 Freeport, Grand Bahama |
As I sit here listening to Broods’s self-titled debut EP, I feel a sense of calm that I haven’t felt since I was in the Bahamas with my family & Josh. I’ve been so high strung since I’ve gotten back with application deadlines looming, attempting to gather together my thoughts to compose several profound & moving personal statements formatted correctly to each school’s guidelines that I often forget to just breathe. There is so much I’d like to write to explain myself & why I want to pursue medicine, but I’m often confined to 2500 characters to 450 words, thus it’s absolutely imperative that I make every word count. Years of blogging have taught me that most people stop reading if your blog exceeds 500 words so I’ve always attempted to keep my thoughts short. Just taking a gander at my giveaway post, you can see that most people didn’t care to read what I wrote because they were simply there for the chance to win free loot.
Without further ado, here are some pictures & a video from my week vacation in Freeport, Grand Bahama. It was overcast everyday while we were there so the weather wasn’t optimal for us to do any fun water sports, but with such a beautiful view, it’s difficult to have a bad time!
Island in the Sun
Island in the Sun from Tiffany Bee on Vimeo.
Bahamas: Day 1
I’m only posting 3 pictures from each day to keep from overwhelming the post with photos, so if you’re curious to see more, you can view the gallery.
The first day there, I was anxious to eat the local grub, but quickly found that there are only so many ways to consume conch. Most of the island food was deep fried, while our resort’s restaurant was Americanized–hamburgers, hot dogs, spaghetti, ham & cheese extravaganza–so we were all a bit disappointed. When you’re traveling to a new country, the last thing you want is to eat something you can eat at home.
Bahamas: Day 2
The bar at our resort had a big list of cocktails & we were determined to try them all. We retired to our room when the sun began to tire us & enjoyed the view from our balcony overlooking a marina with rows of million dollar homes.
Bahamas: Day 3
On our third day, Josh, Vinny, & I got to venture out to the Lucaya Market, which was sprinkled with bars, restaurants, & souvenir shops. Itching to fulfill the island vacation stereotype, the guys & I sought out a bar that served drinks in coconuts. It might’ve been a little before noon by the time these coconuts were consumed, but we refused to be judged by our alcohol consumption when we were simply enjoying our vacation!
Bahamas: Day 4
While we were relaxing on the beach, one of the resort’s employees had a heated debate with a few of the guests about religion. Yelling at the top of her lungs about Jesus, all of us couldn’t help but feel as though the subject matter, decibel level, & behavior was not only inappropriate of the resort staff, but unbecoming. Can we just enjoy some crystal clear waters without hearing a sermon? Why is that so much to ask?
Due to the seclusion of our resort, the bus schedule didn’t extend beyond dinner hours thus confining us to the resort’s restaurant. As I mentioned before, most of the local food is deep fried. The almond crusted grouper I ordered was nevertheless delicious, but I came back to the states feeling as though my body despised me for trying to consume all that I did.
Bahamas: Day 5
Nearing the end of our vacation, we moved to an all-inclusive hotel on the opposite side of the island, which proved to be much better than the resort we were at for the first 5 days. The food wasn’t significantly better, but everything was an improvement from free wifi to a plethora of activities, it seemed even the seagulls knew what’s up. The weather wasn’t very welcoming with its harsh winds & rain, but it didn’t stop us from exploring what the hotel had to offer.
Bahamas: Day 6
I swear I didn’t edit these photos with an overcast filter! The sun seemed to struggle to shine through the thick clouds looming over the island. If you look through this album, you’ll see that the trees’ branches all drunkenly leaned in several directions due to the strong gusts of wind. This marked the end of our stay in the Bahamas. Thus concludes our island vacation, but wait, there’s more!
Ice, Ice, Baby!
I’ve added two new ice pops–Coconut Pomegranate & Avocado + Coconut Kiwi–recipes that are perfect for the upcoming summer season. Be sure to follow me on Instagram to stay up-to-date on my latest creations & follow me on Bloglovin’! I’m only 17 followers away from reaching my goal of 100! Thank you all for participating.
