to truly miss St Croix.
My first week back in Charlotte was great. I literally did not stop and jumped right back in the swing of things. My best girlfriend and new roommate Shelby greeted me at the airport Saturday night with flowers. It was funny, we were driving to our place and as nice as it was to see each other for the first time since early January, it also felt like we had just made that drive a few weeks prior. It definitely did not feel like I had been gone for six months. It was just the start of the week that all of this felt like it was validation that I was where I was supposed to be.
Sunday was non-stop - from church to brunch to car shopping to family dinner. It was so good to see so many friends my first day back! And the rest of the week was no exception. I spent Monday morning finalizing all of the details of my new Jeep (the "Mango Tango" - as much sadness as I had leaving my Jeep on the island, I have had NO regrets about selling it and buying a new one!). Ran a few errands, but was back at home by 1pm to catch up on work for the afternoon, then met up with my friend Christel for our routine Monday night "run" (which ended up just being a walk since I hadn't run for months and had a lot of talking to do!!) and more importantly, catching up over Ben and Jerrys. Tuesday was my first day back in the office - Dport and I started the morning at Starbucks and my first comment was that it was weird that it didn't feel weird - again, it felt like we had just walked across the street for coffee the previous week. That night I went from work to Target to lifegroup. Wednesday was the same, with volleyball and trivia at night. By Thursday, I had 5 blisters on my feet from work shoes, but quickly forgot about the pain catching up with girlfriends over stoli doli's at Capital Grill. Friday was a nice day working from home, then had a low key evening with my friend Bryan - talk about perfect setting meeting up on his hammock right on the water - a good reminder of some of my favorite things to do in STX. Saturday was another crazy day - from my brother's, to catching up with neighbors, to Target and Kohls, to lunch, to hair appointment, to coffee with a friend, to church - it finally hit me in the middle of the day that I was EXHAUSTED and that I had not stopped for an entire week straight! And, I ended up telling the story of St Croix five separate times considering all of the different friends I caught up with that day. I came home ready to go to bed at 7:30 pm! Luckily Shelby and her friend Sara arrived home soon after, so we ended up having a nice low key rest of the evening out on the balcony.
I am glad that if I learned anything from my time in St Croix, it was that I loved Sunday fundays (and sadly, I only had three of those in a row in April that I can truly claim - I think I've mentioned before, what the heck was I doing every other Sunday?!?). I took full advantage of my Sunday and enjoyed not making any plans (and thank goodness, I don't think I could have handled it after Saturday!). It was a beautiful day outside, so Shelby, Sara, and I walked to breakfast, then Shelby and I walked to Freedom Park where I stayed for a few hours just sitting and relaxing, reading and people watching. It was exactly what I needed to do - and it made me glad to be "home". I took Shelby to the airport, picked up a few more things at my brother's, then had dinner with my friend Michelle - an ideal Sunday in my book!
Then it's ironic how I felt a huge shift on Monday. I was SO TIRED. I think the previous week finally caught up with me, and I haven't seemed to catch up since. Again, from work, to meeting up with Christel, to a women's event at the church made for a full day. Then last night I'm glad I didn't have any plans, and my brother was nice enough to pick up take-out and came over here to watch the Cubs/Cardinals game while I baked a cake. Then again today, I was just tired - a busy day at work, a double header on the volleyball court. I was even too tired to go out for trivia and chili cheese fries!
I think one thing I am realizing is that I need to take some of the lessons learned in St Croix and incorporate them back into life in Charlotte. This week I've realized how much I miss the pace in St Croix ... ah, "island time". Of course I kept myself plenty busy in STX, but it was mostly self-imposed. Here, I feel that there are so many other factors driving my schedule - that I have less control and influence over it. And I like being busy, but I've realized when I'm the one causing it.
It sure hasn't taken long this week to be ready to go back ...
May 11, 2011
Apr 20, 2011
6 Months in the Sun
... and I've got a good tan.
Seriously: (1) where has the time gone and (2) am I really that tan? I've had so many people comment on my tan - a local at the Post Office, a woman from Dominica at the office supply store, a friend I ran into at K-Mart, some guys at the Lost Dog (comparing arm to arm, after they have lived here 30 years), the owners at Polly's, Kirby's comment about my "gleaming" teeth the other night at dinner. Ironically, as I was typing this, I received an email from a friend back home who I'll see Memorial Day weekend. His comment, "I'm going to go out on a limb and wager that you'll be four times as tan as any of the rest of us." I mean I know I'm tan (okay, I will admit that I looked exceptionally dark last night in a yellow dress), but I don't feel any tanner than I usually get in the summertime back home. And considering there is no difference between summer and winter down here, I have been surprised by all the comments. I'm not complaining - I just hope I can maintain this tan all summer in NC!
Still hard to believe I celebrated my 6 month anniversary down here on Monday (ironically after Lisa and Jeff and Kirby and Andy celebrated their one year anniversaries Saturday and Sunday). Just trying to relax a little, while still getting things ready for my move home (which of course as much as I would like to chill out, there is always stress involved in any type of move). As much as I talk about it, I don't think leaving this place and moving home have really hit me yet. I do have to be thankful that things are falling into place nicely. I'm moving into Shelby's for the first three months, and she is picking me up from the airport - she is also the one who dropped me off, so it's like my journey will have come full circle. I already ordered my mattress and bedding to have delivered to her place (I guess I could officially say "our place") the day I fly back. I was able to sell my jeep here (tear!), but the convenience of selling it for my asking price (along with the seller taking care of all of the title/registration/insurance changes as well as letting me keep it until next week) outweighed the cost of shipping it home (especially since I will be in need of a working top come wintertime). So as seamless as the move down here went, I am hoping the move back goes just as smooth. Of course my next big decision is what color will my new Jeep be???
