By, Chris and Shelli
This trip report is much harder to write than the last
one. I've started it and discarded it many times, trying different styles,
different tones, anything to capture the magic of this trip. But, I've decided
that no trip report can capture what this trip was, words cannot show anyone
the experiences we lived during our week "at home."
There were many people who we saw for the second time, who
felt like old friends. The kind of friends that you do not see in person for
two years, but sit down next to and it's suddenly like you were never apart.
There were folks that we met for the first time after many months of on-line
chatting that built friendships that will survive after the trip is but a
memory. And for all of those folks, we are grateful.
I was going to present a laundry list of funny things that
happened and send out little personal notes to the folks we spent time with in
the pool or dining room, or where ever we went. But I found I kept missing
people or events or just didn't know what to say about or to some of the folks
nearest to my heart. So to all of you, and you should know who you arewe
thank you for giving us the joy and fun that you all provided. Some of you we
will see (or have seen) before we make it back to Jamaica and some of you will
only be email buddies, but all of you are special to us.
I've read the trip reports posted before ours and see that
this trip has made a difference in the lives of many of us. It's hard to
explain to people at home that "Going to Hedo" does not mean we are
living a week long drunken orgy (well, to some it DOES!) To us, however, it is
our sanity in a year marked with much stress. It is our time to reconnect with
each other away from kids, dogs, work, etc.
One night during this trip, a dear friend took the time to
share his gift with me, and gave me a reading. He told me many things about
myself that I'd stopped seeing. He also told me that life is about breaking
boundaries. I've done a lot of that lately, and Hedo is THE place to break
those boundaries. I've come away with a new sense of self and seen all kinds
of new sides of my husband (yes, even the feminine side!).
Way back when we were new to this whole thing, Diane told
me about the Hedo Attitude and how it can come home with you. Last time
around, I thought I'd brought it back. I hadn't, it didn't last because I
didn't let it. THIS TIME, it's here and it's gonna stay as long as it can! I
need only to look at the hundreds of pictures we took, or email one of my
"hedo friends" who aren't really just "hedo friends"
anymore to bring back the feeling.
One thing that I have to say to the folks of the WWW group
is that you are ALL very real. Yes, I know you are not all like that when
you're at homeheck, neither am I, but the personalities I met in the chat
room were the very same personalities I met in the pool. You were all so down
to earth and "normal" (well, as normal as any of us WWW crew could
possibly be!).
As I write this, I am not sure we will be able to make it
to WWW Summer 2002. With two daughters and all of the trappings of suburbia,
it will be a stretch, but a stretch we will try our damnedest to make.
It will not matter if Denny keeps the trip at Hedo 2 or moves it to
Hedo 3 or even to a trailer park in the middle of South Dakota, what brings us
back is the people.
Much love and maximum respect to you all!!!
(aka Hedowitch and Lounghshrk, aka Mistress Elvira and
"Dances With Boobs")