Latest Additions
- Bahamas: Day 1
- Bahamas: Day 2
- Bahamas: Day 3
- Bahamas: Day 4
- Bahamas: Day 5
- Bahamas: Day 6
- Avocado + Coconut Kiwi Ice Pops Recipe
- Coconut Pomegranate Ice Pops Recipe
That scenery is beautiful, and I cannot get over how much I love your swim suit. It’s so cute, and still conservative. (I have a problem with skimpy clothing, lol)
My best friend and I are supposed to take a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas next summer, and I have never been but I’ve heard it’s probably one of the best places to take a summer vacation. Your pictures are definitely proof of that! =3
The water looks incredibly clear and clean! That’s something you don’t find in the Texas waters, sadly. Even the weather looks nice. Here it’s always WAY too hot in the summer to really enjoy it, so I am definitely looking forward to a vacation somewhere nice.
I actually don’t have a picture of my swimsuits from the entire vacation, unfortunately – what I was wearing is a jumper from Forever 21. The weather as I mentioned, was less than optimal for an ideal island vacation as it was raining & really windy. A cruise down to the Bahamas would be really nice; I’m sure you’ll have fun.
Oh I’m sorry. I thought that was a swim suit. Is it bad I would wear a swim suit like that? I think it is cute. I don’t swim much here because I am so pale that even with sunblock I burn rather quickly.
The ice pops are a great idea though. I would enjoy making those and wouldn’t feel bad about giving them to my daughter because they wouldn’t be saturated in excess sugars like most things are here. One thing I can say about the USA is EVERYTHING is filled with sugars and salts…THAT is why we rarely eat out in my family. Ick. So I’m loving the home made ice pop idea!
You don’t have to be sorry! I’ve never seen a swimsuit that looks like a jumper before & I can only imagine how awful the tan lines would be! If you click here, you’ll see what my real swimsuit was underneath. I love the classic 40s-50s one pieces, but I also love bikinis – I just don’t have the body for it yet! The human body is beautiful & I think women shouldn’t live in fear of being criticized for being comfortable in their own skin.
America is one of the leading countries with the highest obesity rates, so yep, definitely understand where you’re coming from! We add sugar in nearly everything, so I use honey instead or try to find sweeter alternatives. Ice pops & sorbet aren’t too bad to do without sugar. Fruits have so much fructose in them that the addition of sugar is really unnecessary. Just add some fruit juice, lemon, lemon zest, a bit of honey, & you’re good to go!
Hey Tiffany, just wanted to say I enjoyed watching your video. I’m inspired now; I really want to learn how to shoot a video! How did you do it? Did you use your camera or what? The island is really beautiful and colorful; I love the way you developed the different frames and the music is just perfect. Ah and I like the pics too, the vacation feeling… you guys look relaxed and happy <3
I’m glad you enjoyed my video! I did indeed shoot with my camera, edited the coloring in Lightroom, & stitched it all together in iMovie. I’m still trying to get the hang of things because my hands are really shaky. It was a fun vacation!
This post just got me WAY too excited for my next holiday!
http://www.sandynene.com
Wow, the sand is actually white! I know that sounds like such a stupid comment but I’ve never seen sand look so white and magical! So beautiful.
I am so going to have a go at making the coconut pomegranate ice lolly (or as the people from Liverpool would say ‘lolly ice’). I was thinking about getting some cheap ice lolly molds for the summer. I haven’t made my own lollies in years!
Hahaha it’s okay! The Caribbean is famous for their white sand beaches, so after having been there, I can’t help but wish we could dye our brown sand white. The water is just such a beautiful blue thanks to he white sands & we saw lots of fish in the water.
You should be able to find some cheap molds online! I bought mine off Amazon & I’ve no complaints! Lollies are fun & easy to make too. 🙂
I’m super jealous that you went to the Bahamas! One day, I will get to travel out of California, for sure! But your photos turned out great, despite the overcast. I guess one step at a time right? I’ve asked Georgie, this already — but I was wondering, what camera do you use? Can a Nikon S3100 series do the same effects as a Canon? Or is the Canon a better camera?
Those ice pops look delicious! I know you wouldn’t post them if they weren’t considered healthy. I’ll have to try them. Oh! I know this doesn’t have anything to do with your post — but I did re-start weight watchers. That’s sort of the reason why, I asked if your ice pops are healthy. I’ll have to check out the recipes and see what you used :). They look delicious!
