The Cayman (K-Mon) Islands are absolutely stunning; with turquoise waters and hot temperatures, it’s paradise. My friend Kim from Hong Kong is working there for two months so she invited me to visit. Since it’s only a few hours and a few hundred dollar flight, I was in! While on the trip, I realized a few things about myself and re-realized a few more:

• I love fall, but summer weather is amazing. On Facebook, everyone’s photos from back home showed them in boots and coats while I was frolicking in a swimsuit, flip flops and shorts. Tears nearly fell in my last minutes in a swimsuit.

•  Traveling when your accommodation is free is the best idea ever. Such a money saver! I got four nights in a hotel suite complete with a pool and a 2-minute walk to the beach for free! Also, two of our dinners were paid for by Kim’s coworkers. Nothing was cheap in Cayman so I saved myself another hundred dollars by eating with them!

•  With a good book or magazine, I can hang out by the pool, lounge at the beach or sit in an airplane/airport for hours on end. This trip was accompanied by an old Cosmo and my book club book called Love with a Chance of Drowning. Both of which were entertaining and perfect beach reads. (I recommend the book, by the way, I just haven’t told my book club that yet!)

• That being said, I can only take so much reading, even if the material is interesting. On day 4, Kim and I hopped in a jeep and explored the east side of Cayman. We went to the historic Pedro St. James, saw blue iguanas at Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Gardens, and ate authentic and delicious local Cayman food from a roadside restaurant. There’s a great, relaxed island culture in Cayman that we wanted to discover. (Food for thought: I learned from my travel guide reading that the locals never call it “The Cayman/s” like we do.)

• I love vacation! Most vacations I take are fast, furious, and full of culture. This trip – besides our one day of exploring – was really more about relaxing. I’ve said many times before that I don’t really like beach vacations because they’re boring and I turn into a lobster. First of all, thank goodness for umbrellas. And secondly, a few days (not a full week!) at the beach or by the pool are a-okay with this girl.

If you haven’t been to the Cayman Islands before, I highly recommend that you go with a buddy (or two or three) because it is expensive. My flight was only $500, but accommodation ranges from $200-$500 per night near the beach. Food is also costly with most of my meals costing between $15 and $50 with drinks. As always, if you can find a place with free breakfast, that’s a total bonus. Sightseeing is also not cheap; our 5.5 hour tour was $100 with lunch. While I wanted to see some sites, I certainly couldn’t have afforded $100 every day for it. Despite the cost (which for me was thankfully cheaper), this trip was wonderfully relaxing and Cayman is gorgeous.

For more photos, check out my Facebook album