Girl off the Grid

by Jillian Dodd

  I take a deep breath, feeling like I’ve come home. I can’t wait to see how adorable the little cabana is inside. I expect it to be rustic, but a little shabby beach chic, lots of white and pale blues.

  After taking in the ocean view, I walk up the stairs and into my cabana. The wooden door creaks open and I gasp at what I see.

  There is a bunk bed in one corner with stiff, white sheets rather than the soft down comforter I was expecting. There is no air conditioning, only a small, rusty fan in the corner. The air is stale and warm. I drop my suitcase next to a rickety looking desk paired with an equally fragile chair and dresser. I walk further into the room and see what appears to be the bathroom.

  Oh no, absolutely not. “This can’t be happening,” I shrill. The bathroom wallpaper is peeling away, there are wide cracks in the wood floor, and a shower so small that it shouldn’t even be allowed to be called one. The mirror is covered with salt, making it impossible to see yourself, and the open window on the wall does nothing to circulate the musty air. I shake my head in disbelief. I’m being photographed on this trip for a fashion magazine. How am I supposed to function like this?

  My stomach growls, reminding me of how hungry I am. I’m ready to head to the dining hall now, but I need to unpack a few things so the wrinkles can hang out. I grab an outfit and look around, realizing there isn’t a closet.

  “Ahhhh,” I huff, stomping my feet. I know I’m acting a little childish, but I think I have a reason to be upset. No one told me I’d be staying in a rustic surf shack. If they had, I would have packed differently. Like I would have brought my sea salt spray and planned to scrunch my hair rather than straighten it. I would have brought my more natural makeup kit. I would have brought one of those silk sleeping bags and my own soft pillow.

  I think back to Janet telling me about the trip. Honestly, I was so shocked she wanted me, I probably glossed over some of the details. I focused on the exotic trip where I would go on great adventures. Hmmm. I guess I am doing that. Okay, well then, I will become the queen of eco-travel, like they say, What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

  I calm myself down and decide to try to make the best of the situation. I do have a small compact. I could take my makeup out onto the porch and put it on in the natural light. And if I look like crap, I’ll make Adam do some artistic photos of me, like that famous photographer who takes photos of his wife from the back holding her hand.

  Since I can’t do much with my clothes, I decide to go get some food. On the way out of the cabana, I take in the scenery. It has gotten pretty dark, but the moonlight is reflecting off the water in a beautiful way. I decide that whatever is thrown at me on this trip, that’s what I need to focus on—the beauty. I turn back and look at the cabin, seeing it with a new perspective. I realize it’s actually really cute, with its worn, chipped blue paint and a little front porch set with a table for two. I’ll have to make sure Adam gets a picture of it.

  I make my way into the dining area, spot Adam, and bound over to him.

  He stops shoveling food into his mouth when he becomes aware of my presence.

  “You can just go up to that window.” He points toward the back wall. “And tell them you’re ready for your plate. There are juices and water on the table over there, too.”

  “Thanks,” I reply then make my way to the kitchen.

  “Hi, I just got in and am ready for my dinner,” I say to the woman working.

  “Alright, darling,” she says. “I’ll bring your food right out. Help yourself to the drinks.”

  “Thanks.” I turn around, grab a glass of water, and head back over to sit with Adam.

  “So, I’m a little conflicted,” I whisper, confiding in him. “The beach and ocean are gorgeous, but the rooms don’t even have closets. Where am I supposed to hang all my clothes? And don’t get me started on the bathrooms.” I don’t want to offend anyone, but I have to talk about this. I look around to make sure no one will overhear me. Just as Adam opens his mouth to reply, I notice the woman working her way toward us with my plate of food. She sets it down in front of me, giving me a smile, and walks away. I poke through what’s on the plate.

  “Rice, fish, and a baked banana? Is this a banana?” I ask.

  “No, it’s a plantain,” Adam says, taking another bite of his food. “They’re delicious. And as far as the rooms go, what did you expect? They are environmentally conscious, right on the water, and the boat we will take snorkeling is docked close by. It’s a really great location.”