This is going to be a really long comment because you asked about cameras & I can talk about this subject forever.
On one of the days you’re free & your car is good & ready, you & your boyfriend should take a road trip to Vegas, which is only 4 hours away. Or you could make a longer drive up to SF. It’s not exactly out of California, but it’s a lot different than Temecula. I think Vegas is closer to you than it is for me though, so I’d say…..3 hours? 2? Or maybe drive on up to Oregon & see what the Pacific Coast looks like a north from California. That drive would take a realllllllly long time though & I’d rather fork over the money than deal with losing a day of my life on the road.
There are a lot of photographers that aren’t forthcoming with their gear for some reason–perhaps they deem it tacky–but I talk about (I’m not trying to toss myself into the “photographer” label because I’m not one) my camera on a few occasions, especially because it’s new. I just recently got a Nikon D5300. I haven’t used a point & shoot camera since 2007/2008, so I had to look up your camera because I’ve never heard of it before.
As for point & shoots, Canon tends to have the better models, but Nikon not too long ago, created mirror-less “DSLR” cameras that are small, compact, & have a removable lens. Their quality isn’t too bad either; I’d definitely say that they’re a major step up from the non-removable lens “DSLR” cameras & P&S, but still a step below DSLRs with mirrors. Most camera companies are now selling these mirror-less DSLRs, so it isn’t exclusive to Nikon. They’re a pretty penny though & I personally don’t believe that there’s much of a real point in getting a point & shoot for myself unless it’s waterproof because that would be its advantage over my camera.
In my previous post that you left a comment on, I linked SnapSort, which is a popular camera comparison site to help you figure which model & brand is better than the other. You’d have to know which model you’re comparing your model to though.
Georgina & I both use DSLRs. While she uses a Canon & I use a Nikon, it doesn’t really matter what company you buy from, it’s about your knowledge of manipulating the camera’s settings to take the picture you want. Of course, different models do different things, but in most cases, it’s 80% the photographer & 20% the camera. People will break it down differently, but the point is that the person taking the photos is more responsible for the outcome than the fanciness of their camera. The 20% would be the technicalities such as resolution, dpi, depth of field, clarity, ISO, etc. If you gave a National Geographic photographer & a hobbyist a Nikon D5300, threw them into a mountainous jungle region in Thailand, who do you suppose will take the better shots? If you threw the NG photographer a P&S, they would still take beautiful shots.
So, to wrap things up: the loyalties between Canon & Nikon often emulate the loyalties between Apple & Microsoft, but when it comes down to cameras, it isn’t that big of a deal. Pros shoot with both Nikon & Canon. Both companies have their weaknesses & strengths. Nikon makes outstanding glass; Canon used to make slightly cheaper high end products, but it seems that Nikon’s prices are similar to Canon’s now. They both make fantastic cameras.
I can’t really answer your question about effects because it’s too broad & vague of a question. The closest answer I could give you is yes & no. Yes, a Canon camera in the same class as a Nikon S3100 can do the same thing. No, a Nikon S3100 cannot do the same thing as Canon DSLRs or Nikon DSLRS or Pentax or Sony or Olympus or Leica. You didn’t cite which model Canon you were referring to, so I have no basis on which camera would be better. Refer to Snapsort for specs.
I try to make my ice pops pretty healthy. The cookbook I have for them call for a lot of sugar & I just use honey instead. I can tell you that they’re a lot healthier than the ice pops you’d buy in a grocery store! Best of luck with WW! Kale is a super vegetable so incorporate it into your soups & salads!
The vacation looked great. That sucks that it was cloudy over there though. I thought the bahamas were suppose to be sunny all year round.
The ice pops look delicious. I have yet to find the ice pops mold that we have. I’m thinking of purchasing some soon, because I don’t know if I will ever be able to find the ones that we have.
The Bahamas also experiences lots of storms & hurricanes when that season comes around. We just picked a very stormy week without knowing it.
Have you tried checking Amazon?
