welcome ~~~

A clear head. A different perspective. Peace of mind. The hopeful difference between life lived and life enjoyed. These things are found more readily when there is water in the mix. On the water, under the water, or near the water. Salt or fresh ~ ocean, lake or shore ~ crashing or calm. Doesn’t really matter, because as long as the water is blue, it’s all good.

I’ve had so many great moments on the water – lots of really cool memories. The minute I see the water, a switch clicks over in my head and it fills a hole in my soul. When something is really special, you know it. For years I have tried to capture the moment, hold on to the feeling, or at least be able to recreate a reasonable likeness when a trip to the water is only wishful thinking. I’ve called it my blue water life. The one where I am sure of what I want and enjoy being with people who care. The air is clearer, the food & drink better. There is love & laughter to share.

Given how & where I grew up ~ Florida, South Carolina and Georgia ~ when the Busted Flush was a fixture at Bahia Mar, when the Wingo’s were becoming poets in the Lowcountry, and when Buffett was first being sung in college bars ~ I was destined to find blue water. It took a while, but thank goodness I did. First there was a trip to Tortola, BVI ~ then a truly memorable birthday in Key West ~ and eventually boats, bars and beaches throughout the Caribbean and the Florida Keys.

Every blue water excursion brings some element to the mix ~ friends, food, drink, fun, style. Inveterate list maker, note taker, tear sheet saver that I am, the mix keeps evolving. So, as I keep aspiring to live my blue water life, I find that people end up liking a lot of the blue water mix. “This is a great drink,idea, photo, place. How do I find, make, buy something like this?

So now that I grew up with the beach and the lake, and spent a lot of my adult life seeking out deep blue water, I have a backlog of stories, photos, fun, food, drink, style and life to share. Couple that with years of notes, lists, and half-filled journals, I decided to create a place to put it together ~ and that became bluwaterlife.com

As part of the welcome to bluwaterlife, I wanted to share a place that is pretty much the definition of blue water. Here are the Exumas, in the heart of the Bahamas. Mostly accessible only by boat, the Exumas are 365 islands and cays that start 65km southeast of Nassau and extend over 150km ~ from Sail Rocks in the north to Little Exuma in the south. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park was created in 1958 (before I was born :-)). Covering 450sq km, it was the first park to protect a marine area. I visited in July 2007 on a dive trip through the Exumas and the scenery is stunning. These photos are from Warderick Wells Cay (latitude 24N 23′ 30.22″ longitude -76W 37′ 32.48″) It is quite a hike to the top of the cay, but the view is nothing short of breathtaking. So, here is your welcome to bluwaterlife ~ enjoy the scenery!

Smooth Sailing…Bluwatergal