I’ve always been amused by people who count the number of countries they’ve visited. It’s as if a destination is something to be “done” so that you can move on to the next one, when in fact every trip is distinctive. We can never truly be done with a place. A case in point for me: Bermuda.
I first went to Bermuda years ago on a business trip. I remember looking out the airplane window and being amazed by the blue waters and pink beaches that ringed the island and the colorful homes that dotted the countryside. I remember being greeted by a gentleman in Bermuda shorts and a blazer at the Hamilton Princess hotel. And I remember going to some local bars and seeing how much fun everyone was having. My trip was quick. I certainly didn’t feel I had “done” Bermuda.
I returned to Bermuda with some friends for the 2015 America’s Cup World Series Regatta, a prelude to the official America’s Cup races that will take place this May and June. We spent a weekend hanging out with several locals on their boats—it seems that in Bermuda, if you don’t have a boat, you know someone who does—relaxing, eating, drinking, and laughing. Based on my brief visits to the island, that’s my impression of everyday life there. But what do I know? I’ve been in Bermuda for a grand total of four days.
That’s why I’m excited to go back for our AFAR Experiences Bermuda event April 28–29. I’ll get to know Bermuda even better. We’ll celebrate with Gombey dancers, who reflect the island’s unique mix of cultures; we’ll see how residents are preparing for the upcoming America’s Cup; we’ll tour the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art with its founder; we’ll connect with locals who have invited us into their homes—and we’ll do all this (and more) in the company of other fun, interesting travelers.
I hope you’ll join us. Be forewarned: If you come to Bermuda with us, it probably won’t be your last trip there. But isn’t this what we want from our travels? Not to have been there, done that, but to have been there and be inspired to return.
