Sultry… that’s the sexy way to say HOT AF. And you know that I don’t mean hot as in “man of the year” hot, or hot like “50 shades of Greige” hot… I’m talking the kind of hot where you can feel beads of sweat slowly sneaking their way down your temple and dripping into your cleavage only to puddle in the most inopportune place as to say… “Why yes, my boobs DO end HERE” (much lower than they used to). Or, shirt soaking hot that whispers “Certainly! I would be HAPPY to share the fact that I still have that stupid tattoo on my back that I got in college” … for the record, it seemed like an AWESOME idea at the time, and YES, I will publicly go on record to confirm that my Mother WAS correct, I WOULD come to regret it one day.
I digress. It’s not summer in PA unless at some point you bring up our region’s official token 3 words… Hazy. Hot. Humid. And yep, it’s coming my friends. And if we have to bare the Amazonian environs then we can most certainly take things up a notch. So here we are… the breezy tropics in the landlocked burbs. I also guess that you may be here because I tricked you teased a little bit of a table runner story. True, it is tucked away under this swath of flowers and can barely be seen… but it’s there so I’ll try and keep it short (which is “Pippa-ese” for grab a drink and settle in kiddo).
WAAAAAAY back in the year 2k, post Millennium apocalyptic threats newly passed, I was the Chef on a 156’ sailboat called… oh crap, I signed an NDA so I actually can’t tell you but anywho, we sailed from New Zealand to Seattle… the LONG way… a South Pacific island hopping “scenic route”, if you will. My kinda trip, and if the owner weren’t such a pig headed pain in my ass it would have been WAY more fun. Again, I digress. I happened to have fly from Vanuatu to BWI to be on hand for mind eraser shots, Old Bay covered EVERYTHING and to cry my eyes out and clap until my hands throbbed when my brother graduated from USNA (GO NAVY!). Let me be the first to tell you that I won the Superintendent’s “award” for traveling the furthest for the festivities. ‘Cause yeah, it took me almost 4 days.
Why!? I mean, modern travel should have had me there in about 16 hours you say. And YES, that was the plan. However, I had a layover in Fiji. ‘OMG!’ you say. ‘Tough Life!’ you say! Well, kick me ’til I turn stupid, we found out in mid-air that Fiji was under a coup d’etat and that upon landing we were to be whisked away to safety AND that with any luck we would get off the island. Yep, let it sink in… you get to FIJI… the land of tropical milk and honey and instead of umbrella drinks you get LOCKDOWN for God knows how long… OH, and your mother will crap her britches if A) anything happens to you and B) you miss the golden child’s hat toss.
The gist is this. 36+ extra hours in a bug infested hotel room overlooking only an unkempt hedge, a half working air conditioner and not allowed by Martial order to do anything other than shelter in place- far from ideal. So yeah, Fiji was GORGEOUS… crystal waters, sharks, lush landscapes and everything you see on every island hopping oasis travel show and National Geographic picture… but I saw it from inside a shit-hole bus passing through military checkpoints and in my tropical dreams. So, you better believe that when we were released and taken back to the airport I bought every single thing I could. Baubles, bags, the runner(!) and anything else I could cram in my carry-on. I didn’t care that is was airport tourist crap because after being on one of the world’s dreamiest islands by myself, practically in the dark, sweating, without a phone or tv (or computer btw) I lived to tell the tale.
Yes, I absolutely want to go back, but for now I just use my little runner and regale anyone who will listen that I personally have seen that the Fijian military wear sarongs AND bandito belts. (Seriously, they do!) So let’s get Tropical my friends. Hazy Hot and Humid will soon be here and there is no reason for us not to channel a little Island life if just for one night.
Bula! (Fijian ‘Cheers’) my dears!
XO
Pippa
Sources:
Rattan Placemats, Monstera Leaf Placemats, Chargers– hand painted by moi, Mahogany Plates (vintage but here are similar), Bamboo Flatware, Wine Glasses (similar), Palm Candlesticks, Silk Palm Leaves, Pineapple Napkin Rings (I got mine from IG vintage seller @Pennvetdoc but here are some fab ones)