The Week of Griff

Wow.  I am exhausted just thinking about all the ground we covered!  Funny how I picked up Griffin from the airport, and he said he really didn't have anything in mind - just wanted to chill and relax for the week.  Then two hours later when I met him for dinner, he had already booked a fly fishing trip and listed off about 18 things he wanted to see and do.  So we did ...

Caught up over a nice dinner at Sandcastles that evening and was fun to have Kirby join us.  I had to work Tuesday and Wednesday, but was able to break for lunch - one day Kirby met us at Coconuts as they had live music (Matt Vrba - originally from Chicago, spent some time in Nashville before moving down); the other day a swarm of bees joined us at Turtles.  Tuesday night we met up with Lisa and Jeff for beach bingo, then we all went over to Rowdy Joes for dinner and met up with Kirby, Kim, and her friend Chuck.  Still raving about the food there ... and the ice cream!  Last week's flavors were cookies and cream, chunky monkey, espresso macadamia nut, and chocolate reeses pieces.  DELICIOUS!!!  And yes I tried them all!  Still bummed they were out of the banana conch fritters by the time we got there though.  Wednesday night went to Blue Moon for jazz ... and it has quickly become another one of my favorite restaurants.  I ended up ordering the crab cakes as an appetizer, then another order as my entree!  Was a big night as they had a going away celebration for the former owners ... my friend Eric and his wife are the new owners, so I've requested they keep at least the live music and crab cakes!

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Kirby and Kim graciously invited us over to their condo where we celebrated with about 20 others.  Felt like home - lots of folks from the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Illinois - and we had deep fried turkey, baked mac and cheese, pan fried corn, sweet potato casserole, and all the other traditional holiday goodies.  I finally had some luck baking and introduced my pumpkin bars and peanut butter pie.  Seemed to go over well =)   Called home and had my brother pass around the phone - was so good talking to my family!  Since we couldn't video chat via phone, I texted him some pictures to pass around ... maybe not the best idea, as my family was sitting around trying to stay warm, while I was showing off pictures of the beach!  After stuffing ourselves silly like you are supposed to on Thanksgiving, Kirby, Lisa, Jeff, Griff and I headed to Hamm's Bluff where we hiked to a lighthouse to watch the sunset - great way to work off that turkey with a beautiful view!  We were all exhausted by the time we got back - and surprisingly hungry.  We decided a slice of greasy pizza sounded good, but no restaurants were open.  Kirby, Griff and I found that the grocery store was open, so a Totino's frozen pizza and few boxes of pizza rolls later, we sat down to eat and watch football in true Thanksgiving fashion.

Friday morning got up and checked out a house for sale - didn't take Griff too long to decide he could live here too!  Then we FINALLY sat on the beach for about an hour and a half ... sadly that was our only beach time all week!  Headed over to Christiansted that afternoon - walked around town, caught some football, finally found conch fritters, then strolled through the "Jump Up" street festival - what a blast!  All sorts of street vendors and performers - enjoyed the steel drum band and mocko jumbies.  And I'll know better next time to go hungry, though I did manage to make room for 'peanut punch' ... the best drink ever!!!  Basically a combination of peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk.  WOW!!! 

Saturday we got up and drove to Point Udall - Griff has officially seen the entire island!  Stopped at a great little place called Good Spirits for lunch ... then met up with friends to go sailing!  My friend Eric and his family invited us to join his friend Orris on a sail over to Buck Island.  It was absolutely beautiful ... but let's just say next time I hope the sea sickness doesn't hit me =(   Stopped back by Good Spirits for a snack (Sprite, and I managed to eat 1/2 piece of chocolate peanut butter pie), but then I was done for the night.  It was a long day - just hoping next time I can truly enjoy the experience!

Sunday I let Griff go for his daily walk/run/hike/swim as I headed to the grocery store (not ideal vacation time spent running errands I would assume).  We met up with Kirby for lunch at Rhythms, then went up to Normas in the rainforest.  Didn't drink with the pigs this time, but they aren't kidding when they claim to have the best banana daiquiris on island!  An instant cure to sea sickness =)   It was a good, low key, chill kind of day - watched the sun set (and kept up with football scores) from Coconuts, stopped in the Lost Dog for a snack, then the entire crew met up for Griffin's farewell dinner at Sandcastles.  A great way to finish off the week!