Whoa! Despite being overcast, the view is absolutely beautiful! The water is clear and the food looks delicious! ^_^ It’s horrible that someone chose to have a debate about religion in the middle of the restaurant and the waitstaff no less! It doesn’t matter if a customer says something you disagree with, you have to act professional at all time. And in general, you can’t force your beliefs or opinions on anyone. That definitely wasn’t the time nor the place to do that.
Anyways, I’m glad that you had a great time & the ice pops look refreshing indeed!
Haha! I’m really glad you weren’t the first person to leave me a comment, but the first person to address the issue I talked about in my post!! I appreciate that you take the time to read what I write. 🙂 I’m sorry if I made this unclear, but the employee was actually just yelling at some of the guests at this tiki hut that was off to the side of the beach. Our recliners were right next to it so it was really uncomfortable, but we weren’t about to leave because we had prime seats! I felt sorry for the people that she was yelling at, except they weren’t exactly the most pleasant people either. From my understanding of the situation, a man was talking to the employee about his faith and wondered if he could be forgiven for whatever. He took a theology class & started questioning if Jesus or God could still love him & then the staff he was talking to just exploded with rage about how he could ever doubt his faith, etc. It was just very inappropriate. You definitely can’t force someone to believe everything you do. People have to discover what they think is right on their own.
Of course! Your blog is interesting – why wouldn’t I read it? And ah, I understand the situation a bit better now. If I had great seats, I wouldn’t give them up either, lol! That was definitely an awkward situation to be in the midst of! 😛
The Bahamas look simply beautiful! I’ve always wanted to visit the “cliche” places such as Hawaii, Venice, London, etc. I can’t believe the Bahamas never came across my mind. It’s hard to believe that the weather wasn’t perfect during your stay there since even though some pictures look slightly overcast, the overall scenery is still gorgeous.
I can’t believe that little blurb about the resort staff arguing with guests about religion. You’d think that resort staff members would be more open-minded and accepting about things like that. There are people coming from all over the world, after all. I’m glad that in the end, the food still tasted great 🙂
I think Hawaii is just a cliche locale for a honeymoon, not so much London or Venice. Sure they’re full of tourists, but they’re absolutely lovely cities to visit. Venice & London are two of my favorite cities to visit. Venice for the food & London for the nightlife & sightseeing! The Caribbean should definitely be on your places to visit! So many islands to visit, all of them unique & different. I think that the waters are much prettier in the Caribbean than Hawaii, but Hawaii’s landscape is much prettier than the Bahamas. Both places are gorgeous nevertheless!!
You’d think that they’d maintain a bit of professionalism, but I guess not. Our taxi driver was blasting gospel music too, which I thought was interesting because it might be offensive to others or just make them feel uncomfortable.
Aaahh the pictures are gorgeous! I’ve been lovesick for the ocean since I got back and these aren’t helping (in a good way). The Bahamas looks beautiful even with the overcast weather. I think I’d have went swimming anyway. I did that right before a typhoon one time. The waves were getting really large and I wiped out a few times. Wasn’t very safe now that I think about it.
The waters were reaaaaallllly cold, so I tried, but my body was freezing. Wow, swimming right before a typhoon! Definitely not a good idea, but quite a story.
The Bahamas… WOW! I love the way you write. It’s amazing how people have so much creativity and such a big vocabulary. Write more please! And you and Josh look great together 🙂
Aww thanks, Jessy! Your comment means a lot to me. 🙂 I’ll be sure to write more thoughtful posts in the future instead of just photo dumping when I have no new recipes to share. 😀
The water and sand there looks so nice! They look so clear and white! That’s too bad you got some harsh wind and rain while you were there, but it still looks really relaxing 🙂
haha, I think that’s awesome you guys actually found drinks in coconuts. We didn’t find any while in Hawaii, but at least we found a place that served it in a pineapple. (It was very awkward to hold though.)
Ooh, the ice pops look tasty. I especially like the look of the pomegranate one 🙂
I like how you answered the Canon vs Nikon thing in another comment, by the way 🙂 That question is one of my pet peeves because focusing on the brand is really focusing on the wrong aspect of photography. As you said, they both have great cameras and it all comes down to how you use them!
