How Roatan Changed Me

Aside from the once-yearly trips we’d take to the beach when I was a child, I’ve never been much of a beach kinda gal. I mean, I love the sound of waves rolling in over the beach, watching storms gather over the water, and indulging in copious seafood, but there are also plenty of things I’ve always disliked about beach.

I hate sand, with a passion. I don’t like the way it gets in everything and stays there for weeks even after you’ve left, I don’t like how it burns your feet, and I don’t like how it’s lumpy and uneven when you’re just trying to get comfortable. The sun–also not really my friend. I’m pasty white and I kind of dig my transparency. Even with loads of sunscreen, plenty of coverups, and a giant hat, I can get burnt in almost any situation. And it’s not like that burn then turns into a tan. Oh no, it goes from being bright red, to orange, to pale again in about a week and a half’s time. Also, that relaxing thing that everybody seems to dig? Again, it’s not really a thing that happens for me. I might be able to spend a day or two max just lying around reading and feeling good, but then I start to get antsy and dream up the million productive things I could be doing.

So, why then, given my general distaste for the beach, did I book a week in Roatan in a resort? Two words: Pennsylvania winters. When the arctic blast was in full force and I was hunkered down all hibernation style, I saw photos of the Caribbean and got the warm fuzzies and booked myself a trip. While the trip took place after the weather had already begun warming up in Pennsylvania, I still found myself growing very excited about the prospect of doing nothing but hanging out on some white sandy beaches with some crystal clear waters for a whole week.

My youngest sister and I hopped on a short flight down to Roatan where we spent a week doing exactly what I’d avoided for years: relaxing on a beach. And I’ve got to tell you–Roatan changed me. Maybe my dislike for beaches was because I’d always visited some pretty crap ones as I was growing up, but I had the best time ever in Roatan.

On the days that we wanted a bit more action than lying around and reading, we took advantage of having an activity center right in our resort. We booked trips to other islands, snorkeled the coral reef that was just down the beach from our hotel, snorkeled around a shipwreck, found a spot where we could see tons of starfish, went on some awesome boat rides, hung out with monkeys and macaws, and walked along suspension bridges in the jungle. Roatan is easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited–I had no idea that places could actually look like that. The sand was so white and the water so many shades of blues and greens. It honestly looked like a postcard.

I think it’s safe to say that I’ll be returning to Roatan. I don’t know when, but I absolutely adored it. For seven days I wore flip flops, giant floppy hats, a bathing suit, and sarong, while I sipped frozen drinks, dove into books, and listened to waves crash in. I felt my skin get sticky and my hair get wavy while most of my worries melted away. Life on that small island seemed so easy and relaxed, and for once in many, many years, I allowed myself to just go with the flow and enjoy every minute of it.