Amazing that it was a jam-packed week, but we still didn't have time for the Cruzan Rum tour, sugar plantation tour, moonlight kayak, LEAP mahogany shop in the rainforest, and I'm sure I'm missing a few.  Griff - I had a blast, thanks again for a great visit! 

A special thanks to ...

all of my visitors.  I am truly grateful for the amount of support I have received on this journey.  It means the world to me that so many family and friends are visiting, whether in person or in spirit.  I am excited to share this wonderful experience and beautiful island with you!

Thankful for ...

New friends - so excited and lucky to have them in this new chapter of my life
Old friends - got me to where I am today and supported me every step of the way
Family - believes in me no matter what, even if I'm thousands of miles away
Faith - seeing God work in my life and the lives of others and knowing it is all in His plan
Job - providing the flexibility and potential stepping stone to what may be next

As I reflect today and every day, I am incredibly thankful for the many blessings in my life.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:8-10

One Month and Counting

I can't believe I've been here over a month already!  It has flown by!

Had a fun rest of the week celebrating and tried out some good new restaurants.  Wednesday night is live jazz at the Blue Moon - great music and great food!  One of my friends ordered the 2lb lobster caught earlier that day - looked fabulous!  Thursday was trivia, and I ended up meeting Lexi and her fiance Brian, from Fort Mill.  I was sitting in between them and Kirby's mom Kim, who is from Rock Hill.  What a Charlotte connection!  Friday night tried out an awesome sushi place in Christiansted with live music - a fun band in Marisol y las Drunk Dumplins (who we saw last Saturday as well).  And making progress ... I drove home without my GPS!

Lisa and Jeff had their friends Kelly and Aaron visit over the weekend, who are friends with my friend Shelby as well.  We had fun hanging out at Dashi on Friday night, then went hiking on Saturday.  Started at Carambola Resort (now we know, Andy and Candida!), and it probably took about an hour to get there.  Ended up at a pebble beach, where it is fascinating to listen to the water rush over the rocks.  We could see the tide pools, but could not get to them.  The waves were too rough to make it over there, so I will definitely have to go back.  A beautiful trip!  And as we were hiking, Kelly reminded me, "You live here!" =)   Still hard to believe some days!

Lisa and Jeff then introduced us to the Chicken Shack - 1/2 rotisserie chicken and 2 johnny cakes for $5.50.  Gotta love it!  Obviously a popular spot for both the locals and mainlanders alike.  Then Kirby and I went to Rhythms where they were hosting a benefit for a woman with cancer.  Great turnout for a great cause.  And to Aunt Rita, loved Hudson and the HooDoo Cats - band from St Louis!

My friend Griffin flies down from Charlotte tomorrow.  Look forward to having another friend visit and celebrating Thanksgiving with the rest of the 'misfits' down here!

Connections

Now I know this is a small island.  Heck, even in Charlotte, I loved making connections.  But this is ridiculous down here ... and I love it!  Decided to venture out tonight for some pizza - the problem with working from home is that by the end of the day, I am going stir-crazy and ready to get out.  So I headed down to the Lost Dog - walked in and didn't recognize anyone, grabbed a seat at the bar.  Immediately the couple next to me offered to buy me a drink and share their pizza.  Again, natives of St Croix, but the woman spent the past 20 years living in Winston, NC!  The guys to my left all work for the oil refinery here - originally from Philly and Houston (where I spent 3 months working) - and one of the guys used to live in the Chicago suburbs.  Then made a new friend Jason - who happens to live in the house next door to me.  We both recognized each other from other outings around the island - he's originally from Iowa and has since been living in Georgia!

Today at work I was chatting with my friend Sarah who remembered that her husband has a friend who lives in STX ... well come to find out, I haven't met her yet, but I frequent the beach bar that she works at quite often!  Jason said he already knows her after living here for 2 weeks and said I'll have to hit the day shift to see her there.  I told the story to my friend Kirby as well, and of course she already knows her too!

