09:35 24 January 2014 by GS Jade Barrett CsbNews correspondent
«You can go to heaven if you want, I’d rather stay here» – Mark Twain
The [ilink url=»https://www.facebook.com/pages/Great-American-Bridge-Tour/124487180911255″]Great American Bridge Tour[/ilink] continues its trek to Bermuda this morning: Karen taking a round about route through New York, while Anne Dawson, Tiger Li Li Williams, myself and Team Dog Anna take the direct from Atlanta.
Our flight is full of players headed to the tournament, and we continue our tradition of greeting each other at the gate just before boarding. We catch up with the news from all over, much like alumni weekend at one’s Alma Mater. Each year there are a few new faces among the group of the known – typically they will become part of the gathering for years to come. The island has that effect on people.
Mark Twain’s ship came in in 1867. Over the next forty three years, Samuel Longhorn Clemens visited a number of times, leaving the troubles of his life behind as he organized his thoughts. The writings he produced during his stays were among his most profound – and sometimes scathing – treatises on the state of human nature back home. Bermuda healed his body, heart, and soul – though it appeared never to help him control his hair.
My experience with this ancient caldera has been the same – a challenging journey (though with the mariner’s blood coursing through my veins I do not share Twain’s propensity for seasickness), through three cities and two longish drives before arriving at my ultimate destination:
The celebration of bridge in a genuinely unique environment.