Attitudes
I was taught by a good friend and fellow Hedonist that there are three stages to a trip "home" to Hedonism II. The first part is the planning, and man did we ever plan this trip. I signed up for Denny's WWW Summer '99 trip back in January. July seemed like forever away. It became a weekly, then daily, and at the end an hourly check in with new found friends via e-mails, the message boards and the chat room. I spoke with some over the phone and some I really did get to know, in person. Most of the gang that signed up for WWW got to know each other ahead of time. We traded stories, laughs, smooches, and yes insults when we could. We planned a honeymoon and a wedding towards the end (two different couples), we shopped together and found exciting web sites for just those perfect outfits. We exchanged pictures and thoughts. We shared anticipations, fantasies, and also our apprehensions about the trip. We talked with our partners about boundaries, and what we each wanted from this trip. It was all done with love and with a common thread that runs through all Hedonists at heart. It's something that words can't really describe. It's a feeling....an "Attitude." To anyone who misses this part of a trip to Hedonism, I think you are really missing an important part of the whole experience. To those of you who I got to know ahead of time, our friendship was intensified, for that I will always be grateful. To those I didn't get to meet ahead of time, we just had to work a little harder when we got there. To those I've yet to meet.... soon come, mon.
Parts two and three of a trip "home" is being there and then the memories. I'm living in part three right now and loving the new "Attitude" I've found, and going to try to do justice to part two. You won't find this part of my trip report as much about the activities as some, and while they were fun and important, I don't think I could say much more about them than what's already been said by others. What I kept noticing over and over was what I've taken on as my new motto in life.....it's an "Attitude".
We met up with Anita right off the bat in the Immigration line at Sangster Airport. We hopped a swift puddle jumper over to Negril, only three of us on a 12 seater plane, but we were there and ready to go, so we left. The people at Air Negril couldn't have been better.....everything was, no problem, mon. We got to Hedo and were welcomed "home" with open arms. We did our ritual paperwork and then decided to take a walk around and give Anita a quick tour after being told to come back around 2. We were still fully clothed and all of a sudden someone says, "Denny, Diane, Anita" Thank you Boomer and Steph, we now have a place to put our stuff until we get our room. We quickly undress and head to the beach and pool. I see a guy that I have been talking with for close to three years on the Internet, back in the old AOL chat room days. Mr. BareonRaft, you were everything I knew you would be. And Mrs. Bare, you are a doll, great getting to know you better, take care of that sunburn. All afternoon, I kept thinking it couldn't get any better than this. It did! The WWW crowd started rolling in and those that were there ahead of us, somehow found us. I knew this was the start of something magical. The warm sun, a gentle ocean breeze, great new and old friends, a cocktail and the man I love beside me. What more could a gal want?? We had wanted to do a little surprise birthday party for the Infamous Gumboaz that night at Pastafaris, but it didn't work out. So we had it in the dining room. The Hedo staff is so good about making sure you get what you want. As I fell asleep that night, I had to pinch myself to be sure it was all really happening to me. From this point on, all the days and nights blend into one, but the situations remain constant. Awesome people having an awesome time. Some highlights I remember....It is absolutely pouring down rain, I'm in the middle of the pool, with a raft over my head so I won't get wet (yeah, go figure, seemed the right thing at the time) and most everyone is jammed under as much of the nude bar roof as possible, smiling, laughing, dancing and having the time of their lives most were barely noticing the rain. Where else could rain at a tropical resort be so much fun? Denny taught me early on that it's best not to plan anything much more than 100 yards in front of me. That turned out to be the best advice I learned all week. I found that the things that were planned, didn't usually work out, and the ones that happened spontaneously were always the most fun. Like the day in the hot tub, it was raining again, the hot tub was packed with people just plain having fun. This time there was some fairly strong wind and they wanted everyone out of the hot tub for fear of flying debris. I don't personally think even flying debris would have affected this crowd. We all adjourned to our room for new temporary tattoo applications, and the party continued, never missed a beat, nothing was going to put a damper on people's fun this week. As some might have been following with the WWW trip, Denny had a contest to design a tattoo logo for the group. Congratulations Shirley (and Jim) for the winning entry. Denny had temporary tattoos made up for the group and Denny and I got to apply the tattoos to the gals and guys, respectively, although I did get to do a couple of the gals :-) I have to tell you that finding a non-hairy spot on some of the guys was really challenging, and most jumped when I pulled out the razor.
The people....everyone says it's the people that make Hedo what it is. I don't think I ever fully understood that on my first trip. This time, I really understood. I hear so many people who have never been to Hedo talk about ages of the guests. I didn't once wonder how old someone was when I was there. Thinking back on it now, I am certain that one gal there was barely 18. And another couple had to be in their 80's. None of that mattered. There is almost every kind of person you can imagine at Hedo....young, old, fat, skinny, pretty, not so pretty, tight, saggy, big boobs, little boobs, but one thing remains constant...all are friendly and fun loving. To those of you who are worried if you will fit in or not....trust me, you WILL!! To all of you who I got to spend some precious time with this week, thanks for enriching my life. The love and acceptance that occurs at Hedo is truly magical. I'm trying so hard to maintain that sense of magic now that I'm back stateside. I'm sure the magic has a lot to do with the word RESPECT, RESPECT EVERY TIME (as Denny and Delroy always said to each other), an area in which the Jamaicans have perfected to a science.
