My heart skipped a beat the minute we hit the mildest of turbulences. Senses seem intensified when one travels to mystical Bermuda. Emerging from the clouds, we were overwhelmed by shades of turquoise and bright pastels as we approached the runway. Upon deplaning, a hospitality band playing local folk music welcomed us the minute we walked into the small terminal. There was a sort of facade behind those large smiles and gyrating bodies that didn't instantly draw us in.

Our jaunt to Bermuda was compulsory. With no itinerary planned, our only goal was to explore the real Bermuda. Why it remained such a mystery to people and which people represented the true face of the island.

"Hello gorgeous", the bus driver greets my boyfriend as he blasts Billy Ocean's "Carribbean Queen" in the background for his passengers. He casually points with gold studded fingers to where we needed to drop our single bag. We stroll past a cornucopia of faces to our seats. There's no truer way to feel the pulse of a place than to move how its natives move and go where they congregate. We secured multiple day bus passes and were going to ride the entire island.

Our first night, we explored Hamilton. Expensive waterfront stores, expatriates on vespas, doe-eyed tourists fresh off cruise ships and people we presumed were locals, going about their business. The interaction amongst the different groups seemed minimal, save the occasional restaurant stops, store transaction, and taxi ride. Like with most Carribean islands, tourism is essential to their economy. In Bermuda, one gets the feeling that the locals are tired of serving. The island once beloved for its hospitality carries it like a burden.

Quaint little St. Georges kept us busy the following day. Narrow streets, small stores, and more pastel bleeding all over the place. Our dreadlocked waitress studies me through milky green eyes as she hands me my seafood pasta. We were both black but she knew I wasn't native and instantly marked me foreign. We continue to roam the island. The number of golf clubs and resorts seemed to outnumber local dives and traditional communal holes.

We meet Carol at the bus stop. She was born and bred of the island and was on her way to settle a dispute - her niece who'd been slapped by a customer at one of her stores. She tells us more about the island and the supposedly growing gang problem. The entire island could be covered in just one day from tip to tip. The teenagers were getting bored with nothing to do.

We covered more of Bermuda the next day, hopping the ferry to the West End and exploring the Royal Navy Dockyard and more. "Oh you're not from Bermuda?", I was puzzled. I could have sworn he was. The Bostonian with a wide, deep smile tells us he got that a lot. We were at the renovated Commissioners House which held an ongoing exhibition about Slavery in Bermuda, the Triangle, as well as its historic cultural influences.

Unbelievably blue water and colors surrounded us at every turn. We eventually traveled the entire length of the island, people watching as they hopped on and off the bus. The same faces bus drivers must have seen for years. In Bermuda, you get the sense that everyone knows everyone and their dirty little secrets too. From curried chicken pie to Bermudian Wahoo, not a single bad meal was had during our travels. From the gorgeous little alley cafe where we breakfasted on crepes to the Thai restaurant with the most decadent of appetizers, Bermuda laid out its best and freshest fares.

"I was born on the island", the lady who I'd sworn was a British expat tells us during take-off. Bermuda was breathtakingly beautiful but we wanted her to explain the history-laden pungent air we felt all over the island. "I don't know", she is taken aback as well. "I am a native child, but the attitude I received from two old women at the airport shocked me as well."

I turned to my boyfriend. Maybe we'd visited Bermuda on the verge of a cultural shift. I'll definitely be doing some research and penning an article about the true face of Bermuda.

Check out more pictures from my Bermuda gallery