“If you go anywhere,
even paradise,
you will miss your home.” 
Malala Yousafzai

One week in paradise — it’s been wonderful. I stayed at a hotel (Courtyard by Marriott) where I had the pleasure of staying two years ago. Many of the hotel staff greeted me warmly when I arrived. I met a number of other employees for the first time during this visit. The atmosphere here at the hotel is like being with family.

Walking in downtown Nassau brought back memories of previous visits to the Bahamas with friends and family members. I enjoyed a dinner at The Poop Deck on East Bay Street, which is owned by two of my former students, lunch at Bahamian Cookin’ on Parliament Street just south of Bay Street, and a few breakfasts at Vacation Café, located in the Margaritaville Hotel adjacent to Junkanoo Beach. I even indulged in a couple of scoops of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream during my visit. 

I experienced the local “fish fry” for the first time, spent a considerable amount of time at the beach, met dozens of locals with whom I share mutual friends and acquaintances, and even took a look around the local Straw Market to pick up some goodies for the grandkids. 

Most importantly, I had the opportunity to meet up with a number of my former students. When speaking with them, fifty years doesn’t seem like all that long ago.

While on the island, I made a few connections which will be helpful for marketing my next book. Kathy has been telling me for years that I should write a book about the one year I spent teaching at St. Augustine’s College here in Nassau. I am finally ready to do so. I had a wonderful conversation with a SAC alum who has a radio talk/interview show. We’re planning to promote the book in the spring of 2026. I also met the owner of the Logos Bookstore, located in the Harbor Bay section of Nassau. I’m hoping to do a book signing event there next April. 

As is always the case, good things come to an end. In just a few minutes, a taxi will pick me up here at the hotel and take me to the airport. I am scheduled to arrive in San José just a little before 11:00 tonight. As I prepare to depart, I am filled with tremendous gratitude for the opportunity to visit Nassau again, for the hospitality extended to me by hotel and restaurant workers around town, and for the chance to spend a little time on the campus of St. Augustine’s College as they celebrate their 80th anniversary. Seeing so many friends from fifty years ago was truly a blessing for which I will be forever grateful.