Michael's father was very sick, and passed away beginning of that year due to complications during his recovery. So, after a very emotional period we were in much need of some time away from reality. Although we were still shaken by what happened, I knew that we needed to do this trip...
We booked a flight to Miami, and also found a cute hotel for seven nights which seemed the perfect getaway. Our hotel "The Clay" was located at the crossing of Española Way onto Washington Ave near several restaurants, and just a few blocks from Ocean Drive where plenty of bars can be found. We were there to relax, and for Michael to remember the nice time he had there with his dad. Michael lived in Miami for a few years, so it was like coming home for him. He always wanted to show me around and let me taste the famous "Cubano Sandwich" he and his father always talked about. It was my first time to visit the East Coast of the United States, so I was very excited, and curious to know what to expect. I had heard so many stories of Miami. I had the impression that many people came here for short breaks or to party. Now I would finally be able to judge for myself. The first thing I noticed when we arrived at the airport, was that it was very humid. Michael told me that it was like that most of the year, but surely in September as they had many thunderstorms around this time. I just hoped we had nice weather during our short stay!
We took a cab from the airport to our hotel. We didn't rent a car cause we were there for such a short time and public transport in Miami is okay, so I've heard. We arrived at our destination in no time and had some nice views on our way. We checked-in, settled in our room, freshened-up, and went out to explore. First on our list was to find some food (of course). We walked up to Ocean Drive to find a restaurant, but we were not really in the mood for a huge meal. So, we walked into one of the side roads for about a block, and just on time we found a nice taco place as it started raining heavily! We enjoyed our tacos with some beers, and waited for the rain to stop. After paying our bill the rain luckily stopped, and we could continue exploring. We headed back to Ocean Drive to have a look at all the bars and to decide on where to go that night. Clevelander caught my eye immediately, cause there was a lot going on there! Good music was playing, and dancers were performing at that moment. There was so much more to do, but I first wanted to see the area as I have never been here. It was too early anyways! Some time later we decided to buy some little snacks for our room and headed to the hotel to take a shower, and prep for our night out! Little did I know that we would have the same issue as in Las Vegas! We fell asleep, again! Woke-up in the middle of the night, and decided to continue sleeping. We also just had a long day behind us, so it was understandable that we were wrecked. Although a bit disappointed as we did not enjoy our Saturday night as planned, but our bodies were very happy with the much needed rest!
As a result of the jet-lag we were up very early the next morning. We (read: Michael) even made it to breakfast, which only happens once in a blue moon! It was very sunny that morning, so we decided to have a wonderful walk at the beach. I guess we walked until Mid-Beach! Some exercise never killed someone! :) By the time we returned to our hotel, it was passed midday. We stopped at the bistro around the corner, and had a delicious meal. After our lunch we went to the beach to enjoy the sun, and had some drinks at Clevelander before we headed back to our hotel. That evening we had dinner at Havana 1957, which was located nearby. It was very delicious, but pricey. After dinner we went to Ocean Drive for some drinks.
The other days we also visited Downtown Miami, Bayside and Lincoln Rd Mall, but our stay mostly contained the same activities as our first day. We had many walks, talks, some bike rides and plenty of comfort food... It might seem a very boring holiday, but to us it was all we were looking for. All we needed was each other and to be as far away from Belgium as we possibly could. It was a holiday to reflect on what happened the past years, and to find peace in our minds. I contemplated if I would write this post, but it was part of our lives. Back then the pain was still so fresh, now it's a painful, and sad memory to me. For Michael it is an emptiness which he carries in his heart day in day out, an ache which doesn't heal... It is a feeling nobody really understands until you lose someone yourself. I praise myself lucky to still have both my parents, although I know that nothing is forever...
I guess the message I want to share through this post is that we should cherish every occasion we have together with our loved ones, as life is just too short.
We would love to hear your feedback on this post, and if you had a similar experience... How did you handle this? Next post will be up soon!
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