Seriously: (1) where has the time gone and (2) am I really that tan? I've had so many people comment on my tan - a local at the Post Office, a woman from Dominica at the office supply store, a friend I ran into at K-Mart, some guys at the Lost Dog (comparing arm to arm, after they have lived here 30 years), the owners at Polly's, Kirby's comment about my "gleaming" teeth the other night at dinner. Ironically, as I was typing this, I received an email from a friend back home who I'll see Memorial Day weekend. His comment, "I'm going to go out on a limb and wager that you'll be four times as tan as any of the rest of us." I mean I know I'm tan (okay, I will admit that I looked exceptionally dark last night in a yellow dress), but I don't feel any tanner than I usually get in the summertime back home. And considering there is no difference between summer and winter down here, I have been surprised by all the comments. I'm not complaining - I just hope I can maintain this tan all summer in NC!
Still hard to believe I celebrated my 6 month anniversary down here on Monday (ironically after Lisa and Jeff and Kirby and Andy celebrated their one year anniversaries Saturday and Sunday). Just trying to relax a little, while still getting things ready for my move home (which of course as much as I would like to chill out, there is always stress involved in any type of move). As much as I talk about it, I don't think leaving this place and moving home have really hit me yet. I do have to be thankful that things are falling into place nicely. I'm moving into Shelby's for the first three months, and she is picking me up from the airport - she is also the one who dropped me off, so it's like my journey will have come full circle. I already ordered my mattress and bedding to have delivered to her place (I guess I could officially say "our place") the day I fly back. I was able to sell my jeep here (tear!), but the convenience of selling it for my asking price (along with the seller taking care of all of the title/registration/insurance changes as well as letting me keep it until next week) outweighed the cost of shipping it home (especially since I will be in need of a working top come wintertime). So as seamless as the move down here went, I am hoping the move back goes just as smooth. Of course my next big decision is what color will my new Jeep be???
Apr 17, 2011
Food Coma
When I heard about the Taste of St Croix, I was immediately interested - simply stated, I love food. Unfortunately tickets were expensive, and none of my friends planned on going. Then the week before, Kirby and Andy ended up with tickets thanks to Kirby's mom standing in line for hours (I also didn't realize that tickets were so limited and could only be purchased in person first come first serve - of course the event sold out that day). I was even more bummed that I didn't have a ticket finding out that the Taste of St Croix was "Named number one on the Ten Best International Food and Wine Festivals by Forbes Travel!" Uptown Life, March 2010. How could I miss something like this?!?
I put a note out on Facebook to see if any of my island friends knew of any extra tickets. A big thanks to my friend Juli for getting a few leads, then an even bigger thanks to my friend Tim (and owner of best fine dining establishment on the island) for the last minute ticket hook-up!
The Taste did not disappoint and was so much more than I had anticipated. Long story short, I have already told my brother (and fellow "foodie") that I would absolutely plan a vacation around attending this event in the future. I have very rarely felt more miserably and disgustingly full - but it was all worth it. Next time I just need to be more planful of my food eating strategies!
I put a note out on Facebook to see if any of my island friends knew of any extra tickets. A big thanks to my friend Juli for getting a few leads, then an even bigger thanks to my friend Tim (and owner of best fine dining establishment on the island) for the last minute ticket hook-up!
The Taste did not disappoint and was so much more than I had anticipated. Long story short, I have already told my brother (and fellow "foodie") that I would absolutely plan a vacation around attending this event in the future. I have very rarely felt more miserably and disgustingly full - but it was all worth it. Next time I just need to be more planful of my food eating strategies!
"Little G Monee"
It's a good thing I'm not afraid of geckos.
I am deathly afraid of snakes though, and one of the perks of living in the Virgin Islands ... no snakes! I remember my time in St Thomas and St John in 2006 learning that mongoose were brought to the VIs to rid the islands of all the snakes. The same is true of St Croix, and I couldn't be happier!
Of course now I face moving back to North Carolina - home of way too many snakes!!! When my friends Steph and Wali were here (Steph's fear of spiders rivals my fear of snakes), we were discussing the idea of taking home a pet mongoose to protect me from snakes. Steph and Wali are also some of my friends who affectionately nicknamed me G-Money (aka G$), so when they called my potential pet "Little Monee", it immediately and fittingly turned into "Little G Monee".
I am deathly afraid of snakes though, and one of the perks of living in the Virgin Islands ... no snakes! I remember my time in St Thomas and St John in 2006 learning that mongoose were brought to the VIs to rid the islands of all the snakes. The same is true of St Croix, and I couldn't be happier!
Of course now I face moving back to North Carolina - home of way too many snakes!!! When my friends Steph and Wali were here (Steph's fear of spiders rivals my fear of snakes), we were discussing the idea of taking home a pet mongoose to protect me from snakes. Steph and Wali are also some of my friends who affectionately nicknamed me G-Money (aka G$), so when they called my potential pet "Little Monee", it immediately and fittingly turned into "Little G Monee".
I'm a Green Flash?
Today started in typical Sunday Funday fashion (mostly asking myself why I haven't been doing this EVERY weekend!). I woke up early and dropped off some of my last goodies at Polly's, then walked around Frederiksted doing some final souvenir shopping as it was a cruiseship day. I ended up talking to three of my best girlfriends from home - two while I was sitting on a park bench enjoying the scenery and beautiful weather, the third while I had just settled in at the beach. All three of whom I am super excited about seeing when I get home ... but after each conversation, I also started to tear up. As anxious as I am to get home, every passing day makes me realize how sad I am about leaving. I have loved it here - the good, bad, and ugly. I will look back on this experience with nothing but gratefulness that I had the opportunity to experience living in St Croix - not just for the amazing views and warm weather, but even more so for the incredible friends I have made along the way. I am not looking forward to leaving any of this behind!