Trust me, we were really thrilled to get our coconuts on!! haha aww I have a pineapple sitting on my counter right now & I can only imagine the awkwardness & discomfort you have while you sip your drink from it. Have you ever had pineapple fried rice served in a pineapple before though? That’s pretty neat as well. 😀
Thanks for the kind words, Cat. 🙂 I can’t tell you how many times I’m assaulted with brand name loyalties, so I apologize on behalf of any Nikon shooter who has given you a hard time about shooting with Canon. Alright, assault is a harsh word to use, so let’s just use “harass”. Beautiful photos can be taken with any camera, so long as you know what you’re doing.
When I was asking my friend why he made the switch (curiosity, not animosity) from Nikon to Canon, his friend in the background yelled, “CANON FOR LIFE!!!”
When I asked a professional photographer to snap a photo of a group of models & me for an event we were part of, the photographer looked at my Nikon & said, “I don’t know how to use this!” IT’S A DSLR, THEY ALL WORK THE SAME. YOURS JUST HAS “CANON” ON IT OH EM GEE GIVE ME A BREAK. Unprofessional.
When I stumbled upon a blog of someone who either was interested in getting a Canon or already had one (I don’t remember the specifics), she replied, “if you have a Nikon, I’m assuming you also use a PC? Most people who use a Nikon don’t use Macs.” I swear to my coconut drink that I wasn’t even antagonizing her. I don’t remember the specifics of my comment, but I never go about telling people one brand is better than the other. Threw my off completely because I was replying back to her on my Macbook Pro…..girlfriend woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. So condescending.
Oh & my final favorite from someone who worked at Sony, “don’t get a Nikon or a Canon, they both suck. You should get the new Sony Alpha.” Why do people get so offended by a brand you choose that is not of their liking? Why does it affect these people so much? Sheeeesh.
That Nikon and PC comment is bizarre, lol. I don’t see how they’re related.
Oddly enough, I’ve never met a pro photographer or serious photo enthusiast who would insult one brand over the other. For me, it’s always been people who are new to DSLR photography or ones who don’t own a DSLR at all. I don’t really understand how they can make bold claims that one brand is better than another without any experience. Even though I only own Canon DSLRs, I would never say Canon is better than Nikon or vice versa. Both are good in their own ways and vary by model anyway! Plus, the lens makes a hugeee difference!
The brand wars have always bothered me because it’s not the point of photography or even an important part of it, so it’s nice to see other people with the same view 😀
Neither do I! It’s a strange correlation she must’ve made up in her head.
I’ve only taken one photography class (B&W film) & our professor never told us to use one camera over the other either. They both make such amazing cameras. Heck, even the other competitors make pretty good ones too. Everyone forgets about Pentax, but they’re cheaper & pretty good! Glass definitely makes a HUUUUUGEEEE difference. Wowza. I absolutely agree. It’s not about the brand; that’s not what photography is about. I’ve only shot with Nikon too so I have no personal basis on how Canon performs, but I’ve seen a spectrum of bad to mediocre to I CAN’T STOP STARING AT THIS PICTURE from both companies. It is really all about the photographer. I was actually going to write a ridiculously long post on brand wars a long time ago, but I think we discussed it enough that there really is no need ahahaha. It’s just stupid.
“For me, it’s always been people who are new to DSLR photography or ones who don’t own a DSLR at all.”
Truth. 100% agree. It’s nice to finally be able to really believe & say from experience that it is about the photographer more than it is about the camera. When I was new to this, I used to believe it was the camera, then I saw some awful pictures from someone who used a DSLR & quickly realized, “haaaahh wow, it really is the photographer after all!”
wow, it looks fab there, no wonder they call it a tropical paradise. I’m envious of the white sand and the amazing weather!
It was definitely fabulous there!
It was pretty fab! Julie, I can’t actually leave you a comment back on your blog because you set it up so that Name/URL is not an option. I don’t have any of the other profiles they allow. Reason #1350 why I hate Blogger -_-
The pictures of your holiday is breathtaking!! It’s always fun to be able to relax on the beach and take in the moment, the scenery and the purpose of why you are there. Your photography is amazing as always. What camera do you use??
It’s unfortunate you had to overhear a heated debate about religion! That’s one of the hardest debate to have – too many different sides and points.
