Spring Break, Bahamas style

Many many years ago there existed a Bridgette before James. That Bridgette, one year, went on a college spring break trip to the Bahamas with some sorority sisters and frat friends.

This was probably my most "Spring Breakish" Spring Break on record. I went without knowing very many people, and dropped down a wad of cash for a vacation I didn't plan, myself.

This great trip started out with a 19 hour drive to Fort Lauderdale in a crowded car. Once there, we had a day before we needed to board our ship to the islands. We met up with another van full of spring breakers and stayed in one of those seedy, disgusting, who-even-stays-there type of motels. I am pretty sure we paid my the hour if you know what I mean. There were about 10 of us in a room with two twin beds. We squeezed onto open floor space, and fought for carpet space without stains. Oh to be young again...

We woke early in the morning, mostly because the majority of us had slept on concrete. We hit the beach for a few hours and had dinner in the city. Then.. back to our motel.

Our "cruise" left for the islands at 5 in the morning, so luckily we didn't have to sleep long. We all woke up the next day and packed up to head to the docks.

By 7 we were on the ship. It was one of those day cruises to the bahamas and back, and we only had a few hours before we were there. The legal drinking age in open waters is 18, but lucky for me they didn't card anyway.

We pushed off and headed for the islands.

Immediately, it was clear there was something wrong with our ship. The boat tossed back and forth rather violently for such a calm sea. You could not walk down the hallway without bracing yourself between the walls for support, and to keep yourself from some serious head injuries. The bathrooms were full of people sprawled out, each toilet housing at least 3-4 people, fighting for the opportunity to barf. Each trash can throughout the ship was guarded by a queasy vacationer.

I am lucky enough to have some boating experience on open water and was prepared for the waves, and the drinks didn't hurt either, but even my friends equipped with Dramamine couldn't fight the toss of the ship.

Soon enough we found out that the ship's stabilization system was broken. Ah ha. Ya don't say.

We all had the same idea at some point, to head deeper into the body of the ship. We crowded for room in the discos on the bottom level. Bodies were strewn about the dark interior of the ship. People clung to whatever stationary furniture they could find. I was among the few that could stomach the constant swaying of the ship, thankfully.

Struggling Spring Breakers.

After several tortuous hours we docked in the islands, much to the glee of my shipmates. Only to be terrified to realize they were going to have to board the same damn ship on the way back in a few days.

We headed to our hotels and got unpacked and hit the beach right away. I indulged in our all-inclusive drinks - pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris for days. I sipped and sipped, sitting on the beach, soaking up the sun.

I probably should have drank at least a little water throughout the day, but, you know... we all make mistakes.

After the long day of cruising, sunning, and drinking we all headed to our rooms to get ready to visit the bar scene. We took cabs out to the square, a boardwalk, type of area, surrounded on all sides by bars. Jagarmeister was a dollar, beer was nine... so you do the math.

It didn't take long before the day started sinking in for me. I was tired, sunburnt, drunk, and wanted to go back. I remember finding one or two of my group members who were feeling the same and we hopped a taxi-van back to the hotel.

Much to my ignorance, my roommates had been looking for me. I had forgotten to tell them I was returning to our humble abode for the night. After an hour or so they decided to return, as well, hoping I had made my way back somehow.

When they got to the room they found it disheveled. It was clear I had been through. But they didn't find me anywhere. They brushed off my disappearance by deducing that I was sleeping in someone else's room. And that, my readers, is how spring breakers go missing.

Luckily for all of us, I was not lost on the island, I was not sleeping with someone else, and had not fallen, drunk, into the ocean never to be seen again.

I woke up the next morning, early, with the sun on my face. I found myself all tucked in, with pillows and a blanket, snatched from my room, curled up on the porch of our hotel room.