My friend Bruno stumbled onto the beach this afternoon while I was hanging out with Jeff and Christi. He took a moment to say some of the sweetest, most endearing compliments I have ever received (including his comparison of me to a green flash). I'm tearing up again just writing this and thinking about how thankful I am to have met so many amazing people that will always make me look back on my time in St Croix with nothing but fondness. I am truly blessed by the people in my life - both near and far.
My friend Bruno stumbled onto the beach this afternoon while I was hanging out with Jeff and Christi. He took a moment to say some of the sweetest, most endearing compliments I have ever received (including his comparison of me to a green flash). I'm tearing up again just writing this and thinking about how thankful I am to have met so many amazing people that will always make me look back on my time in St Croix with nothing but fondness. I am truly blessed by the people in my life - both near and far.
Apr 11, 2011
Positive Is How I Live
...reads the bumper sticker I just bought as a souvenir. I have seen it all over the island - on people's cars, windows, t-shirts, etc. It is actually the campaign slogan for Senator Terrence "Positive" Nelson, but also serves as a great saying for life in "paradise".
I decided tonight after work that it felt like a hammock night ... so I packed up my stuff and walked down to Sandcastles. On my walk, I saw one of the bumper stickers and it made me smile. It will be a great reminder of St Croix, as well as a motto to learn to live by no matter where the location or what the situation!
I decided tonight after work that it felt like a hammock night ... so I packed up my stuff and walked down to Sandcastles. On my walk, I saw one of the bumper stickers and it made me smile. It will be a great reminder of St Croix, as well as a motto to learn to live by no matter where the location or what the situation!
Apr 10, 2011
A Great Place to Be
Literally and figuratively.
First - here I've been spending the past six months living in the Caribbean, during the winter no less. Although I've had my share of ups and downs, I can't say enough about how much I have loved St Croix and everything about it. My amazing friends, the warm weather, incredible views, a laid back pace of life - all things I will miss and take with me in my fond memories of my time here.
Second - it's a great feeling knowing that I'm going back not because I want to leave this beautiful place, but just because I know where home is and this experience was an important lesson in learning that. Had I spent any less time here, I think I would have left with a lot of "what if's" and a restlessness that I wasn't ready to go. The past two months have provided me exactly what I was looking for. As much as I love it here, time away from home has really made me miss it. I've been able to put a lot of priorities in check ... and all signs point to going back. Of course we'll see how long that feeling lasts before I'm wanting to come back to St Croix =)
In the spirit of being ready to go home, I somehow misplaced my bucket list this week. Ironic that I was just telling a friend that I had crossed off all the "must do's" and truly felt that I have accomplished what I set out to do on this journey. I even felt so complete that I started looking into a trip to another island for one of my last weekends. When I moved down here, I assumed I would be hopping all around the islands. Though it's hard to justify a vacation in the Caribbean when you already live there! At least I have learned a lot about many of the other islands, so I have a nice list of new places to visit someday. I will save my Caribbean vacations for when I'm living back home and really in need of an island getaway!
First - here I've been spending the past six months living in the Caribbean, during the winter no less. Although I've had my share of ups and downs, I can't say enough about how much I have loved St Croix and everything about it. My amazing friends, the warm weather, incredible views, a laid back pace of life - all things I will miss and take with me in my fond memories of my time here.
Second - it's a great feeling knowing that I'm going back not because I want to leave this beautiful place, but just because I know where home is and this experience was an important lesson in learning that. Had I spent any less time here, I think I would have left with a lot of "what if's" and a restlessness that I wasn't ready to go. The past two months have provided me exactly what I was looking for. As much as I love it here, time away from home has really made me miss it. I've been able to put a lot of priorities in check ... and all signs point to going back. Of course we'll see how long that feeling lasts before I'm wanting to come back to St Croix =)
In the spirit of being ready to go home, I somehow misplaced my bucket list this week. Ironic that I was just telling a friend that I had crossed off all the "must do's" and truly felt that I have accomplished what I set out to do on this journey. I even felt so complete that I started looking into a trip to another island for one of my last weekends. When I moved down here, I assumed I would be hopping all around the islands. Though it's hard to justify a vacation in the Caribbean when you already live there! At least I have learned a lot about many of the other islands, so I have a nice list of new places to visit someday. I will save my Caribbean vacations for when I'm living back home and really in need of an island getaway!
Apr 5, 2011
More Days Like This
Well, not today specifically ... or yesterday ... or especially last Monday for that matter. But the last two weekends have been exactly what I anticipated my entire journey being like ... relaxing!
Two weeks ago, I enjoyed an almost perfect weekend - nothing but beach, bars, and basketball. We started out the weekend with an impromptu belated birthday celebration for Andy at Rowdy Joe's (of course we chose RJ's for our Friday Night Dinner Club since they would be playing the Carolina game). Saturday I spent all day hanging out with Lisa, then Jeff met us at the beach, then the three of us watched more basketball and ended up at Rowdy Joe's again. Sunday might have been one of my favorite days here. I had a very productive yet relaxing morning - watched my church sermon, did yoga, talked to friends on the phone, ate Rowdy Joe's leftovers (3 meals from there in 3 days is quite ideal!), then spent the rest of the day hanging out with friends going back and forth between the beach and the basketball games. Now that was a true Sunday funday! (And note, the weekend would have been perfect had the Tarheels won - but an impressive run to make it to the Elite 8!)
