Surprise of my LIFE!!

What started off as a seemingly normal day ended up with me being surprised out of my epidermis. 

Like many other normal weekend afternoons, JP asked whether Jodi and I would like to take a stroll around the block... that sounded like a great idea so I said an enthusiastic yes. When we were walking towards the last bend before our home stretch I noticed someone half way down the road walking in our direction. Now it's not unusual for people to be walking, but on this specific occassion I said "noticed" because a few things went through my head as the person got nearer. Normally I don't analyse fellow walkers, I just give them a friendly "hi" as they pass, but on this occasion, from a distance (and without my glasses on, which doesn't help me in recognising people more than 20 meters from me) I was thinking that this girl was obviously on her way somewhere for an event / gettogether, not just taking a stroll. I say this because she had jeans AND closed shoes on. Wearing jeans is also not unusual in Cayman, but being out walking with jeans AND closed shoes seemed a bit unusual... it's either jeans and slip slops or takkies (sneakers) with gym-type clothes cos you're obviously going for a serious walk, not an amble around the neighbourhood... so that was the first thing that got me wondering about this "walker".

I then noticed how uncannily similar her gait was to my best buddy Liz (aka Lizard, Majizz, Lizzie, Doiley) who lives in the UK. I was contemplating leaning over and whispering to JP "oh my gosh, that girl walks JUST like Liz", but thought better of it as she was by now almost in earshot and it would look a bit suspicious me leaning over whispering something to JP when I had been watching her (while trying to look as though I hadn't) for the last minute or so and she'd suspect I was talking about her, which I would have been.... so I didn't. 

Then it happened.... my blurry, glassesless eyes finally came into focus on this woman's face and I was about to greet her with a smile and a "Hi" as I do to everyone who happens to walk past me when I'm out and about, but then it was as if the world stood still while the synapses in my brain were putting two and two together...  it. was. Liz. I stopped cold, couldn't move and stood there silent for what seemed like ages as JP laughed (and retrieved Jodi in the jogging stroller which I just let go of mid stride when I made the Liz connection) and Liz came up to me and hugged me, all smiles and laughing along with JP, saying "I got you, great, I got you!" 

I still I couldn't talk or move or respond, I must have had the most confused look on my face, cos I was REALLY confused... and then I burst into tears! 

Liz jokingly said that she could see from my tears that I clearly wasn't happy to see her and she was gonna go home.... that's when I came around, snapped back into the present by her starting to turn and walk away from me!! hahahaha!! I stopped crying enough to talk and started jumping up and down and yelling. A much more normal response.

Wow, now I know what people must be feeling when they say a situation felt surreal... it was kind of a dreamlike feeling for a while, as though I wasn't really there, but was just watching what was going on..... very weird and very wonderful!!!! =) Apparently this surprise was months in the making and JP knew about it all along and orchestrated our walk-around-the-block encounter.  I'm so glad that he kept it a secret and didn't tell me, it was a truly wonderful surprise!

Let the Cayman adventures of Lizzie and Lisa (and Jodi) begin!!