Departing from the great and relatively massive continent for an island chain with fewer people than some suburbs. Inward expectations were filled with images of cloistered living in a land bubble floating atop a giant ocean. Although paradise seems to be a secondary definition for an island, my childhood stomping grounds of the Midwest were a far cry from a country whose appearance is somewhat dot-like on a world map.
Entering the Bahamas melted away my mist of erroneous predictions as a sun on a foggy beach. Warm smiles, generous hosts, amazing friends, and easy going lifestyles gave me an immediate love for the Bahamas. My enormously generous hosts immediately sent waves of exotic fruit and exquisite local dishes into my plate. Who knew mac and cheese could be spice enhanced into a local delight worthy of many tourist filled restaurants.
Close partnership with the United States failed to hide many clear cultural distinctions. When opening a National Exam Study Book, the Ten Commandments appear on page two without a famous actor in a long gray beard. Even more shocking, the small nation opens the doors of freedom with an absence of rules, laws and taxes to 'protect' every area of life from librty. Local newspapers even carry editorials on subjects last culturally debated by the United States in the 1950's.
After the double shock of culture and hospitality, my hope is two return to the Bahamas for a second helping of pleasant surprises and true friends.
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