When your BreakAway takes you far from your native habitat, some remarkable things happen: Your senses re-awaken. You notice things. And you find grinspiration in the strangest of places.
Having worked as a namesmith, I love that Caribbeans name just about everything—boats, cars, bars, buses—with clever and empowering monikers. Here are my fave five…
- Vibes. The energy, passion, and riddims on an island can be intoxicating—in a good way. You hear the music all over, see the color (natural and human) everywhere, and feel it in the smiles (and stinkeye). It can warm the soul like the sun.
- Chillaxin. It took weeks to achieve a deep groove. But at some point, staring out to sea became a legitimate pastime. And relaxin’ became as natural as breathing. Hours might float by with (at most) some reading, waterplay, and sandcastle-building to show for themselves. For a change, such lack of productivity brought glee, not guilt.
- All Friends No Enemies. The Caribbean can be an in-your-face place. It’s slow and polite, yet one must learn to bark a bit to settle something or just get attention (or privacy). Dat’s awright; don’t make nobody no enemy. After most confrontations, there was a soul-bump, a smile, and a better respect and understanding.
- Blessed. Spoiling one’s self and fam with 69 days of fun, sun, and exploring makes a guy feel truly blessed. But the feeling also comes from the flip side of that: Leaving friends, belongings, and creature comforts behind and learning that it takes precious little to feel well-off. Folks in these third-world nations often act more blessed than suburban mall rats.
- Vision. What’s vision? Who knows? Yet we know when we “see” it. Vision comes from above and within. Vision (moreso than money or guts) made this Sabbatical materialize. Vision can make most things happen—and will make the next BreakAway happen, God willing.