Then sounds like another small town IL girl is out here, originally from Lomax (about 20 miles from where I grew up).  My friend Bryan said she is a friend of our mutual friends from home (granted, Bryan and I met in Charlotte, but have connections in IL and SC and seemingly everywhere in between!).  He's going to get back to me with her name, but given she's a dive instructor, she surely knows my friend Jeff or landlord Michele - or probably both!

Just got home and sitting here listening to my Bradley Braves.  Sam Maniscalco just hit a 3 to tie up the game - reminds me of when I was in a bus in Sydney, Australia earlier this year.  Heard some other Americans talking, and when the one mentioned University of Illinois, I asked where she was from - Chicago.  I said Peoria, and her response was "my best friend plays basketball there for Bradley" - that's right, he was even the Missouri Valley Conference player of the week that week back in the states - and I'm sitting in a bus in Australia with his best friend from childhood.  My brother just called me on Skype, so got to see him in his red housecoat at our townhouse, putting up Christmas decorations.  Made me think of one of my all time favorite movies, Christmas Vacation.  Love feeling not so far from home =)

Calendar Updates

Color me red, my mom booked her flight!  So excited!!

I've also made some other recent updates.  Katie - will miss celebrating with you this weekend, but you will be here in spirit - I'll try to make my own version of the "JC" in your honor!  TW and Amy - hope to see you guys in December!  Fully anticipating the remaining 3 of my "Fab 4" girls to hit the island with a bang in January - Shelby will show you how it's done after New Years!  Then the rest is first come, first serve =)

Thoughts from the hammock ...

Well, I don't think this balcony is the ideal spot for my hammock, but it will work for now!

Quiet weekend here.  As I wrote that, I just realized that it might have been considered a busy weekend for the islands, but quiet compared to my pre-island life!  Friday night I decided to venture out by myself to the Caribbean Community Theatre in Christiansted.  Between a map, GPS, handwritten directions per the website, and some help from friends, I made it!  Only had to turn around once and still not sure how I came in from a different direction than I would have anticipated, but luckily I found it.  Great play called Fences - basically relating life to baseball, which was right up my alley.  James Earl Jones won a Tony award for Best Actor for his performance during the 80s.  Of course he was not starring in the show himself - a pretty small budget production, but it was good and I really enjoyed it.  Ironically one of the characters was a guy we met at trivia the night before (which was unfortunately not our first win of the season). 

I got home and decided to watch tv before calling it a night.  Granted, I've seen plenty of those little lizards (geckos) running around outside which thankfully don't bother me at all.  I hadn't yet seen one INSIDE ... and then I looked up ... above my tv was a little gecko scaling the wall!  So I decided to open up the screen door, go get the broom, and encourage him to run outside.  Meanwhile, I had a pair of jeans air-drying in front of the door ... and you guessed it.  Little lizard went right through my jeans on his way out the door.  All I could think was, "I HAVE A LIZARD IN MY PANTS!!!"  Not something you hear everyday!  I mean, guys sure, but nothing you'd normally hear from the ladies =)

Saturday was another one of those get up early and have nothing to show for it hours later type of days.  I must have jinxed myself by cleaning the windows of the Jeep - prepping it for a beautiful picture at the beach.  And by the time I got back outside, it started raining (again - enough already!) and when I drove to this new beach I hadn't been to yet, the road getting there was flooded!

Ended up having a fun girls' weekend.  Unfortunately, Andy's grandfather passed away so he flew home to Australia for the funeral, and Jeff hasn't been feeling well.  Saturday night went to dinner with Kirby and her friend Kate (also from Australia) at Rowdy Joes - delicious meal and some of the best ice cream I have ever had!  Key lime pie, apple cinnamon brown sugar, and chocolate with chocolate covered peanuts - to die for!!!  Now when I'm comparing to Ben and Jerry's - that's got merit!!  Then we met up with Lisa at the place next door for some live music - such a fun night!! 

