If you had asked me a year ago what I knew
of Miami, I would have said Will Smith’s ‘Welcome to Miami’ song and
celebrities in bikinis. Certainly those elements exist, my Uber driver from the
airport described Miami as the city of beach, partying and traffic and she is
right but it is so much more than that. Rather than talk you through what Cait
and I did for the week, I have created a Google Tour. Once you click on the
link you will be taken to the tour where you can explore all the destinations
we visited. There are photos and videos accompanying each location so please
make sure you check those out.
I do want to focus on two aspects of the
week that were central to my experience. The first is about perspectives and the
beauty of being open not to the unexpected but rather to experiencing the ‘expected’
without judgment. When Caitríona suggested Miami back in October I did not
hesitate as it was a week in the sun and getting to spend it together. Beyond
booking my flight and identifying some places we could stay I didn’t think too
much about how we might spend the time. I assumed there would be lots of
sunshine, good food and music. A few days before I was due to leave Vancouver I
checked in with Cait and I decided that on Sunday, before she arrived, I would
overcome the 3-hour jetlag by taking a 4-hour bus trip each way to Key West! Yes,
it is the Cruise Capital of Florida with 4 million people passing through there
every year, but I was headed out for a different reason – the only living coral
reef in North America is located just off the coast of Key West. I embraced the
being a ‘tourist’ guided onto a bus, around the city and then onto the boat
enjoying being in my shorts and flipflops in February. Beyond that first day I
had made no plans. Caitríona booked us a bus trip for Monday morning to enable
us to get a sense of the city, and the best part was adding the boat trip at
the end where we visited Star Island. The extraordinary aspect of this experience
was not the thrill of knowing who lived in what ridiculously expensive mansion,
but the reactions of our fellow passengers! The ‘ows’ and ‘aws’ were pure gold and
Cait and I could not contain our amusement at their delight – a great way to
enjoy the star-struck nature of the city. The unexpected just kept on giving
with a day in the Tropical Botanical Gardens, where we had the pure pleasure of
Shawn McCourt’s company who drove four hours each way to see us. Physical
distance has never seemed a barrier to maintain wonderful connections with
people all over the world. Wednesday was the big day, and late on Tuesday
afternoon we decided to spend it with the alligators at the Everglade National
Park. I embraced the sense that I was in a scene from CSI Miami speeding
through the tall grass with the wind in my hair and of course the customary
sunglasses. The afternoon back in Miami involved prancing down Ocean Drive in
our bikinis – yes we did albeit without the heels – and having dinner and
drinks in Gloria Estefan’s Cuban restaurant. Thursday was Art Deco and street
art bike tour – as I said check out the Google Tour for details. The theme I
hope you can decipher dear blog reader is the ‘spice’ to Miami, the diversity
of things to do but most importantly the laid-back atmosphere where most people
were more comfortable speaking in Spanish. As I walked to the bus on Friday to
head to the airport it struck me that Miami is in a sense what Havana might be
like if the politics were different, as the Cuban influence is certainly strong.
A video of my behaving like any 41-year old should on their birthday...
The second aspect of my week in Miami was
that of vulnerability and friendship. Vulnerability and empathy are something I
have been working on for the past year or so. On a side note I would encourage you
all to watch Brené
Brown’s TedTalk on vulnerability, it and her most recent book have really
opened my eyes. To spend an almost an entire week with a friend as dear to me
as Caitríona was a blessing in itself, but to spend the time with her and be
able to be so open was magical. I fully understand the notion that the world
reflects back on to us what we project onto it. I have known Cait 23 years and
there is a comfort in that familiarity, but to have a friendship go even deeper
does not have a timeline on it. I am so deeply grateful for having Caitríona in
my life as I am so grateful for all the incredibly strong women I know or have
known in all the different aspects of my life. Today on International Women’s
Day I celebrate you Caitríona and the best gift any friend has ever given me –
you have shown me over the years that there is great strength in gentleness and
vulnerability. I am finally able to recognize it, because I am embracing it.
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