You and your other half look so cute together! It makes me a bit sad that I won’t be able to go anywhere this year with the wedding looming at the end of the year.
Thank you! Remember that the camera isn’t solely responsible for the pictures I take in the sense that whatever camera I’m using doesn’t mean beautiful results every time. I have a DSLR, a Nikon D5300.
Well, luckily I wasn’t having the debate. It’s just inappropriate to be
1. yelling at guests
2. yelling at guests about your religious beliefs
3. yelling at guests when you’re an employee
It wasn’t a science vs. religion debate, it was a high level of faith vs. lower level of faith debate.
Well, you’ve got your honeymoon to look forward to!
I am so jealous of your trip to the Bahamas! Sounds like a relaxing week although it’s unfortunate you had to live off of fried foods and had to deal with that lady yelling about Jesus.
Is Josh your boyfriend by the way? <3
AnneMarie, you follow me on Instagram & you’re my FB friend & you’re still in the dark about Josh…?? You left me a comment on my post on what I wore for Valentine’s Day!
I pay Josh to stand next to me & look pretty.
I didn’t know his name was Josh! Nor did I know that it was a steady kind of thing.
Now I know for sure though! xD
Woman, you’ve seen my profile picture. I don’t even know how much more steady you want + him vacationing with my family! hahaha.
Realistically, his name is whatever I want it to be because like I said, I pay him to stand next to me & look pretty.
cries in jealousy while drowning over the awesome pictures.
HOW DARE YOU go all tropical pineapple fun in bahamas LOL *slapped* anyway, wow i don’t recall the last time i went to the beach! bleh, then again there’s barely anymore nature in this city i live in.. everywhere is building and shopping malls -__-;; sucks, man. i’m not a beach person (more of a forest, waterfall kind for nature hunting) but i’ll take what i can get if it’s bahamas, man… also, them cocktails… i’d get my hands on them x__x lately, i’ve been developing love for beers…um, dark beers though, not lager ones. dark beers are good especially if mixed with root beer 😛 and german beers are awesome!
i literally laughed at the jesus argument thing… it’s always hilarious to me when someone gets so worked up over religion. um, maybe because i’m agnostic myself and i don’t really care about it so.. *shrug*
oh, oh, important question: how was the resort’s breakfast? LOL
whenever i’m staying in a hotel, some important aspects for me would be the bathroom (if it’s bad, i’m gonna sulk HAHAHA even though i know the number of stars the hotel has also plays a role in this game) and the breakfast (if the hotel has variety of breads, then it passed LOL). i assume the resort has good food, yes? 😉 seeing how it’s ~ZE BAHAMAS~ and stuff..
my mother used to make ice pops when i was a kid x__x she mostly did chocolate and uh… i’m not sure what else. coconut sounds awesome! 😀 *taking note from chef tiff*
Root beer & dark beer…?? I’ve never even heard of anyone mixing beer with anything other than a shot of some other liquor. I prefer dark beers too, but beer is an acquired taste so I’m still training myself to tolerate it.
I’m not religious either, but I can see why people get worked up over it because I can get pretty worked up over politics, but I’m not about to yell at someone for an hour straight ON THE BEACH FOR GOODNESS SAKES. Those people were on vacation! They were actually really unpleasant though, but that doesn’t excuse the tone or attitude the employee was exercising.
We only had the resort’s breakfast once & it was nothing special. We made our own breakfast to save money. At the all-inclusive hotel, the breakfast was a lot better, but it wasn’t amazing either. It was a buffet, but the only day worth mentioning was the last day of our trip when they started serving conch. The other days were pretty much all the same. I think getting breakfast at a restaurant outside of the hotel is much better than dining in the hotel itself unless it has a really fantastic restaurant.
The bathroom is a big deal to me too. I practically dry heave when I walk into a bathroom that is just filthy. You go in there to shower, so when the shower is nasty, I just…I can’t.
You can pretty much freeze anything & enjoy it, so I hope you try out a recipe if you have ice pop molds!
Awesome, awesome photos! Looks like you had a great time in the Bahamas with your bf and family. I’m jelly! JELLY, I TELL YOU! Lmao. Jk, of course. I’m actually just happy for you and those popsicles look yummy.