Club Med Insider

My Favorite G. O.

I disembarked from the sweltering bus, clutching my heavy winter coat, blinded by the Caribbean sun and dazzled by the sight of fifty or so gorgeous, sun-tanned swaying bodies chanting a Club Med song in their pareos and bathing suits. I had arrived at La Caravelle, Guadeloupe. Never had I felt more pale or dorky. Sweating profusely, I followed the swaying hips of my beautiful GO escort down meandering paths until we arrived at my assigned room. Trying to sound cool and urbane, I thanked her in my high school French and then trying to prolong the conversation with this goddess, proceeded to tell her that I was hungry. Unfortunately, instead of saying I was hungry, (my pronunciation was so bad) I found out later that I had announced to her that I was a woman. (Je femme instead of J’ai faime.) An inauspicious beginning to say the least! However, like most of the GOs I encountered, she was friendly and gracious and didn’t shun me for being a clod. I learned that her name was Sabina. She was a hostess so it was easy to run into her frequently during the day. I would try to figure out when she ate her meals so that I could sit at her table. I would make up silly questions so that I could talk to her at the bar. In New York I had felt like a reasonably attractive, funny, successful single guy but in Guadeloupe the rules had changed. In spite of feeling like the quintessential uncool GM, I was having a great vacation. The more I got to know her, the more impressed I was. She was not only beautiful and intelligent but also the coolest person I had ever met. I was completely besotted and was dreading the end of my week. We exchanged phone numbers and she promised to let me know where her next village would be.
And so began my journey to many other Club Meds. I followed her to Switzerland when she was a GO at San Moritz and then to Italy when she worked there. Staying behind in New York while she travelled all over the world was depressing, to say the least, although she would visit me in New York between villages. My initial attraction had evolved into a mad love affair. Almost three years later, she finally agreed to come home, and we were married in 1976. We have been married now for 33 years. I can say without hesitation that she changed my life. The qualities that made her a great GO have made her an amazing wife and mother. She is hard-working yet flexible and unconventional. She loves to travel, is open to new people and situations and is completely without prejudice or malice. She has raised our two sons to become warm, funny adults with great values and expansive world views. She has never bored me or disappointed me. Her joie de vivre has enriched our family . She is the love of my life and being her partner has turned out to be the greatest trip of my life.