Catch Me In Antigua
It has been a long - LONG - time since I have traveled. Covid has reshaped everything about the way we live, and that includes the way we vacay. For the last year, I - like most of you - have been home bound. To say that I miss vacationing would be a complete understatement. But things are slowly getting better. I have been vaccinated. The world is slowly reopening. And sunny skies are calling.
When I got the call to join some friends for a girls trip to Antigua, I felt the heavens opened up. This trip would be perfect; we would rent a beautiful villa (Nonsuch Heights in Freetown) in the countryside and travel into town occasionally. Essentially this was a quarantine vacation, and I could not think of a better place to vacay during lockdown. Antigua is beautiful. The landscape is lush and rich; Freetown (where we stayed) has a feeling of being almost untouched by time. Fresh vegetables line almost every street and the people greeted us like we were family everywhere we went. The food on the island is amazing; when we did go out, we discovered deceptively humble, laid back beach restaurants serving quietly delicious five star meals at every turn. Everything is fresh, mouth-watering, and expertly prepared. Our favorites were Catherine’s Cafe in English Harbor and of course, The Beach Bum Bar and Grill in Pigeon Bay Beach, an absolute MUST when visiting the island!
I have to also tell you about my hair for this vacay. I planned to try a new look - full on Lisa Bonet waist length butterfly loc realness for Antigua! I decided to try Janet Collection’s Nala Tress Buttlerfly loc in 24 inch for a quick crochet loc look. The brand was super affordable and I have to say, they were a look. But these locs were heavy; very, VERY heavy. Heavy like “I’m afraid to go swimming because I believe they might weigh me down and drown me” heavy. And these locs snagged on everything, even themselves, which also made them unravel and stretch really easily. Nobody wants that! So after only three weeks I have decided that the tangling, unraveling and heaviness is just NOT worth it. I am taking these out as soon as my new hair arrives! My final judgement on these: they are a look but not a long term style by any means, and I’d pass on them for anything outside of a photo shoot.
I will also end this by saying that even though Antigua was AHHH-MAAAZING, it was still Antigua during Covid. The island had a curfew and several days the beach was closed. None of this affected my trip negatively in any real way except one; I didn’t come close to wearing all the looks I packed for this trip! I spent most of my time in swimwear, which is fine. But I did get in a few island outfits. Overall though, this trip wasn’t about looks or outings or photo shoots. It was about reconnecting with my girls and myself, taking a break, and appreciating the beauty that is all around us. I’d go back to Antigua again and again, and guess what? So should you.
xo,
Iman.💋