Yesterday had a lazy day at the beach - FINALLY!  Sad that I've been here four weeks already (time is flying by!!), and that was the first time I've spent an extended amount of time at the beach!  And finished a book!  Met up with Kirby and Kate again for dinner at Rhythms - definitely one of my favorite places so far on the island.  Kirby gave me a job posting she found in the paper for an accountant.  As much as I appreciated her looking out for me and should be interested in checking out this job after my time with the Bank, I had to admit that it's not what I am passionate about.  If I could do anything at all, especially while I was here, I would work in a bakery - ideally my own.  So all of a sudden my repertoire of recipes came out, and Kirby suggested taking samples to local places and leaving a card just to see if it attracts any business or setting up a booth on cruise ship days.  The Cake Lady of St Croix may have just arrived =)

Given all the "free" time I had this weekend, I was able to reflect over the past few weeks to see what I have learned about myself on this journey.  I mentioned this before, but I really need to change my definition of "productive" (and thanks, Jeff, for reiterating that "I was told long ago to expect to accomplish one thing a day.  Anything more is a bonus.").  It's okay to spend a few hours on a Saturday and not have anything to show for it.  Then during the week, I need to learn to take a break from work (how sad is that?!?).  I forced myself to walk to the post office today over lunch, just to take a break from my computer.  Given the now hour time difference and especially if I do not have plans at night, it is way too easy to stay logged on ... or check emails a few hours later just because they are there.  Something to work on ...

Other things I've realized about myself, no matter where the location:  you can take the busy away from the girl, but you can't take the girl away from the busy!  I am still trying to make plans left and right ... on Friday, it killed me not to have plans this weekend ... but by Sunday I realized how nice it was to just go with the flow and have some quiet time.  Same thing with work - it is easy to still stress over a job regardless of the beautiful backdrop ... but then again, maybe that is me.  Maybe that is the Bank.  Or maybe a little of both.  Though seems kind of ironic writing about being stressed out while laying in a hammock ...

Island Time

Well, I'm officially on "island time" - and I mean that both figuratively and literally!  They do not "fall back" for daylight savings time down here, so as of Sunday, I am an hour ahead of NC and two hours ahead of IL.  And the goal is to do a better job of enjoying island time - in the figurative sense!

Enjoyed a day off work today, thanks to all the Veterans!  I was still up bright and early, as my friend Jeff had offered to teach me to scuba dive, but the effects of yesterday's storm put a damper on those plans.  Yes, I am just fine - thanks to everyone for your care and concern.  Luckily my apartment is at the top of a hill, so no flooding, but sounds like lots of damage to much of the island, especially on the West end not too far from my place.  I am thankful to have only suffered a few power/internet/phone outages as my only inconvenience.  Jeff said the water looked like chocolate milk, and as much as I love chocolate milk, it sure doesn't seem like what I want to be diving in!  So I really had a free day - all this time on my hands, with no plans.  I decided to tackle my to do list - starting with an oil change and laundry (seemingly simple and quick chores, right?!?).

To be honest, I can't even recall all the stops I made this morning - and at one point ended up back at the apartment to make lunch - at which point I had not succeeded at either of my errands a few hours into the day.  I did learn a lot about my Jeep, though - which was probably good for me.  I've never changed my own oil before - back home, you just pull into the service shop, and 20 minutes later you drive home.  Well I had to go to one place to buy the filter, another to buy the oil (thanks Jeff for answering that phone call!), then finally back to the service station.  The guys were great and Jeep is in good shape - but wow, what a process!

Went to the laundromat a few weeks ago, but one of my neighbors also told me about the hotel down the street with a coin-operated washer and dryer.  Let's see, I can go sit in a warehouse and more efficiently do my laundry ... or I could do one load at a time and sit on the beach / lay in the hammock / go for a walk in between cycles.  I'll choose door #2 please!  Funny how at first it bothered me not to feel very productive, given how early I was up and running and took me ALL DAY to only get two things done, but it also forced me to slow down and just enjoy it - and that's not a bad idea at all =)

As I was waiting for my laundry, I went for a walk on the beach and ran into the couple who lives in the apartment next to me, Nadine and Randy.  We are always very cordial, saying hello every time we see each other, but I have not had a chance to get to know them better than that.  They spotted me and hollered my name, so I walked over and we had nice little chat.  They were both born and raised here, but have spent the past ten years in North Carolina!  And Nadine used to work for Bank of America!  Crazy!  A few years in Durham, then most recently in Mebane.  We got talking about the Panthers, Bobcats, Carowinds, UNC, Duke, etc. - ah, how cool is that?!?  Small island ... small world =)

I also met my neighbor Bill who lives downstairs.  His car is in the shop and he did not have a ride to work ... so I graciously offered to take him as I was heading that direction anyway.  And I'm especially happy to return the favor after not having wheels for the first few weeks!