This week my friend Pam visited. She came bearing gifts ... most notably a new laptop since mine had crashed earlier in the week! She enjoyed hanging out at the beach while I caught up on work (and I wish we would have taken a picture today - she definitely won the "almost as tan as Jen" award!). Pam was also up for helping me cross a few things off my bucket list - first of all, we went paddleboarding! Very cool and fun ... but LOTS harder than it looks! We were both exhausted by the time we made it back to shore - it was quite a workout! Saturday we didn't quite make it to the beach as planned, but got to see many parts of the island I hadn't yet explored, including Monks Baths and Estate Mount Washington (former sugar plantation). It was an absolutely gorgeous day and perfect for picture taking. And who would have guessed that evening that I would have been surrounded by some of my best friends on island who just happened to be Indianapolis natives and VCU alum - a perfect mix for watching the Butler/VCU game! Only to be followed up by appetizers and dessert from Rowdy Joe's ... and they must have known I had another peanut butter lover visiting, as we polished off the PB reeses pieces ice cream! Then Sunday was another ideal day at the beach - I left wondering why I haven't done that EVERY Sunday and what the heck I've been doing for the past 5 months, since it sure hasn't been that - which is quite unfortunate!!
Of course in the middle of those two great weekends, life still happens - dealing with crashed harddrives, car accidents, doctors visits, flight delays, etc. - unfortunately all the same unpleasantries that happen anywhere else. But the key is being able to enjoy the good times and making the most of them!
Two weeks ago, I enjoyed an almost perfect weekend - nothing but beach, bars, and basketball. We started out the weekend with an impromptu belated birthday celebration for Andy at Rowdy Joe's (of course we chose RJ's for our Friday Night Dinner Club since they would be playing the Carolina game). Saturday I spent all day hanging out with Lisa, then Jeff met us at the beach, then the three of us watched more basketball and ended up at Rowdy Joe's again. Sunday might have been one of my favorite days here. I had a very productive yet relaxing morning - watched my church sermon, did yoga, talked to friends on the phone, ate Rowdy Joe's leftovers (3 meals from there in 3 days is quite ideal!), then spent the rest of the day hanging out with friends going back and forth between the beach and the basketball games. Now that was a true Sunday funday! (And note, the weekend would have been perfect had the Tarheels won - but an impressive run to make it to the Elite 8!)
This week my friend Pam visited. She came bearing gifts ... most notably a new laptop since mine had crashed earlier in the week! She enjoyed hanging out at the beach while I caught up on work (and I wish we would have taken a picture today - she definitely won the "almost as tan as Jen" award!). Pam was also up for helping me cross a few things off my bucket list - first of all, we went paddleboarding! Very cool and fun ... but LOTS harder than it looks! We were both exhausted by the time we made it back to shore - it was quite a workout! Saturday we didn't quite make it to the beach as planned, but got to see many parts of the island I hadn't yet explored, including Monks Baths and Estate Mount Washington (former sugar plantation). It was an absolutely gorgeous day and perfect for picture taking. And who would have guessed that evening that I would have been surrounded by some of my best friends on island who just happened to be Indianapolis natives and VCU alum - a perfect mix for watching the Butler/VCU game! Only to be followed up by appetizers and dessert from Rowdy Joe's ... and they must have known I had another peanut butter lover visiting, as we polished off the PB reeses pieces ice cream! Then Sunday was another ideal day at the beach - I left wondering why I haven't done that EVERY Sunday and what the heck I've been doing for the past 5 months, since it sure hasn't been that - which is quite unfortunate!!
Of course in the middle of those two great weekends, life still happens - dealing with crashed harddrives, car accidents, doctors visits, flight delays, etc. - unfortunately all the same unpleasantries that happen anywhere else. But the key is being able to enjoy the good times and making the most of them!
Mar 28, 2011
17 ... Going once? Going twice?
17 visitors! Who would have ever guessed I would have so many visitors in less than 6 months? Sadly, I actually had to say "no" to five friends who wanted to visit in March/April because I simply ran out of time. I still feel bad about not being able to host that last crew ... but I finally decided that I needed at least a few weeks to myself before this experience was over (hard to believe my time is coming to an end so quickly!). Of course had I been staying longer, I would have said the more the merrier!! And I had a good handful of friends who expressed true interest in visiting, but it never worked out for one reason or another (probably because my calendar was already booked!).
I am truly blessed for all of my friends and family and thankful to everyone who has been a part of this journey - whether visiting in person, keeping in touch via phone and email, or reading this crazy blog =)
I am truly blessed for all of my friends and family and thankful to everyone who has been a part of this journey - whether visiting in person, keeping in touch via phone and email, or reading this crazy blog =)
March visitors ... where to next year?
My friends Steph (aka "Dport") and Wali visited last week! Exactly one year ago, the three of us were visiting our friend Brian in Hong Kong. This year, St. Croix. Wow, we seem like quite the world travelers - where to next March?
Poor Dport and Wali officially won the 'longest trip' award out of all my visitors. They were supposed to fly out of Charlotte on Saturday morning, through Miami, then into St Croix by 4pm. Unfortunately, the flight out of CLT was delayed, so by the time they made it to MIA, they had missed the flight to STX. So they opted to take an additional flight through San Juan in order to make it to STX that evening. Unfortunately, that flight ended up being delayed as well, so by the time they made it to San Juan, you get the gist ... At least they had a beautiful view from their hotel room and can officially add Puerto Rico to their list of places visited. FINALLY at 10am on Sunday morning, they arrived!
