Hello! This week was jam-packed with activities—especially the weekend, which included an incredible Easter getaway to Bintan Island.

Tennis, Singapore Style

On Monday, Autumn asked if I wanted to play tennis after work, and since Stella still has me on the morning workout routine, I had the flexibility to be spontaneous.

Now, the last time I played tennis seriously, Dora was still on my racket—let’s just say it’s been a while since summer tennis camps. But I’m choosing to believe that all the pickleball I played last summer is serving me well (no pun intended). We played for about an hour and forty minutes.

I know tennis is a running game, but when you combine that with Singapore’s humidity? Deadly combo. I was drenched—it was disgusting. That said, I had a blast. Autumn totally kicked butt against me and Owen, but I’d like to say I held my own! Safe to say the GFC gang will be back on the courts again before we leave. And I’ve got a new hobby to work on this summer.

Marina Bay Sands: Ce La Vi

I’d recently been talking to my Uncle Chris, and he told me I had to go to the top of Marina Bay Sands—so I did! On Thursday night, Stella, Lauren, Matt, Jonah, John, Aleska, and I went to the rooftop bar, Ce La Vi. I had my first-ever Singapore Sling up there, and I can confirm it was delicious.

The view was absolutely stunning, and it was surreal being in the same space as the final scene from Crazy Rich Asians. Definitely a pricey outing (sorry Mom and Dad), but with the view and the experience, I’d say it was worth it.

One of my favorite moments was when each of us tried to point out our office buildings to each other. It was so wholesome and made the city feel smaller in the best way. 10/10 recommend checking it out!

Living the Good Life: Bintan Island

Friday was a public holiday for Good Friday, and we were lucky that Bucknell/GAV had organized a weekend trip to Bintan. Even though we had to be up and ready by 8 a.m. (not ideal on a day off), it was absolutely worth it.

Bintan Island is in Indonesia, just like Bali, but much closer to Singapore—only about an hour by ferry. What I didn’t realize was that there’s a time difference! We left the dock around 10:30, and when I woke up from resting my eyes, my phone said 10:35. I was so confused until I remembered the time change. The ferry ride itself was smooth and honestly really fun. It reminded me how much water surrounds Singapore—especially since my office is inland and Maddie and Stella’s faces the harbor. I loved seeing the enormous cargo ships—we were just cruising right alongside them!

The resort was stunning—truly had everything: a beach-style pool, an actual beach filled with seashells, water sports, indoor games, a fitness center, restaurants, and a spa. And even though we were only an hour from Singapore, the weather felt completely different—blue skies, hot sun, and no rain. It felt like a little slice of paradise.

Friday was a major pool day. The infinity-style pool was the perfect Goldilocks temperature—just right. That evening, we had dinner at Spice Restaurant, which served Indian food. I have to admit, I still think my Hawker Centre Indian food was better, but this was still great. The night ended fairly early, but not before Jonah, Maddie, and I squeezed in a game of Knock.

Saturday started with an incredible breakfast buffet—my love for breakfast foods was in heaven. Customizable omelets, waffles, pancakes, pastries, fruit (a rare luxury here), and local dishes that leaned more lunch-like. Everything was delicious.

It turned into another pool and beach day. I went seashell hunting while Ariana and Maddie laid out in the sand. I’ve gotten pickier about my shells lately, so it took a while to find keepers. But while looking, I started noticing trash scattered along the shore and in the ocean. I want to be clear—this wasn’t a reflection of the resort, but it was a stark reminder of how interconnected the world is, and how far pollution can travel.

Something came over me and I started picking up some of the garbage—maybe it was my mom’s voice in my head quoting the Boy Scouts’ “leave a place better than you found it” rule. Or maybe it was the fact that I’d already been looking closely at the sand for shells and just transitioned my focus.

Some of the things I found were wild: a toothbrush, a lighter, a bag of body wash, part of a carton, empty bottles, and two different shoes. The most memorable moment? I picked up the piece of carton and suddenly realized there was a crab on it—definitely startled me! I gently returned it to the ocean before tossing the trash.

When Maddie joined me later, we pointed out even more litter. One plastic water bottle had seashells growing from it—which made me so sad. It had clearly been floating around for a long time. As upsetting as it was, I’m glad I noticed it. It reminded me how lucky I am to have grown up visiting beaches that were clean and felt untouched.

Between my cleanup walk and hours of pool time, I ended up getting sunburnt. It wasn’t terrible, but definitely enough to make me reconsider my spa treatment plans. I had originally thought about getting a body scrub, but exfoliating sunburnt skin didn’t sound like the best idea. So instead, Ariana and I got another couples massage—45 minutes back, 30 minutes feet. I actually fell asleep during the foot massage! I’m convinced some magical pressure point just knocked me out cold.

After that, we quickly got ready for our group dinner at a seafood restaurant. Later, most of us wandered to the floating bar to chat and admire the view. I asked the bartender about the surrounding islands, and he told me we could see different parts of Bintan, Bintam Island, Singapore, and Malaysia. Pretty cool to see so many places from one spot!

The night didn’t end there. When the floating bar called last rounds around 10 p.m., we headed back to the resort and stumbled upon karaoke. And I’m not kidding—even while living the moment, I thought, This is one of those memories I’ll remember forever. Maybe it was the fact that most of the songs were country (my fave) or maybe it was just the group being silly, but it was definitely a core memory (yes, Inside Out reference).

Sunday morning started early with a 7:30 breakfast so we could go paddleboarding—or at least, that was the plan. At breakfast, one by one, the conversations turned to how badly sunburnt everyone was. After some group deliberation (and prioritizing skin safety), we went bowling instead.

All I’ll say about bowling is that if I had more time to warm up, I would’ve won. I made the biggest comeback of my life and even got a strike! While I was excited about paddleboarding, my skin was definitely happier staying indoors.

Right before check-out, Maddie and I took one last dip in the pool. We looked out over the infinity edge to the beach and tried to soak up every last second. It was peaceful and so fun to reflect on the weekend together.

On the way back, I managed to sleep through about 95% of the ferry ride—which made it fly by.

Back at the hotel, we were starving. We hit up one of those sushi conveyor belt spots for lunch, and it totally hit the spot. Not long after we got back, the skies opened up—it was the worst storm I’ve seen in Singapore. Luckily, I was in for the day. But Ariana braved the weather and went to the supermarket to get everything for a scrumptious Easter dinner: roasted sweet potatoes, chicken, broccoli, and ravioli. She is an excellent chef.

We ended the night with a couple rounds of Knock, and after our guests left, I thought we’d all call it early to rest up for Monday’s workout—nope!

Spa Alexa

Stella looked at me and said, “Spa Alexa?” So, for the next hour and a half, I went to town on Stella and Maddie’s eyebrows. And honestly? They looked fabulous. It was great fun, but also a big responsibility. Thankfully, whoever wasn’t getting their brows done served as my consultant, making sure the shape, arch, and tail were on point. Once the brows were complete, I crashed hard and fell asleep almost instantly—only to be rudely awakened by my alarm.

This Easter weekend was amazing—even though we missed Stella in Bintan. I’m really looking forward to my work trip to Malaysia this week and our day trip to Sentosa on Saturday. Stay tuned! (Technically this is allowed to be my final blog, but I’m come this far so I will continue sharing my adventures) 🙂

Cheers,
Alexa