The question I ponder today, is why hasn’t this group of people torn each other to shreds yet? And more to the point, how can they still be smiling, even wrapping their arms around each other? I mean after all, we have been together pretty much 24/7 for the past 30 days (the past 5 of these days have been in one (1) hotel room with two (thankfully two) beds), living out of suitcases, eating 3 meals together, listening to each other crunch peanuts and chips and other loud foods, snore, burp, laugh, whine, and cry. We have been depending on each other for pretty much everything, from companionship to driving directions to who’s got the best interpretation of synchronized swimming. We have watched each other have tantrums and mood swings; most noticeably when one of us is either 1. hungry, 2. trying to drive on the left side of the road amongst honking, swearing, middle-finger-giving Trinidadian drivers, or 3. when the hot water tank is spilling out through the kitchen ceiling onto the floor of our new home. We have put up (not so patiently at times) with various addictions within the group, whether they be to electronics, coffee, polly pockets, MAS, blogging, overly refined sugar combined with a fear of confined spaces, or red dye #2. So why are we still looking so darn happy to be together?
Sunset at Macquaripe Bay, Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Could it be that when the sun sets
over the Macqueripe Bay we turn into 
sillouettes so that we can’t
see each other’s flaws?
Could it be that 3 weeks ago we didn’t even know that a place as beautiful as Macquaripe Bay or Chaguaramas Boardwalk even existed? And now here we are, witnessing the colors, the sounds, the sights, first hand, just like that?
Or maybe when we watch a rainbow rise or a sun set over this new landscape that we have found ourselves in, all of our snits and snags with each other pale by comparison?
What ever the reason, the truth remains, that we are all here, in one piece. No one has committed any bodily harm against each other (at least nothing reportable), we are all still speaking to each other (most of the time), and we are all still in awe of the newness and beauty around and within us. Here we are, looking across the bay, the sighting of Venezuela on the horizon and thoughts of kalalu soup for dinner drowning out the sound of potato chips crunching or anyone whining.
jumping off the hamster wheel 
Thanks for taking the time to so beautifully and so honestly share the journey you are all beginning!
Ellen, your photos of family and scenery are gorgeous! I’m sure that the reason why you haven’t all killed each other through the disastrous part of it is that everyone in the family wants to find out how the next installment of the blog will turn out, just like those of us back here in Vermont.
Karen, who is attempting to tame an outrageously wild mess in her latest classroom move…
Great to hear from you, Karen! Which classroom are you moving to?
Love 🙂
Ah, Ellen, but are you the cruncher or the whiner? ;>) Best wishes on your adventure!
Hey Mary Anne,
I think I should not divulge that information! So great to hear from you!
thank you so much for sharing this….life. i love it.
i always thought kalalou was spelled callalou 🙂
hey nancy,
your comment made me curious, so i looked it up. Apparently, it can be spelled either callaloo or kalalu in trinidad, and in Jamaica, the spelling has quite a wide range: Calalu, culilu, caleloe, colalue, colilu, calalue, callaloo. In any case, it is delicious and has turned into my favorite food so far here!
yes, it’s delicious no matter how you spell it. i lived in grenada for a spell, and ate a lot of it. have you tried it cold??? yum!! callaloo roools
Ellen, it’s really fun to watch your journey from afar. Keep the posts coming!
Hey Ellen,
Just loved what you wrote. The pictures are just so lovely. Family life is such a challenge sometimes so thanks for reminding all of us that what seems so intense and important sometimes just isn’t at all. There is so much beauty all around us whether in Vermont or Trinadad and beauty in each of us even though sometimes its hard to see it. Glad to know that you are safe and sound there. Thanks for taking the time to share your journey.
What a great experience for all of you! I look forward to sharing your blog with the 1st graders.
Hi Maureen! Yes, it will be fun to share with your class and all of Nicole’s buddies in there!
Biggest treat for me this morning is catching up on your blog with a cup of coffee! You have a knack for writing and your photos are simply awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your adventure….it really is neat to share in your experiences this way.
thanks Eileen! So glad to think we can share a cup of coffee together like that. And thanks for the feedback–never quite know what will happen when I press the send button on the blog. Hope Dante is doing well at BUHS!