We didn't waste any time! Pretty much dropped off their luggage at my apartment, then headed to Coconuts for lunch (Tommy's Sunday Texas BBQ never disappoints!!) and the Carolina/Duke basketball game. Nothing like watching a college basketball game in an outdoor bar and taking a dip in the Caribbean during halftime! From there we went to Rhythms at Rainbow beach and rented jetskis - one of the many adventure items Dport had on their to do list! Stuck around to watch a beautiful sunset and listen to true pirates of the Caribbean, then ended up at the Lost Dog (to complete the Sunday funday trifecta!) for pizza.
Monday morning was back to work for me, but Dport and Wali took my jeep everyday and went exploring. Monday they ended up in Christiansted, Tuesday was the beach, Wednesday was jeep scenic drive, and Thursday they were my first visitors to do the ATV tour (which they loved!). We had fun hanging out every night - Monday I took them to my favorite restaurant on the island, Rowdy Joes. Have I mentioned how much I love that place?!? Dport and I are both huge fans of peanut butter and chocolate ... and for the first time, Rowdy Joes had peanut butter reeses pieces ice cream - OMG talk about the best ice cream I may have ever eaten!!! (Yes, for those of you who know me well - it might actually beat Oatmeal Cookie Chunk!!)
Tuesday night we tackled the moonlight kayak tour ... well "tackle" might not be the exact word that Dport would use. Let's just say Steph was excited by the time we were finished, and definitely talked more fondly of the experience days after instead of during. I can definitely relate - see my previous entry re: scubadiving. Glad I tried it, but out of my comfort zone and don't think I need to do it again! I was proud of her though, and it was cool for Wali to actually go swimming in the bio bay!
Wednesday they helped me knock a few items off of my bucket list - lunch at Armstrongs (peanut ice cream for dessert ... it was good, but RJ's really raised the bar with that peanut butter reeses!!) and dinner at Bombay Club in C'sted ... we had a delicious meal that night! Thursday we WON AGAIN at trivia!!! Two out of the last three weeks?!? Look out Rainbow Rebels and Skinny Legs (the two teams who ALWAYS seem to win). AND ...my friend Pam visits this week and if/when we win again, I will have to credit the Catawba River Crew for their contributions to the winning team!
Friday ... ah Friday. My friends Scott and Carl hooked Wali up with a round of golf at Carambola (thanks guys!!!), so Steph and I dropped Wali off at 7:30 am (and yes, this WAS on my one day off!!) and we were at the beach before 8! The first time I had ever tried 'laying out' that early in the morning. It was more like laying down and covering up with the beach towel ... it was chilly! But it was nice and relaxing - good to get some girl time in there. Wali was done golfing by 11:30, so the three of us met up for lunch at Spratnet (another new place I hadn't yet tried), hung out at Cane Bay for a while (and actually all did a little snorkeling), then back to Carambola beach resort. It was a great day ... and capped off by another amazing meal with the Friday Night Dinner Crew ... this time was South Shore Cafe, where the owner Diane does everything from host to cook to serve - a cute, quaint place - and the food was incredible! We all left in food comas we were so ridiculously stuffed!
Saturday we partook in the St Patrick's Day parade - wow, let's just say that was an experience! It was a fun and long and HOT day! Then on Sunday, Wali's first words were that he wanted a ribeye steak from Coconuts for lunch. Funny how I live on an island in the Caribbean, yet so many friends' favorite restaurant is the Texas bbq place! Of course we kept up with all of the March madness that weekend, and capped off the weekend with a Carolina victory!
Thanks Dport and Wali for a great week - be thinking of our destination for next March =)
Poor Dport and Wali officially won the 'longest trip' award out of all my visitors. They were supposed to fly out of Charlotte on Saturday morning, through Miami, then into St Croix by 4pm. Unfortunately, the flight out of CLT was delayed, so by the time they made it to MIA, they had missed the flight to STX. So they opted to take an additional flight through San Juan in order to make it to STX that evening. Unfortunately, that flight ended up being delayed as well, so by the time they made it to San Juan, you get the gist ... At least they had a beautiful view from their hotel room and can officially add Puerto Rico to their list of places visited. FINALLY at 10am on Sunday morning, they arrived!
We didn't waste any time! Pretty much dropped off their luggage at my apartment, then headed to Coconuts for lunch (Tommy's Sunday Texas BBQ never disappoints!!) and the Carolina/Duke basketball game. Nothing like watching a college basketball game in an outdoor bar and taking a dip in the Caribbean during halftime! From there we went to Rhythms at Rainbow beach and rented jetskis - one of the many adventure items Dport had on their to do list! Stuck around to watch a beautiful sunset and listen to true pirates of the Caribbean, then ended up at the Lost Dog (to complete the Sunday funday trifecta!) for pizza.
Monday morning was back to work for me, but Dport and Wali took my jeep everyday and went exploring. Monday they ended up in Christiansted, Tuesday was the beach, Wednesday was jeep scenic drive, and Thursday they were my first visitors to do the ATV tour (which they loved!). We had fun hanging out every night - Monday I took them to my favorite restaurant on the island, Rowdy Joes. Have I mentioned how much I love that place?!? Dport and I are both huge fans of peanut butter and chocolate ... and for the first time, Rowdy Joes had peanut butter reeses pieces ice cream - OMG talk about the best ice cream I may have ever eaten!!! (Yes, for those of you who know me well - it might actually beat Oatmeal Cookie Chunk!!)
Tuesday night we tackled the moonlight kayak tour ... well "tackle" might not be the exact word that Dport would use. Let's just say Steph was excited by the time we were finished, and definitely talked more fondly of the experience days after instead of during. I can definitely relate - see my previous entry re: scubadiving. Glad I tried it, but out of my comfort zone and don't think I need to do it again! I was proud of her though, and it was cool for Wali to actually go swimming in the bio bay!