Off to trivia tonight ... and we are on pace to win ... stay tuned!

Gracious Guests

Well I was hesitant to log onto my computer tonight, as all I've been doing the past few days is sitting with my laptop, working.  For those of you asking about work, yes, I was originally supposed to stay on through last Friday.  Given the ease of transition and not feeling like work was taking away from my experience down here, I offered to stay longer, so they approved my remote access through mid-February.  And this week as I was working until midnight last night, I finally questioned if I had made the right decision =)   Actually yes, I am still very grateful for the opportunity with the Bank overall - I keep telling myself it's just "this week" that will be this busy (granted I've said that three weeks in a row now).  Ironic that tomorrow is a bank holiday, and I will have put in just as many hours, if not more, than I would any other week.  But yes, this week I've been working late and wearing jeans and rain jackets - not quite what I had in mind when I first set out to move to the Caribbean! 

I really enjoyed my time with Andy and Candida, though hate that I was busy with work and sorry the weather did not cooperate!  I hope they are close to being home by now - we had quite a storm this morning - the flight out of STX was delayed so they missed their connection in Puerto Rico and ended up having to fly through JFK instead of MIA en route to Raleigh.  Oh, the joys of travel!  And go figure, finally got to see a sunset tonight after they left (sorry!).  At my apartment, the power was on and off, internet connection in and out, phone service here and there - ironic my phone would work when my internet would not, so I used several different modes of communication trying to get in touch with my co-workers - and actually had my first team meeting via Skype!  As I was searching for the Weather Channel on all 10 of my channels, I saw one of my least favorite people from Charlotte on my tv.  Are you serious?!?  I'm living in the Virgin Islands - wouldn't you think that is far enough away?!? 

Anyway ... Andy and Candida were the most gracious guests ... I felt that they were the ones hosting me!  We had a great time cruising around the island over the weekend, then they went exploring during the weekdays.  Unfortunately it was so cloudy that their early morning on Monday did not result in them getting to see where the first sunrise in the United States should hit.  But I was glad they got to see the rest of the island ... sure doesn't take long, and they've probably now seen as much of it as I have!  I did take a break last night for some dinner and bingo - unfortunately none of us came out lucky winners, but I was glad they got to meet the rest of "my crew".  They spent a lot of their time cooking and cleaning (and hopefully relaxing in between!), and when they asked to use the Jeep one last time to go to the beach, they came back with a welcome mat for each door, cutting board, gallons of water, and a MICROWAVE!  I guess they saw how I was just trying to make do with what I had, but I could not get over their generosity and thoughtfulness!  And this was in addition to the gifts they gave me upon arrival!  Just another reminder of how truly blessed I am for the wonderful people I have in my life!  So a big THANK YOU to my great friends Andy and Candida!   

We already have plans for their next trip - met some friends who do a 3-day sail to the British Virgin Islands, then seaplane to St Thomas, ferry to St John, and of course the Cruzan Rum factory tour back here on St Croix.  I liked Andy's mentality that he didn't want to do everything on the first trip - got to save some for next time!  I've been following Andy's blog as well, as he set off for his around the world trip back in January.  I told him that I'm kicking myself for not blogging during my journey through New Zealand, Australia, and Hong Kong - there are so many little things that I have already forgotten about.  I'll be sure to follow his blog in the coming months, as they are planning their trip to Brasil for early 2011 (and add to my list of places to visit!).

Just as of today, looks like I'll have two more visitors in December ... as Andy and Candida can tell you, these are no luxury accommodations, but I certainly enjoy the company!

