada) where most of the people had never met each other. Yes, there were some of the WWW1998 group that knew each other, but they were in the minority. Many of us had communicated online and via email prior to the trip, but most had not met face to face - up close and personal.
About half way through the week, it hit me. Following each of my prior trips, I always though that "it can't get any better than this"! But each trip always ended up better than the last one. WWW1999 Summer was no departure from this trend. After about 5 days, this trip had already exceeded all my past trips. I decided to use that as the theme for my trip report. You'll have to read other WWW trip reports to learn about the activities, events, and details of the WWW group.
So how had each trip been better than the last - and why? It's an interesting thought to which it took me a while to reach an answer. What follows here, is my analysis and my opinions of that phenomenon.
I can tell you more easily what I didn't think contributed to a better trip. The rooms were the same as were most of the activities. Many of the staff was the same. The same music was played in the disco. The same food and drink was served by many of the same staff. The same semi-cool air-conditioning and semi-hot shower water were encountered. The same songs were sung at the piano bar. PJ night, Toga night, Circus night, Battle of the Sexes, and the Wet T-Shirt contest were all pretty much the same. I even think I saw some of the same fish while I was snorkeling.
But upon further review, I think that the familiarity of the above items does contribute to better subsequent trips. The consistency of these items leaves one free to concentrate and enjoy the true wonders and benefits of Hedonism II.
And what are these wonders? They are intangibles which consist of emotions, feelings, private thoughts, friendships, love, closeness, tenderness, memories, fantasies, and the unexpected and unplanned. With each subsequent trip to Hedonism II, I become more in touch with the "inner me". I learn to enjoy people not for what they look like or how they act, but rather for who they are. I know that sounds rather like a cliche, so let me try to explain further.
Many first timers (I was one once, you know) understandably experience Hedonism II on a more superficial basis. They judge the food, the brand of beer or soft drink, the temperature of the showers, the apparent slowness of the staff, the music in the disco, the lack of their favorite brand of gin or champagne, etc. I'm not knocking these judgements, it's common and expected. I did the same on my first trip. However, upon returning home to Hedonism II, one tends to peel off that outer layer of the resort and start looking at other things like the people; staff and guests, the attitudes, and the pleasure of enjoying these things instead of the food, drink, or activities. One becomes more relaxed with the nudity and sexual freedom that Hedonism II offers. One learns some of the customs and attitudes of the Jamaican people. Remember that the definition of "hedonism" is: the pursuit of and devotion to pleasure and the belief that everything pleasurable is good. So I tend to focus on the pleasurable aspects of H-II. For me, these revolve around the people of Hedonism II that share a part of their life with me.
I came to the WWW1999 Summer trip with no thoughts of the drinks, food, activities, room amenities, or what I was going to do for PJ night. I came to Hedonism II with the excitement of meeting 100 new people or rekindling friendships with others. My excitement was exceeded when I saw several old friends there that I did not expect to ever see again. They were not signed up with the WWW group but were an important part of my trip. This was one of the facets of my trip that was better than the prior year.
Without going into some of the more private events of my trip, my personal experiences exceeded those of prior trips. That was not due to any fortuitous planning on my part. It just happened. As I've been quoted as saying - I don't plan more than 100 yards in front of me while at H-II.
It was most definitely a more emotional trip for me. Two experiences stand out in my mind that demonstrate this.
The first was the wedding I attended between two WWWers. It was my first H-II wedding. It was very touching to see the love between the bride and groom become apparent. I do recall a tear starting to form in my left eye as I was trying to take pictures of the event. Hedonism II was the start of their life as husband and wife. Hedonism II has been the start of many special friendships for me. It has also contributed to the growth of many friendships in many ways.
The second was the roast and gift presentation that I was surprised with. My best friend in the world set this up for me (I will get even with her). I was totally surprised and overwhelmed by the love and friendship that was shared with me by many people. Some of these people were old friends, others were people I just met a few days earlier for the first time. Again I fought back tears of joy in this emotional moment. I'm not sure I fully thanked everyone for participating and for sharing some of their special H-II time with me that day. I do want to make sure that everyone understands how special that was to me. I hope you all had fun at my expense. Just keep in mind that I won't get even, I'll get ahead. <Smile> Really, though, I love you all for the touching statements that you shared.
I could drone on more with additional examples of why this past trip was better than the last ones for me. But I won't do that. My Hedonism II enjoyment is a purely personal and internal matter. There is no way I can totally explain it to others. If you are reading this and have not been to H-II before, you are probably thinking "what a load of crap". Nothing can be like this. Be assured it can, at least for me. Everyone has their own Hedonism II experience. Just look at the various trip reports - all from the same WWW week. Everyone, ate the same food, drank the same drinks, met the same people, and experienced the same events. We each react to these differently. For those of you who have been to H-II before, I think you know what I'm talking about.
I totally expect my next H-II trip to be even better than the last. Why? It has to. Each trip builds upon the last one. My trips aren't separate events, they are a continuum. Returning to Hedonism II is truly retuning home. Please join me sometime. A stranger is just a friend I haven't yet met.
I'll wrap this up by sending my love to those who had a special part in my week. I don't need to name any names. You all know who you are. You hold pieces of my heart. Take good care of them.
Until the next time we return home together ...... Denny