My mister first went to Belize in 1975 on a Brock University Environmental Biology field trip to do research on Tobacco Caye. Our first Christmas together in 1976 he gave me a beautiful leather carry all with a promise that he would take me to Belize one day. That day came in honour of my 50th birthday in 2005, almost 30 years later.

This January we made our 6th trip in as many years. Why? I can't really put an exact finger on it.

We live in a small town so friendly locals are not unique to us. Our house is within spitting distance of beautiful Lake Huron so we are very used to fishing, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling etc. in gorgeous clear blue waters. I have wonderful friends and family nearby whom I love dearly.

Perhaps it's the food, the beer, the smiles, the rum, the never failing welcome, the relentless pounding of the surf on the reef... the je ne sais quoi. Whatever it is, it keeps calling until I can not resist and absolutely must book another trip.

Ya, I drank one too many pantie rippas tonight so I'm a little sentimental. But once this bottle of Traveler's Coconut Rum is gone I'll be following my heart and making my plans for 2011...and, because he made me wait so long, the mister had just better toe the line. smile

Newfoundlanders are the only people in heaven who want to go home.