You may think that a vacation in the Bahamas and New York City sounds like fun but for my family in was a living nightmare! This was supposed to be an amazing vacation and it turned into a horrible week and a half. When you know that you are going on vacation please go to a doctor, and take care of yourself, because you never know what could transpire.

“KIDS! GET IN THE CAR!” my mother shouted down the hallway. It was a booming yell, one that  you would not expect from a little 5’1” woman. Dad, Lisa, Tim. and I grabbed our things, ran out into the car, buckled up, picked up grandma, and were off! We were thrilled Grandma could come this trip! She is a woman with a loving face, but don’t let that deceive you. She is a little firecracker! This was to be the vacation of a lifetime! For my dad’s Birthday, the entire family decided to go on a cruise to the Bahamas! This was my first time out of the country and I was so thrilled. Not only did we get to go to the bahamas, we were going to get to spend a few days in New York City!
“This is going to be amazing!” I exclaimed.. “Lounging by the pool, being with the family, going to the bahamas…”
“...AND FREE FOOD!” my handsome, and athletic eighteen year old brother said with a gleam of pleasure in his eye. If you knew Tim, you knew that the four things he loved most was God, his family, working out, and food. We arrived at the SEA-TAC airport and within a few hours were in the air headed for The Big Apple!
When we landed, all of us were exhausted and sluggish. Quickly, we met our uncles, aunts, and grandmother and headed to the port.
Once there, we waited for hours. Then, the moment came. We stepped onto the brand new Norwegian Breakaway ship. 1,063 feet of ship was docked in front of us. As we walked from room to room, we marveled at the beautiful moldings, marble floors, and beautiful views. The smell of the dining rooms gourmet cuisine filled the air. Once you reached the seventh floor, where the busy casino and loud clubs where, you could smell cigar and cigarettes being lit. Then there it was. The focal point of the entire ship. A gargantuan chandelier, glimmering and glistening in the lights, as if it was alive.
The next day, my brother and I went to breakfast and began to not feel well, so, we walked back to the room. I left for about five minutes and when I returned to our room he had thrown up. So, I ran down to the dining room my parents were in and told them. My dad is a tall, black man who to some may come off as scary, but to those who know him, he is a big teddy bear.
Over the next few days, he continued to feel sick. My parents took him to the ship’s doctor and he was diagnosed with bronchitis. The doctor gave him antibiotics so that he would be in tip-top shape for the Bahamas. He did not improve and had to stay in the room the entire time and not get to do anything.
Once off the ship, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Lisa, and myself got a cab and took Tim to the closest hospital. Lisa is a sweet and caring sister, but if you know one thing about her it is this, she will do anything for her siblings. After waiting for three hours, the doctors informed us that he had pneumonia. Once again they gave him antibiotics and said that he should be okay after a day or two, so we thought that we would at least have a few good days in New York.
The next night, I was sound asleep for the first time in a week and a half, and all of a sudden I hear timothy whisper “Grace, are you up?” Groggy and half asleep I nodded and turned over. “I need to go to the hospital.” So, I shot up and got my parents. They got a cab and left to the hospital at 3am. After over fifty blood tests, and over 4 hours in an emergency room the doctor had diagnosed that Tim had several blood clots and that if we had gotten on the plane the next day as planned, he wouldn't have been around to tell the tale.
All in all, it was an interesting trip, but it would have been better if we all took better care of our health. If Tim hadn’t gotten sick, it would have been a wonderful vacation. Seeing the Bahamas in all its glory, and being in New York city in the heart of Time Square. So let this be a lesson, when you know that you are about to take a vacation of a lifetime, make sure to be good to yourself, for you never know what may happen.