  “I guess,” I say with a pout. I poke at a plantain, deciding to give it a try. Hmm. I’m not sure how I feel about them, but I’m hungry enough not to care. I taste the fish and am in love. “Wow, this is delicious.” I smile, my mood lifting.

  “Yeah.” Adam smiles back. “It’s really fresh. They probably caught it today. So, are you excited to go snorkeling tomorrow?”

  “I think so. I’ve never been, so I’m not quite sure what to expect. Have you?”

  “Yes, I’ve been a few times. I have a new underwater camera that I’m excited to try out. I think it will get some great shots.”

  “That’s amazing,” I say as Diego walks in. He goes back to the window, talks with the woman, and then comes to sit with us.

  “Hey, you two. How’s it going?” he asks.

  “The food is awesome, which is great because I was starving,” I say. “Although, I’m still a little unsure about the plantains.”

  “Oh man, plantains are one of my favorites. Just wanted to run through your schedule for tomorrow. You’ll be snorkeling and having a beach day. For snorkeling, you will be teamed up with a group of four who are staying here along with two instructors. Breakfast is at 7:30. You’ll be treated to a lecture about marine life starting at eight. Make sure you take water and sunscreen with you. You might also want a t-shirt. With your back floating on the surface of the water, you’d be surprised how easily you will burn.”

  The woman sets down his dinner as Adam and I finish ours.

  “Sounds good. I’m excited but nervous,” I tell him. “Where will you be tomorrow?”

  “I’m going to run into town and grab a few things for our trip into the wetlands. But I’ll be back around the time you’re getting in from snorkeling.”

  “Awesome. Well I’m gonna head back to my cabana. I want to read for a bit and make it an early night,” Adam says just as Richo walks in.

  “Hello again, friends,” he says, taking a seat next to Diego.

  I stand up quickly, wanting to talk to Adam some more. We need to plan out my photographs for tomorrow in detail. “I think I’m going to turn in as well. Have a good night.”

  “You too,” Diego replies then starts chatting with Richo.

  I catch up to Adam just as he’s walking out the door.

  “Should we talk about my photo shoot tomorrow?” I ask.

  He looks at me kind of funny. “Uh, your photo shoot. Sure. Let’s plan on getting some photos in front of the cabana and on the beach when we get back from snorkeling.”

  “Oh, I’m so excited. I’ll just have to freshen up first.” I think back to the condition of my room and sigh.

  “What’s the sigh for?”

  “Nothing. I mean, models do shoots out on private beaches all the time, so it will be fine. Right?” The little area between his brows crinkles up.

  “Oh, for sure,” he says, but he doesn’t sound sure at all. “Alright, well, have a good night. Get some sleep,” he says, going into his cabana.

  But I’m not ready to go to sleep yet. I’m pretty sure the hammock is calling my name.

  I make my way to it, get comfortable on it, and then close my eyes and enjoy the rhythmic sound of the ocean waves.

  Adam

  I’m not really tired yet, so I pull out my book. As I try to read, my mind wanders back over what felt like the longest day of my life. From running into the loo finding Camille in a towel to seeing her infatuated with the children at the school, I’ve exper
ienced a wide range of emotions—all related to one girl. I can’t figure her out at all. One minute she is fun, relatable, and genuine, and the next second she is throwing a fit because she doesn’t have a closet. I close my book in frustration and set it down. Clearly, I am not going to get any reading done tonight. Maybe now would be a good time to check in at home.

  “Hey, son, how is your trip going?” my dad asks when he answers my call.

  “It has been fine . . . Well, interesting. We just checked into our hotel on the coast, where we will be staying for the next two nights.” I lose track of what I was going to say and just blurt it out. “Dad, this girl is crazy. I mean, seriously crazy. On our first night, I was exhausted. I had already fallen asleep when I felt something. I practically jumped out of bed, and once I got my bearings I realized it was Camille. She was sitting there poking me and wanting to know how to turn on the air conditioner. She woke me up for something so stupid. There was no AC. Then she acted like waking me up was an accident.”

