Nick and I recently escaped the New Jersey grey skies and traded it for the sunny, windy shores of Bonaire - a little Dutch island tucked away in the Caribbean. We packed up for seven days in our backpacks (we are firmly “no checked bags” people) to celebrate both our birthdays and our anniversary, because why not do it all at once?

People kept telling us, “Bonaire is for divers!” - which is adorable, considering neither of us are exactly Jacques Cousteau. (Nick did get certified as a kid, but I’m still strictly on team snorkel.) Despite our lack of diving credentials, we found plenty to keep us busy.

One day we hiked through Washington Slagbaai National Park - basically a giant desert covered in cacti that tries to melt you alive. But lots of great views, snorkeling spots, and iguanas who will run you down for the slightest bit of food.

We spent a lot of time snorkeling . We spotted sea turtles, stingrays, eels, a shark , and all kinds of fish. The highlight - depending on who you ask - was me getting stung on the lip by a jellyfish. For the record, it looked like I’d gotten budget lip injections. I have officially decided fillers are not for me.

Food was a big part of the adventure. We tried lionfish and iguana - yes, iguana. It tastes kind of like goat if you added about 10,000 tiny bones for extra excitement. We washed it down with cadushy, which is cactus liquor that sneaks up on you fast (or maybe it was the heat).

When we weren’t eating or snorkeling, we were cliff jumping (many times), windsurfing (we’re getting better, but let’s not pretend we’re pros), and driving around the island to spot flamingos and the ever-present donkeys.

We tried salsa dancing one night and also a night dancing to Dutch EDM, still very confused.

All in all, it was the perfect mix of adventure, questionable culinary choices, near heatstroke, and celebrating this life together. Would recommend - just maybe skip the jellyfish.