Got to catch up with Shelby tonight - she will be my first visitor of the new year, as she arrives on New Years Day for a belated birthday celebration.  Given the sounds of the holiday hoopla around here, I promised her plenty of festivals in her honor!  Now CLT girls, I expect a full report after tomorrow night's girls' dinner ... and Shelby might tell you I'm working on some updates of my own ;)   Ironically, we started talking about baseball (okay, we were talking about Rick Ankiel - and for those of you who don't know, he's my future husband, used to play for the Cardinals) - and it's amazing that Rick may be the deciding factor of when I come home!  (I was also thinking about him today when my Aunt Connie asked for my address since my cousin Dan has my name for xmas ... I gave her the mailing address, but will give Dan my physical address just in case of any surprises - hint hint!)  I only have a two month lease on this apartment, but one of the units above me is opening up, so I already told my landlord that I would take it through April 30 - signifying the end of my 6 months down here.  However, I just found out that the STX IronMan (as a spectator!) is Sunday, May 1, so my next thought was to fly back on Monday the 2nd.  Well, just as (un)luck would have it, the Cardinals play the Braves in ATL the weekend of April 30.  And after our last trip, Shelby and I learned (a few hours late and a few dollars short) of the batting practice experience offered at Turner Field - which I am determined to make it to next season if Rick is still there (my cousin Dan is also the one who gave me a framed picture of Rick that is well traveled but yet to be signed ... a little obsessive, maybe?!?)!  Funny how Shelby knows me so well; she doesn't anticipate me staying too much longer past the start of baseball season!  If I could just move my family, friends, church, favorite restaurants, and some sports teams down here, I don't think I'd ever leave =)   Though I'm hoping to go to a play this weekend called "Fences:  A drama about love, relationships, life and death ... and the fastball on the outside corner" and also found out about the UVI college basketball tournament next weekend, featuring Alabama, Xavier, Clemson ... just bummed it's on the St Thomas campus and not St Croix.  Though that might be a fun trip for my first seaplane to the other island!

Wish me luck tomorrow in my first attempt at "discover scuba".  I'm the girl who hyperventilates while attempting to snorkel, so this could be a quick outing ... I'm living in the Caribbean, so I've at least got to give a try!

Muddy Tires and Drinking Pigs

Andy and Candida arrived yesterday, and we have been having a fabulous time!  They spent the past week island hopping between St Maarten, St Barts, and Saba - with St Croix as their last stop before returning to NC.  When moving down here, I was so looking forward to NOT traveling like I had the past two years (I was out of town 38 weekends in 2009 - and "only" 33 in 2010, even counting my last two months in STX - was I really that crazy last year?!?).  However, from their experiences and pictures, sounds like I definitely need to add at least Saba to the list - amazing place!  Plus, how many other times will I really only be a 40 minute flight away from so many other Caribbean locations?!?

We started with my favorite lunch spot yesterday, Turtles Deli, then walked around downtown Frederiksted.  Then we decided to do a little sight-seeing.  They told me about the tide pools they saw on one of the other islands, and I said that I hadn't been to the tide pools here yet, and I knew the directions were programed into the GPS.  That sounded easy enough =)   Well that sure made for an interesting experience - nothing like going muddin' in my new Jeep after just a couple of days!  None of us knew quite what we were getting into, but I had to remind myself, "this is why I have a Jeep"!

Long story short, after driving through the rain forest on not really what I would call roads and lots of mud, we never found the tide pools and found out later that even though there are a few "trails" that you can technically access with a four-wheel drive, the majority of folks take the 90 minute hike - one way!  Oh well, lesson learned that I will definitely save the tide pools for a day with someone who has already been!

We stopped at Coconuts on our way back to town.  They had a lion fish competition that morning - I guess the lion fish have become quite a predator and are eating all of the other fish in the Caribbean.  The official weigh-in was that evening ... and the lion fish soon became lion fish fritters - delicious!  Talk about fresh!

I still can't get over how rough the waves have been since yesterday.  In the almost three weeks I've been here, the water has been incredibly calm - so much so that I try to go swimming a couple of times a week - so relaxing and refreshing.  I woke up to the pounding rain at 2am Saturday morning, and it has been on and off since.  We are definitely getting hit by some storm weather - the waves are so strong that we could even hear them from my apartment - the first time I have been able to hear them this far away.  And yes, I promise pictures of the Jeep as soon as I can take and LEAVE the top off and windows down!

