Exuma, Bahamas

Toward the middle of March, I joined my family on a trip to the Bahamas. This was our second time visiting the Bahamas, and both times we have stayed on Exuma island. I am so truly grateful for the chance I had not only to visit this incredible place, but to spend a week with some of the people I love most in this world. Because this was a family vacation, I won’t have much of an itinerary to share as I would for trips that I have planned myself. But I still have lots to share, so let’s dive in!

We rented a house with a small little beachfront bordered by these rocks. Each morning when the tide was out, you could see hundreds of bright and beautiful reef fish schooling along these rocks. When the tide was high, this little bay served as a highway for passing life, and one afternoon we saw a sea turtle, and another a reef shark.

I prefer to never check my bags when flying unless absolutely necessary, so this trip was an exercise in efficient packing to have everything I needed for a week in a carry-on. These are two pieces I reached for almost every day. These belted shorts from Sézane truly lovely. I struggle finding shorts that aren’t too baggy/tight or too long/short, but these are sit just right on those scales. This caramel stripe mariniere top from And Other Stories was the perfect long-sleeve layer for a bit more sun protection during the day, and some extra warmth after the sun set.

We ate most of our breakfast and lunch meals at the house. As with most islands, sometimes groceries are a bit scarce, but we were able to find the basics to cook with. On the first morning my dad made this delicious french toast that deserved a photo in its own right.

For dinner most nights we wanted to try some of the local restaurants and businesses, and I can confidently say that every place we went was excellent.

Naturally, we were at the beach almost every day. The Bahamas are famous for their bright blue and crystal clear water - it’s truly breathtaking. I’m personally a one-piece gal when it comes to swimsuits, and I wore this square neck piece by Madewell for most of the trip. This hat from Vitamin-A was the true star of the show during the week. I take sun protection very seriously, especially on my face. So light long-sleeves and a hat are usually my tropical area uniform.

In the middle of the bay that the house was situated on, there was a huge sandbar that appeared every day when the tide was out. We all took turns kayaking out there during the week, and this picture was snapped when Austin and I ventured out. We found some little crabs, but not much else.

Though not very practical, I couldn’t help but bring along this beautiful silk number from Dôen. To me it seemed meant for the sea - billowing in the breeze and endlessly romantic.

For footwear this trip I only brought along these sandals and my sneakers (that I love dearly). This is the huarache sandal by Nisolo shoes, and I have to confess that I find them absolutely perfect. They’re handmade of real leather. I broke them in for a week or so in my apartment before the trip. I will be wearing these all summer I’m quite certain. They very kindly gave me a code to share with you for a discount if you decide to purchase from them: “THESUNALSOREADS”.

I wanted to dedicate a special little corner of this blog post to this bird that visited us on our patio almost every day. We named him Orville, and he was an excellent ambassador.

I learned into my inner-mermaid on this trip, and this knit blouse completed the feeling for me. You know by now how much I love scallop details, and these lace scallops are just beautiful. The light knit and short-sleeves made the perfect weight for warm days - Sézane can truly do no wrong.

The only souvenir I picked up on this trip was this pearl barrette for my hair. They’re only beads, nothing fancy, but it will forever remind me of the beautiful weeks I shared with my family in the sun and sea.

Memories are my favorite thing to collect. I’ve always felt that they’re all we have that are truly ours - experiences felt and remembered from our perspective only. I’m endlessly grateful for the memories I made on this trip that I can call on years and years from now - whenever I wish to remember joy and love. <3