Wednesday they helped me knock a few items off of my bucket list - lunch at Armstrongs (peanut ice cream for dessert ... it was good, but RJ's really raised the bar with that peanut butter reeses!!) and dinner at Bombay Club in C'sted ... we had a delicious meal that night! Thursday we WON AGAIN at trivia!!! Two out of the last three weeks?!? Look out Rainbow Rebels and Skinny Legs (the two teams who ALWAYS seem to win). AND ...my friend Pam visits this week and if/when we win again, I will have to credit the Catawba River Crew for their contributions to the winning team!
Friday ... ah Friday. My friends Scott and Carl hooked Wali up with a round of golf at Carambola (thanks guys!!!), so Steph and I dropped Wali off at 7:30 am (and yes, this WAS on my one day off!!) and we were at the beach before 8! The first time I had ever tried 'laying out' that early in the morning. It was more like laying down and covering up with the beach towel ... it was chilly! But it was nice and relaxing - good to get some girl time in there. Wali was done golfing by 11:30, so the three of us met up for lunch at Spratnet (another new place I hadn't yet tried), hung out at Cane Bay for a while (and actually all did a little snorkeling), then back to Carambola beach resort. It was a great day ... and capped off by another amazing meal with the Friday Night Dinner Crew ... this time was South Shore Cafe, where the owner Diane does everything from host to cook to serve - a cute, quaint place - and the food was incredible! We all left in food comas we were so ridiculously stuffed!
Saturday we partook in the St Patrick's Day parade - wow, let's just say that was an experience! It was a fun and long and HOT day! Then on Sunday, Wali's first words were that he wanted a ribeye steak from Coconuts for lunch. Funny how I live on an island in the Caribbean, yet so many friends' favorite restaurant is the Texas bbq place! Of course we kept up with all of the March madness that weekend, and capped off the weekend with a Carolina victory!
Thanks Dport and Wali for a great week - be thinking of our destination for next March =)
33 more ...
wake ups in St Croix. 33 more walks on the beach and steps in the Caribbean (I have vowed to step foot on sand and in water every day until I leave - you would think I did this every day anyway, but amazing how many days and weeks go by without it!). 33 more times to spend with friends. 33 more days surrounded by obnoxious roosters and dogs. 33 more nights watching glorious sunsets.
It is so hard to believe I'm down to 33 days already. This has truly been the experience of a lifetime. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend six months in paradise (well, except for the aforementioned chickens!), and St Croix will always hold a special place in my heart. The friendships I have made will last a lifetime. As much as I have loved it here, it is amazing how many signs there have been lately that I am ready to move on. I'll be so sad to leave this beautiful and warm place, but I am really looking forward to being home!
Mar 12, 2011
STX Bucket List
Hard to believe the countdown to April 30 is on already - 7 more weeks! Where has the time gone? When my friends Steph and Wali booked their flights in November for mid-March, it seemed like forever before I would see them. And now it is here already (though they are not ... ugh, sorry for the flight delays and overnight stay in San Juan!).
My friend Bryan visited last week, and I couldn't have asked for a better week - he brought the perfect mix of fun, relaxation, and support. The goal for the week was working on my St Croix "bucket list". I can't believe how fast almost five months have gone by already. As much as I have accomplished here so far, there are still so many things I've yet to see or do or places to eat that I would regret missing out on if I don't make it there before I leave. So here goes ...
On Sunday (after some P90X stretching to start off the day relaxed), Bryan volunteered to be my exploring partner - I've been wanting to take my jeep on Scenic Drive - for the fun of the four-wheel drive and the views from the top. Well I wasn't quite sure how to get there or which direction to go (of course, I had a specific point in mind for a photo op but no idea exactly where it was) - but we made it! And to top it off, we returned just in time for the Reggae Brunch at Eat at Cane Bay - something I found on my 'to do' list from October 20 - again, hard to believe I hadn't been there until now (of course, I will say in my defense, brunch is served from 11-4 and the music starts at 3 - so there just haven't been many times where I was thinking of brunch that late in the afternoon!).
Before his flight even took off, Bryan decided to get certified for scuba diving. Of course diving has been on my bucket list since I got here ... and you might recall NOT seeing any posts about my adventures diving. My friend Jeff has been wanting to take me out for months. I had never had any desire to go scuba diving before moving down here (given I've never been crazy about or comfortable snorkeling), but if living in the Caribbean for six months, I decided I at least needed to try it. Jeff and I had a day in November when we planned to go (and the newness and excitement of the island outweighed my fear), but we got rained out. Then the longer I've been down here, the more leery I seem to be about it (even though pretty much everyone I know down here does it and loves it). So we scheduled another date in February ... and I called and chickened out that morning. Well I sure couldn't just drop Bryan off at the dive shop for his discovery dive and not hear the end of it if I didn't go as well, so he inspired me to dive with him. We even started off the morning with yoga getting in the right frame of mind by relaxing and focusing on breathing, but long story short, the course ended up pretty much as I had anticipated ... I failed =( At least I can say that I had on all of the equipment and was breathing underwater through the regulator for a few minutes at a time, but during the skills test of taking the regulator out of my mouth (ummm ... how are you supposed to breathe?!?!? I had FINALLY got comfortable breathing with that thing in my mouth, now you want me to drop it ... underwater?!?), my panic mode was to stand up out of the water, take the regulator out, and breathe on my own. I just couldn't envision having that panic attack being more than a few feet underwater ... so that's where I called it a day. But I can officially say I tried!