This morning we started at Pollys on the Pier for breakfast.  We met the owners - from Sullivan, IL and Clinton, IA - love it!  Then this afternoon we met another couple originally from Iowa and Minnesota - yeah for the Midwesterners!  And what is more Midwestern than drinking beer with pigs?!?  We went to Norma's Mt Pellier Domino Club - home of the drinking pigs!  Andy got a nice action shot of me being sprayed by one of the pigs.  I also finally found where to get Johnny Cakes on the island (shout out to my friend Joyce in CLT - we have been talking about those delicious island treats for years!!)  =)

Candida whipped up an amazing dinner tonight, so we had a nice relaxing evening at home on the balcony.  Hope this weather clears up tomorrow.  Bummed that I have to work, as Andy and Candida are leaving at 5am to drive to Point Udall in time to watch the sunrise - will be anxious to hear about their experience and see their pictures!

Going Topless

I got my Jeep!  So I can't officially say I've taken the top off yet, but that's my next project.  It's been a hectic week!  (And why am I even using a word like 'hectic' down here?!?  I've got to slow down this schedule - my friends weren't kidding when they told me not to burn myself out!)

Luckily funds transferred on Wednesday, so Gerri and I met yesterday morning to exchange ownership of the Jeep (thanks again to Kirby and Andy for my last official ride - so much appreciated!!).  Interesting process they run around here ... Gerri and I had to meet at her insurance agency, as they would not cancel her insurance until they had proof that someone else was insuring the Jeep.  But even more, after I set up my coverage, she still had to go the DMV with me as proof of the buyer (I could have taken a copy of her drivers license, but she graciously offered to go with me - in case they needed any other documentation AND to navigate since I didn't know where it was!).  Luckily she is a sweet little lady, since we spent almost the entire day together!  We had to go to 4 different stations at the DMV ... let's just say not the most efficient process I've ever seen run.  After the DMV, we had to go back to the insurance agency so they could officially cancel her insurance (and I made the mistake of asking one more question which took 25 minutes to answer), then I drove her back to her house on the East end, then back to mine on the West end - I left my place at 7:45 am and didn't get back until 1:30.  But at least we finally got everything taken care of, and I'm the brand new owner of a Jeep Wrangler! 

Ran into Kirby's mom, Kim, at the DMV.  We had never met in person, but immediately both recognized each other from pictures.  How many times will I say this, small island!

Busy week at work, so it's been pretty quiet other than that.  I did have a chance to catch up with some friends and my Life Group girls on the phone.  Then last night Jeff and Lisa joined Kirby, Andy and me at trivia ... and in three weeks, we've gone from last, to 3rd to 2nd!  Watch out for the BI's next week!

My next round of visitors fly in tomorrow - my friend Andy and his friend Candida have spent the past week island hopping around St Maarten, with STX being their next stop.  So excited to see them, though I haven't made any plans for us yet.  One of the last times I saw Andy was for dinner in New Zealand - ironically we see each other more often in other parts of the world than our homes in North Carolina!

Hotel STX

I've only been here two weeks, and I am blown away by the number of visitors I am anticipating!  I will be busy running a full-service hotel here, but it really makes me grateful to have so many friends and family wanting to visit (okay, you can all say that it's not really me you're visiting, just the location.  Whatever, I'll take it!).  Makes me feel not so far away from home seeing friends almost every week!

For those of you who are interested in visiting and have not yet penciled in dates, no worries.  Several of the dates in yellow are two week blocks of time for a one week vacation, where friends have said "either this week or that week", so I have marked both weeks as tentative until they know for sure.  I will update the calendar with official dates as often as I receive them!

But seriously, if you are thinking about making a trip, please let me know!  I would love to have you!!  Just want to make sure no one is double-booked =)

Love and miss you all.  Can't wait to see you and show you around this beautiful place I am temporarily calling home!

Isn't it ironic ...

don't you think...

I was gearing up for my big trip to the bank today.  I had been warned of the various horror stories of trying to open a new account down here - definitely sounded like I needed to bring every form of identification possible, block off a good few hours, etc.  Last night, I was also told that the banks may be closed today and tomorrow given a VI holiday and election day.  So I called again to check on hours and checked online for a schedule of VI bank holidays.  Given no other sign of closure, I woke up early and planned my trip to the bank, to be there before they opened so hopefully I would be the first in line.  Well ... no one was in line and there was a nice sign on the door - closed, of course!

