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Here We Go Again
In April of 2021, our family traveled to Turks and Caicos.
That trip was our favorite family vacation (so far), and we’ve dreamt of returning to that little slice of paradise since then. This February, we made that dream come true. We mimicked our last trip, staying at the same resort and undertaking many of the same activities, so this trip was very familiar, but in some ways, it was quite different.
2021
In April of 2021, the world was coming back to life from the global pandemic and its travel restrictions. Turks and Caicos was particularly strict in their travel requirements. Negative Covid tests for entry and exit were non-negotiable. That, coupled with near universal reticence to venture outside, kept the crowds to a minimum, so we had the Windsong On The Reef resort nearly to ourselves. In fact, the entire island lacked the bustle we expected of a world-class tourist destination. Airfare and lodging prices were low and enticing. It was a great time to travel.
Fast forward five years, and the travel landscape was quite different. Airfare and lodging prices are back, baby! And so are the crowds. Windsong was hopping, and while the food and service were still top-notch, this time we had to strategize for pool, beach, and dining spots.
2021
In 2021, we had been spoiled by what felt like exclusivity but was in fact a universal tourism depression. Oh well. We just had more people to share paradise with this time. In April of ’21, the water in TCI was gin-clear with unlimited visibility. This time, our trip followed a biggish storm that had hit the area the week before, and underwater visibility suffered as a result. Oh well. We just had to look a little harder for the abundance of sea life that graces the waters around the island of Providenciales. I am happy to report that the weather was still perfect.
The biggest difference between our trips was in our travel companions. My wife and I hadn’t changed in our attitudes to exploration and relaxation. We were nerdily excited about boat trips and snorkeling. We were just as ready to relax by the beach and pool, reading books and catching rays. But something was different about our four children. Shockingly different. Annoyingly different.
In 2021, our firstborn was just 13, the girl-child was 12, and the twins (Thing One and Thing Two) were a mere 10 years old. They were young, open to experience, and even expressed gratitude. The world was still mysterious and fascinating to their young minds, but most importantly, they were malleable. They generally did what we asked of them, usually happily. They boarded boats with enthusiasm, cheered loudly upon seeing dolphins and sea turtles, and swam tirelessly in search of sand dollars and conch shells. They were excited about the unknown.
2026
Five years on, they’ve become insufferable, recalcitrant urchins. In short, they are quintessential teenagers. Don’t get me wrong. I still love them with every molecule of my being, but damn, they do make it difficult sometimes. They’d rather stay in bed until 2 PM, “Snapping” their friends whose parents have also taken them on some fabulous vacation to commiserate about how boring it all is.
They grumble about walks on one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire world. They’d rather eat a mediocre pizza than explore the unique, and, might I add, delicious, cuisine of the West Indies. And now they want rum in their formerly virgin pina coladas. Rum! We are open to our kids trying new things, but am I the bad guy for thinking 15 might be a tad young for your first mojito? One must draw the line somewhere.
2026
It used to be that when we said “no,” they accepted our authority, knowing it was born out of hard-won parental wisdom. Now, “no” is a challenge to prove what they know with a depressing certainty – that their parents are complete morons. Despite having proved we have the wherewithal to have fed, clothed, and sheltered them for the entirety of their blessed lives, we are utter nincompoops.
We left Turks and Caicos this time with new hard-won knowledge. Parenting, even in paradise, is hard. Traveling with teenagers, even to paradise, is hard. But it is still fun, and it is still worth it. And we have the pictures to prove it!
What the heck is “Snapping” anyway, and who took my mojito?
