Well, I'm happy to report that our vacation to Curacao was a great success! It was a whirlwind week of fun-in-the-sun in the Caribbean, and I've finally found some time to share a few anecdotes from the trip. There are so many aspects of the the experience that I'd like to blog about, but I'll start with sharing a little excitement from Day 1.
June 29, 2012 - The trip started out with an eventful drive up to D.C. on Friday night due to an unexpected line of summer thunderstorms with hurricane force winds that quickly swept across the midwest and slammed the east coast mid-way through my 4-hour drive. After learning that the storms were approaching, I exited the main highway (I-95), and started up US 1 in hopes of avoiding the worst of the storm traffic. Soon thereafter, the wind picked up and leaves and other small debris started to fly across the road. It began the rain heavily, and the frequency and size of debris increased as well. The placement of the debris was difficult to anticipate and the conditions made for highly unpredictable driving. I decided to pull over, but even that choice brought potential danger as I saw the large pine trees teetering overhead. I eventually opted for a spot with minimal tree cover, tuned the radio to a "calming" classical station and put it on full blast to block out the crazy storm sounds whirling all around my lightweight vehicle. The worst of the storm passed about 10 minutes later, but the effects of the storm continued to be felt along the remainder of my route as downed trees blocked portions of the highway and slowed traffic considerably. Finally, I made it to my destination safely (albeit 2 hours later than I had anticipated), and we were able to catch our 1pm flight the next day without any issue. We later learned that the line of thunderstorms was actually a derecho, and that millions of D.C.-area residents were without power for several days afterwards (in 100-degree heat!). Our escape to 85-degree weather couldn't have been better timed :).
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