I wouldn't have been so concerned and originally wasn't even going to open an account here, but given my upcoming purchase, I needed to pay Gerri for the Jeep and she preferred a certified check.  Of course I worried about the time it would take to transfer funds from my Bank of America account (do they even do wire transfers down here?).  Well, those options now seemed slim, so I suggested to Gerri transferring the money online between our two stateside accounts.  It's usually a click of a button - easy, convenient, and secure.  So Gerri and I walked through the steps together, but the transaction would not process.  After two hours of Bank of America customer service, we finally got it.  So ironic how I planned on spending a few hours at the bank today, just didn't think it would be my own! 

I pick up the Jeep on Thursday - note to self, stay on the left and swerve to avoid crabs walking in the road!

Sunday was a full day - woke up bright and early, and again with no plans until later, decided to take that long walk on the beach I've been looking forward to.  I walked all the way down to Sandy Point - on the southwest point of the island.  I'm guessing it was 4 miles roundtrip ... but the entire walk in the sand added quite a level of difficulty.  It was absolutely beautiful, very secluded.  I couldn't believe that once you turned the corner and faced the south beaches, the water was significantly rough in comparison to how calm the west side is.  I also had someone point out turtle tracks and nesting area - see pictures below.  I put my shoe in the pictures to scale - amazing!  Really hope I have the opportunity to see them live someday!

It was way too nice of a day to stay inside and watch football, so I walked down Coconuts.  Before I even found a chair, the bartender (who I had never met) walked up to me and said "Hey Jen, Eric wants to buy you a drink.  What are you having?".  Nothing like walking in solo and getting a free drink first thing!  Then grabbed a seat next to another guy, Tim, who I had met the first night there - he works with Jeff.  Had the Texas BBQ ribs (fall off the bone delicious!), then decided to check out Rhythms for the rest of the afternoon (had only been there on Thursday nights - this place was at Rainbow Beach and supposedly a hot spot on weekends - fun time but so much of the beach was washed away in the last hurricane that the volleyball court is no longer there).  I was catching up with Shelby on the phone as Keith (one of the guys who works there, from Chicago) asked what I was drinking - so free drink #2!  Not too shabby for a little day out by myself!

The Halloween party in the Rainforest was a blast - finally got to introduce Lisa and Jeff to Kirby and Andy - my island friends have now come full circle!  And Jeff's costume really was one of the best I've ever seen.  Quickly realizing that you can't go anywhere without running into someone you know - everyone knows everyone around here, and I love it!  And most people greet you with a kiss on the right cheek. 

I mentioned my friend Kristen earlier - I've still yet to meet her in person, but we've talked via email and phone.  She is moving from CLT to STX - flying down on the exact same flight as my friend Griffin who is visiting over Thanksgiving - so I'm picking everyone up from the airport and will drive Kristen and her fiance home.  I've quickly picked up on the 'give thy neighbor a ride' mentality around here (especially grateful for that not having a car for 2 weeks now - so I owe people some rides!) - we picked up two girls walking home from trivia the other night, a couple in a Jeep gave me a ride from Coconuts to Rhythms, Andy and Kirby squeezed in another couple going to the Halloween party last night, then another lady offered me a ride home this morning from my walk to the bank.
 
I wasn't kidding when I said Off bug spray is the scent of choice around here - I don't leave the house without it.  So much for scented lotions and perfume!  But I obviously had an allergic reaction to something else, as I broke out in hives.  Woke up this morning thinking I had 1500 new bug bites (thank goodness for nurse friends!).  Just got back from the store with some Benadryl.  Would have gone over lunch had it not been for my time on the phone with customer service.

Good thing I have no plans to leave the house tonight - phone date with Christel (we both have Ben and Jerrys in the freezer ... I even found oatmeal cookie chunk in the little supermarket walking distance from my apartment), then watching the baseball game.  And probably going to sleep early since I took that medicine!

Speaking of desserts, I attempted baking for the first time this weekend ... let's just say I ended up calling them "ghetto scotcheroos".  They still tasted okay, but were horrible looking.  I blame Hersheys that the mini kisses do NOT melt the same as chocolate chips.  I even tried on the stove since I don't have a microwave (which has also made heating up leftovers interesting), then again in Kirby and Andy's microwave.  The store was out of chocolate chips, so I went with the next best thing ... so I thought.  Will try another time!

PS - I never get tired of the sunsets around here =)