  Dad laughs at me, and I hear Mum’s voice. “Honey, your father has you on speaker phone. Just give her time. It is going to be an adjustment for her coming from a big city. You don’t understand, because you were raised going to different places and having those experiences, but she probably wasn’t. So it’s all new to her,” Mum soothes.

  “No, she’s ridiculous,” I counter. “I mean, who on earth brings fluffy pink pajamas to a rainforest?”

  “What?” Dad says.

  “She wears these pink pajamas with little stars on them. And bunny slippers. Like, seriously, how can someone who wears bunny slippers be so infuriating?” I calm myself down, realizing I’m ranting just like she did. “You must think I’ve lost it. Actually, I probably have. Because why do I even care?”

  “Oh goodness,” Mum says.

  “And you know what else? Today, she was vlogging at the school we went to visit. Literally, videotaping herself talking into a camera. I overheard her saying she was staying in this luxurious ecolodge. I don’t even think she knows what an ecolodge is. And then, this morning, I heard her scream so loud, I thought something horrible had happened, so I rushed in thinking she was hurt, but no. Want to know why she screamed? The water was cold. No, shit, princess, we’re out in the middle of nowhere. Then she had the nerve to yell at me about barging into the loo. I mean, she was only wrapped in a towel, but still,” I vent.

  I hear my parents laughing in the background. “It does sound like you are having an exciting and intriguing trip,” Mum says delicately. “Just remember why you are there. It’s a great career opportunity, and you might as well learn now that you won’t always, uh, love the people you work with. Have a great trip. Don’t worry about the small things. We love you and keep giving us updates.”

  I feel like she is placating me, but I thank her anyway. “Thanks, Mum. I will. Uh, Dad, do you have any advice? Like specific advice on how to deal with this girl?”

  Dad chuckles. “Oh, I have a few ideas, but I’ll let you figure that out on your own. Have a great trip.”

  I roll my eyes. They are no help. Resting my head back on the pillow, I try to fall asleep but only toss and turn.

  Maybe I’ll go for a swim. I peek my head out of the door, looking around. No one in sight, and almost all of the cabana lights are shut off. Perfect.

  Camille

  The sound of a door closing wakes me up. I watch Adam come out of his cabana, walk down the steps, and into the sand. He’s shirtless, wearing just a pair of shorts with a towel thrown over one shoulder. I consider saying something, but don’t. I’m too tired to hold a conversation.

  As I lie my head back on the hammock, I notice out of the corner of my eye that Adam has walked down to the water.

  I wonder what he’s doing when all of a sudden he starts stripping off his shorts.

  Oh, my gosh!

  Before I can look away, his shorts hit the sand, revealing his naked backside. I need to get out of here. If he sees me he’ll think I was spying on him, or worse—checking him out. But somehow I get tangled up in the stupid hammock and flip myself right into the sand, landing with a thud.

  He turns toward the noise, but thankfully it is dark, and I don’t think he can see me.

  Actually, I know he can’t see me, because if he did, he’d totally come up here and give me crap.

  I flatten myself into the sand and don’t move. Adam finally turns back toward the ocean and dives out into the water. While he’s swimming, I army crawl as quickly and quietly as possible back to my cabana. When I get to the stairs, I stand up which causes them to creak. Crap! I drop to the ground again, squatting low and hiding behind the porch rail. Then I stand fully, dart inside, and move to the window. I slide the little curtain out of the way and peek through.

  I can barely make out Adam’s form floating lazily in the dark water. And I can’t help but think about how he’s out there naked.

  I throw myself dramatically on the bed, realizing too late that I’m covered in sand. I go into the bathroom, take off my clothes, shake them out, and then put on my pajamas.

  I brush the sand off my sheets and try to go to sleep, but I can’t. So I grab my video camera.