Thursday night (after a headache of a day with power, internet, and jeep issues), our team finally won trivia - for the first time since I've been down here (combining forces with the A-team proved to be the winning combination)! Unfortunately I spent the majority of the night in the parking lot with my jeep, but I did contribute one answer to the winning team ... so that still counts, right?
We rounded up the Friday Night Dinner Crew for a meal Villa Morales - one of the local restaurants with true Caribbean/Latin flare - where I ate (and enjoyed) stewed goat! I will definitely go back and next time want to try the buttered conch.
Saturday morning we got up early to make the hour trek across the island to the eastern most point in the US to watch the sunrise - that was amazing, totally worth the trip! We ended up hiking the trails to Isaac's Bay and Jacob's Bay, then hung out at the beach at Chenay Bay, followed by lunch at Cheeseburgers in Paradise. Crossed four things off my list by noon!
I have tried my best to continue the streak since Bryan left (and surprisingly I have taken to yoga this week - we'll see how long this lasts!). On Sunday, after shooting a two minute video for the Major League Baseball Ultimate Dream Job audition (not on the STX Bucket List, but I could technically put that on my lifelong bucket list as the chance of a lifetime working for MLB!!), I headed to Lisa's to hang out with her at their pool. I had only been up there one other time and made a mental note to come back with my camera - they have a view that should be on the cover of Caribbean magazines! We really had a fabulous relaxing day - just sad we don't do it more often!
Monday proved to be a crazy day at work, but no meetings were scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Given that Coconuts and Rhythms both have free wireless internet, I had "working from the beach bar" on my bucket list. So I headed to Coconuts for a late lunch and a productive afternoon (true!), followed by a call at 5:20 from my boss needing assistance "this afternoon". Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night working from home ... but it sure had been nice up until then!
I almost crossed off working from Rhythms on Thursday when I lost power, internet, and water! Ugh, it's one thing to have my computer with me over an extended lunch; it's another when we have a crazy busy day and I need back-up internet options! Luckily at least the power and internet were back up after my lunch break, though it took until Friday night to have running water (I swear, when it rains it pours ... and I feel like it hasn't stopped for the past month straight! I will kiss the ground when I get home being thankful for reliable essentials!).
Last night me and the "Fantastic Four" had dinner at Tutto Bene ... absolutely one of the best meals I have had here! Homemade sweet potato goat cheese ravioli in a mango rum brown sugar sauce ... WOW!!!
While not officially on my bucket list, I have learned to make it a point to stop and watch the sunset every chance possible. One of my favorite things about the island is that time literally stops around here for people to watch the sunset. And I have lost track of how many green flashes I have seen! I am really enjoying the position of the sun right now, where I don't even have to leave my balcony to watch it set behind the water. Ah ... one of the many things I will miss most!!
My friend Bryan visited last week, and I couldn't have asked for a better week - he brought the perfect mix of fun, relaxation, and support. The goal for the week was working on my St Croix "bucket list". I can't believe how fast almost five months have gone by already. As much as I have accomplished here so far, there are still so many things I've yet to see or do or places to eat that I would regret missing out on if I don't make it there before I leave. So here goes ...
On Sunday (after some P90X stretching to start off the day relaxed), Bryan volunteered to be my exploring partner - I've been wanting to take my jeep on Scenic Drive - for the fun of the four-wheel drive and the views from the top. Well I wasn't quite sure how to get there or which direction to go (of course, I had a specific point in mind for a photo op but no idea exactly where it was) - but we made it! And to top it off, we returned just in time for the Reggae Brunch at Eat at Cane Bay - something I found on my 'to do' list from October 20 - again, hard to believe I hadn't been there until now (of course, I will say in my defense, brunch is served from 11-4 and the music starts at 3 - so there just haven't been many times where I was thinking of brunch that late in the afternoon!).
Before his flight even took off, Bryan decided to get certified for scuba diving. Of course diving has been on my bucket list since I got here ... and you might recall NOT seeing any posts about my adventures diving. My friend Jeff has been wanting to take me out for months. I had never had any desire to go scuba diving before moving down here (given I've never been crazy about or comfortable snorkeling), but if living in the Caribbean for six months, I decided I at least needed to try it. Jeff and I had a day in November when we planned to go (and the newness and excitement of the island outweighed my fear), but we got rained out. Then the longer I've been down here, the more leery I seem to be about it (even though pretty much everyone I know down here does it and loves it). So we scheduled another date in February ... and I called and chickened out that morning. Well I sure couldn't just drop Bryan off at the dive shop for his discovery dive and not hear the end of it if I didn't go as well, so he inspired me to dive with him. We even started off the morning with yoga getting in the right frame of mind by relaxing and focusing on breathing, but long story short, the course ended up pretty much as I had anticipated ... I failed =( At least I can say that I had on all of the equipment and was breathing underwater through the regulator for a few minutes at a time, but during the skills test of taking the regulator out of my mouth (ummm ... how are you supposed to breathe?!?!? I had FINALLY got comfortable breathing with that thing in my mouth, now you want me to drop it ... underwater?!?), my panic mode was to stand up out of the water, take the regulator out, and breathe on my own. I just couldn't envision having that panic attack being more than a few feet underwater ... so that's where I called it a day. But I can officially say I tried!
Thursday night (after a headache of a day with power, internet, and jeep issues), our team finally won trivia - for the first time since I've been down here (combining forces with the A-team proved to be the winning combination)! Unfortunately I spent the majority of the night in the parking lot with my jeep, but I did contribute one answer to the winning team ... so that still counts, right?
We rounded up the Friday Night Dinner Crew for a meal Villa Morales - one of the local restaurants with true Caribbean/Latin flare - where I ate (and enjoyed) stewed goat! I will definitely go back and next time want to try the buttered conch.