About the staff at hedo: I was amazed at just how many of the staff knew my name, and called me by name repeatedly. I was certain that none of them remembered me from my first visit 2 1/2 years ago, although I was amazed at how many employees were still there from that trip. What I realize now is, I think they might have overheard some of us call each other by name, and they were always paying attention. The one thing I DO know, is they never had to ask my name a second time, they remembered it every single time. The Jamaicans are truly unique people. Their genuine soul wants to make sure that visitors to their island return to our respective homes as changed people. That when we leave their little piece of Paradise, we know we will be returning soon. It was somewhere toward the end of the week that I overheard some people talking. They were pretty loud in their opinions, so it wasn't as though I was totally eavesdropping. They were complaining to each other about how horrible the service had been this trip for them. At first I was certain that they weren't talking about Hedo, but they were. They said how unfriendly the wait staff was, how slow the service was (that part is sometimes true, but really, what else do we have to do when we are there?), how rude people had been to them. All of a sudden I thought I had missed my whole vacation, as what they were talking was foreign to me. I don't think I could have found an unfriendly person if I had tried, nor did I encounter one rude person (other than a couple of guests on occasion). I listened to their "Attitude" as they continued to complain, and it became pretty clear to me how and why they had the experience that they did. I found everyone to be courteous, kind and exceptionally friendly (yes, the disco bartenders are a little slow, I wasn't in there too much, but when I was, I could get a drink). Now I'm not saying that these people's experience wasn't true for them, I just realized how much of my own reality I have the ability to create.
The food: I returned from my trip and another long discussion was taking place on the message board about the food at Hedo. I found nothing wrong with the food. I usually made it up for a late breakfast in the morning, and it's really hard to mess up fruit, juice, muffins, danish, individually cooked omelets, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, waffles, french toast, bacon, and potatoes. If I couldn't be satisfied by that list, I really wasn't too hungry. OK, sometimes they had stuff that I didn't like or didn't care to try, no one forced me to eat it. By mid day the grilled sandwiches from Robert's, the grill at the nude beach (who wants to get dressed at this point?) became a craving, and 6pm jerked chicken was almost mandatory. Actually the jerked fish was the best in my opinion, and usually I didn't have to wait in line for that, as everyone else was waiting for chicken. We did eat at Pastafari's three times during our 10 day stay, and that gave us a chance to get to know our new friends better. Plan on at least two hours for dinner there. The dinners in the dining room were again, acceptable to me, but probably my least favorite meal. I was always able to find something that hit just the right spot. And then again, anytime I don't have to cook or do dishes (or even pick them up for that matter), I think I've died and gone to heaven, so maybe that explains some of my attitude on this subject.
It was somewhere toward the end of the week when the big message finally hit me. It was somewhere between floating on that great "69" raft (that I insisted on dragging down there, let me know if anyone sees it, it has our names and WWW on it) with my main squeeze, the beach, the pool or the hot tub that I realized it. The "Attitude" that I don't want to lose is this: I feel closer to these people and I'm spending time sharing things that I won't share with my own family. There were people there old enough to be my parents, and young enough to be my kids. Fun enough to be my brothers and sisters. Wise enough to be my teachers. Loving enough to become part of my "chosen family". In 10 short days, I felt what I haven't felt in a lifetime with other people in my life. To one and all, thank you for being a part of that. If anyone who is reading this is trying to decide when to go to Hedo, I would suggest joining up with the WWW group. The "membership' is cheap, and the rewards are too many to mention. Next trip, December 11-18, 1999 and then again next July for, as Sharon calls it, The WWW 2000 Millennium Trip, that is going to be a party NOT to be missed!!!!
While I begin to close my thoughts, a warm fuzzy feeling comes over me. I guess this is the part three of my return trip "home". The memories, which will never fade. As I look at my pictures and think back to those wonderful fun filled days, I have to mention some very important people in my life. If this list was written properly would include at least a hundred names, please forgive me for anyone I've left out. A special thank you to our neighbors for the week, Robin and Damian (could we plan that better next year, maybe request it? And knock off the noise), Glenn and Lucy (you know this wouldn't have happened without your love, friendship and support), all the VillageSluts and your respective fellows who drug all those outrageous costumes down there, you guys were great!! (Kathy and Bob, Jessica and Lance, Chris and Dick, Keri and Joe, Shirley and Jim, and last but certainly not least, Sharon...thanks for being the one who kept us all down to earth, or was that the one who kept us in stitches all week?), The Baron (I love you man - we be jammin') and momma (you just HAVE to meet the beautiful Theresa to understand), Jeff and Kim (the guy who looks the least like his picture), Chris and Shelli (the newlyweds, thanks for inviting us to your honeymoon, the best one I was ever at, including my own), Boomer and Steph (don't get up now, Boomer, we don't want you to over exert yourself), Dave (Mr. Red Butt) and Nina (you guys were great, hope to see you in your neck of the woods this fall), Bare and Becky (I will never call you anything but Bare, it was great), Travis and Lisa (you are both an inspiration to me), Mark and Clista (awesome parasailing afternoon and thanks for letting us crash your party that last night), Shaunda and Steve (FudgeGirl, you still owe someone I know a lap dance and Mr. Rootmon, we need to find out how to distribute that stuff here in the states), Keith and Lisa and Ken and Tammie (I never saw anyone jump in that quick Ken, you really had left the south, hadn't you, and this really isn't Alabama, is it?), Lisa and Conrad (my fellow Phoenicians we'll be doing a rum party soon), Greg and Kathy (I loved the story how you two met), and Jay (Happy Birthday, a beer just won't ever be the same again, will it?), and to the countless others who's path crossed mine last week, my life is truly blessed because of it. Most important......to my friend, my lover, my teacher, my mirror.....Denny.....Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me the luckiest girl around.