  “It’s day two in Costa Rica. Today was truly amazing, and I wish all my Effortless Girls were here experiencing it alongside me. Actually, that’s a lie. Honestly, I’m really homesick.” A tear escapes my eye. “And I don’t mean to sound crazy, but I have no one here to talk to and all I can think about is calling home. I know, pretty pathetic, right? It’s just hard when you feel out of place. I wish Adam, my photographer, who is pretty nice when he’s not annoying, wasn’t such a pain. He thinks he knows everything about everything. Well, he sort of does. I mean, I spent a lot of time doing research for this trip but nothing compares to the real thing. And Adam, yes, that’s his name, like from the bible. And it kind of fits, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Get it? Adam and Eve, the apple?” I let out a maniacal laugh. “It’s quite possible I am a little delirious from lack of sleep. What I mean is that Adam’s dad is a world-renowned photographer, and Adam is following in his footsteps. He’s actually lived a pretty interesting life. Much different than me growing up on the Upper West Side of New York. His mom is an anthropologist and Adam has lived with indigenous people before, so he was actually a good fit for this trip.

  “And speaking of the do-gooder, this morning when I jumped into the shower I was shocked to discover there was no hot water. Of course, Adam ran into my room when I screamed. Thank goodness I was able to mostly cover myself up with a towel that was barely bigger than a hand towel. And guess what he’s out doing right now? He’s swimming naked in the ocean! And that’s really why I can’t sleep. Who could sleep with that going on?” I hear the sound of Adam softly whistling a tune from outside. “Crap. I have to go! He’s back and I don’t want him to know I know he was out there! Bye!”

  I shove my camera under the covers, throw my head onto my pillow, and pretend to be sleeping—because who knows, maybe he is like Superman and can see through the walls—only his name will be Eco-Man.

  Once I hear nothing but the ocean waves, I upload the video to the drop box. I know I complained a little about the accommodations, and I probably talked about Adam too much but, whatever, I needed to vent and it’s not like anyone is going to see it. Janet said they are just to help me remember how I felt during the trip so that when I write my magazine article, I’ll be able to fully recall my journey.

  I close my eyes and try to think of anything but Adam.

  DAY THREE

  Camille

  A soft breeze flows through my room, waking me up.

  “Mhm,” I mumble, slowly stretching and opening my eyes. I see a bunk above my head and remember where I am. Rolling over, I reach for my glasses and check the clock. 6:30. I’m awake early.

  Light fills the room. I get up and open the sheers, taking in the beautiful palms and ocean.

  “Wow,” I say out loud. I don’t have
to be ready for a while, so I decide to take advantage of the early hour by doing some yoga on the beach. Doesn’t that just sound perfect?

  I use the restroom, brush my teeth, put in contacts, and pull my hair up into a messy bun. I throw on workout shorts and a tank and head to the beach.

  The sun is beaming brightly out over the water causing it to sparkle glamorously. It’s really quite magnificent. I start out with some standing poses and then move into a simple routine that I know.

  My concentration is broken when I hear someone coming toward me. I turn around to find Adam. His hair is a fluffy mess, but he looks wide awake and happy. And, of course, he has his camera hanging across his body, always at the ready.

  “Hey, you’re up early,” he says, causing me to feel suddenly nervous.

  “Yeah, I normally like to get my day started early at home, but sometimes I sleep in. But I set my alarm for seven this morning, and I guess I just woke up before it went off. Decided it was so gorgeous out that I wanted to do some stretching before we snorkel,” I ramble, still feeling flustered about seeing his naked butt last night.

  “I didn’t know you did yoga. That’s really cool. What made you get into it?” he asks, sitting down in the sand.

  “I decided to give it a try and then filmed a video for my YouTube channel, hoping to reach some new viewers. What I found is that I really enjoy it. It’s a great way to start your day. I don’t like the hardcore type where you’re covered in sweat by the end, though.” I laugh. “I just want to relax.”

  “Hey, regardless of how you got started,” he says, giving me a big grin, “it’s great that you’re doing it. Yoga provides so many benefits besides stress relief. Do you mind if I snap a few photos of you in a couple poses?”