Farsighted Fly Girl

One of the first things that I discovered in Eleuthera was that pink shows up on more than just its sandy shores. In fact, I found that the sand wasn't a true pink at all but really specks of pink washed with white, pictured above, under my pink toe nails. Although I dutifully scooped a bottle of the sand for my pink sand collection, I was disappointed that it wasn't a deeper shade of pink. But after a few days, I realized that pink dominates the island's color spectrum and accurately reflects Eleuthera's calm, cheery vibe. First I was greeted by North Eleuthera's rosy-hued airport. Then I was drawn in by pops of berry-colored blooms lined by a lavender fence. Then I spotted a pastel pink church. And I was tempted to lounge in cotton-candy-colored lawn furniture. Most significantly, the signature conch shells that dot the beaches and supply the basis for the famed conch salad, add a serene pink glow everywhere you turn. Most of all, the pink s...

So it's 10 below zero in Chicago. My forehead feels immovable from being exposed to the skin-slapping wind. People always expect Chicagoans to be used to the weather but you never get used to brutal temperatures. You just adjust. Adjustment for me means focusing on my many tropical travels. I've gazed at tons of gorgeous beaches but the most unforgettable was Barbuda's pink sand shoreline. Stretching for 10-miles non-stop, with nary a beach towel or umbrella stand in sight, Barbuda's beaches resemble true paradise. I keep two bottles of the blush-colored sand on my bookshelf. Today I've been staring at it hoping it will transport me to Barbuda or at least transmit a bit of the tiny island's heat. It hasn't worked. At least I have my memories. The most vivid of which is spending hours in postage-stamp-sized Codrington Airport. The waiting area and outside yard serves as Barbuda's socializing mecca. Women lounge around to discover who's flying in or...