Saturday morning we got up early to make the hour trek across the island to the eastern most point in the US to watch the sunrise - that was amazing, totally worth the trip! We ended up hiking the trails to Isaac's Bay and Jacob's Bay, then hung out at the beach at Chenay Bay, followed by lunch at Cheeseburgers in Paradise. Crossed four things off my list by noon!
I have tried my best to continue the streak since Bryan left (and surprisingly I have taken to yoga this week - we'll see how long this lasts!). On Sunday, after shooting a two minute video for the Major League Baseball Ultimate Dream Job audition (not on the STX Bucket List, but I could technically put that on my lifelong bucket list as the chance of a lifetime working for MLB!!), I headed to Lisa's to hang out with her at their pool. I had only been up there one other time and made a mental note to come back with my camera - they have a view that should be on the cover of Caribbean magazines! We really had a fabulous relaxing day - just sad we don't do it more often!
Monday proved to be a crazy day at work, but no meetings were scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Given that Coconuts and Rhythms both have free wireless internet, I had "working from the beach bar" on my bucket list. So I headed to Coconuts for a late lunch and a productive afternoon (true!), followed by a call at 5:20 from my boss needing assistance "this afternoon". Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night working from home ... but it sure had been nice up until then!
I almost crossed off working from Rhythms on Thursday when I lost power, internet, and water! Ugh, it's one thing to have my computer with me over an extended lunch; it's another when we have a crazy busy day and I need back-up internet options! Luckily at least the power and internet were back up after my lunch break, though it took until Friday night to have running water (I swear, when it rains it pours ... and I feel like it hasn't stopped for the past month straight! I will kiss the ground when I get home being thankful for reliable essentials!).
Last night me and the "Fantastic Four" had dinner at Tutto Bene ... absolutely one of the best meals I have had here! Homemade sweet potato goat cheese ravioli in a mango rum brown sugar sauce ... WOW!!!
While not officially on my bucket list, I have learned to make it a point to stop and watch the sunset every chance possible. One of my favorite things about the island is that time literally stops around here for people to watch the sunset. And I have lost track of how many green flashes I have seen! I am really enjoying the position of the sun right now, where I don't even have to leave my balcony to watch it set behind the water. Ah ... one of the many things I will miss most!!
Feb 22, 2011
The Charlotte Connection
Amazing how many connections between Charlotte and St Croix! My bank co-workers Matthew, Sarah, Whitney, and Ruth all have connections with my island friends. See if you can follow ...
I received an email a few weeks ago from my and Matthew’s friend April and her friend Jessica. They were talking one day and made the St Croix connection, as Jessica’s sister Juli lives here as well. Juli is engaged and getting married here this summer. I haven’t met Juli yet, but just got a note from her inviting me to a bbq … where Sarah’s husband’s friends Brian and Lexi are attending and offered to carpool. Brian and Lexi are also engaged and getting married here in April. I reached out to Whitney, because she has a friend whose sister is also getting married on STX this summer. Not Juli or Lexi. I then had to ask if it was Ruth’s friend Kristen, who also lives in CLT, but has a house on STX and is getting married here in May. But none of them are the same people – apparently at least 4 couples from Charlotte are getting married here this summer. Weird! And in the non-wedding category, I randomly met Sarah’s college roommate at a beach bar when she was here on a weekend visit from St John – talking about being from North Carolina, narrowing it down to living in Charlotte, working for Bank of America, etc. Of course our aforementioned friend Lexi works at that beach bar and was there the day we made the connection …
What's really funny is that I just remembered that April and I met over scotcharoos, one of our favorite Midwestern desserts ... and that is what I am making for Juli's bbq.
What's really funny is that I just remembered that April and I met over scotcharoos, one of our favorite Midwestern desserts ... and that is what I am making for Juli's bbq.
Of course that is just the connection with my work friends. I've also mentioned the Charlotte connections with my two best friends down here - Kirby and Lisa. Kirby's mom grew up outside of Charlotte, her first kiss was to a boy named Chuck Grant (my uncle's name, not the same person - now THAT would be weird!), and Kirby has a bunch of girlfriends who live in Charlotte ... and go figure, they work with my brother. We didn't realize they knew each other until my brother visited, and sure enough, they do! Then of course Lisa went to nursing school with my best friend and future roommate in Charlotte, Shelby!
It is really crazy all the CLT connections down here! I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many good people in both places!
Feb 10, 2011
The Trifecta
My brother is visiting right now!!! Funny when he sent me his itinerary ... his flight was booked less than 24 hours after I had arrived! Guess he was waiting to make sure that I was actually going to do this, then he planned his trip.
Nick's 30th birthday coincided with Superbowl Sunday this year, and since I didn't get him the hook-up in Dallas with my buddy Too Tall Jones, he went for his second best option - having a free place to stay in St Croix. Talk about the perfect trifecta - (1) 30th birthday, (2) in the Caribbean, and (3) his Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl! I don't know if there is such a thing as "double trifecta", but (4) Saturday night dinner at Bacchus, (5) Sunday steak at Coconuts, and (6) watching the game at Carambola only added to the celebration. Oh, and I guess I baked his favorite cake - the "lucky 7" we'll call it! We seriously couldn't have asked for a better day!
Funny too how Nick is the guest staying the longest (2 weeks ... when he started researching flights, US Air had a direct flight every OTHER Saturday ... so I told him to come on down ... and go figure, they changed it to EVERY Saturday soon thereafter - oh well!) - and seemingly the easiest. Maybe it's because I've lived with him for so long that I didn't feel obligated to playing 'host' (or maybe after 12 other guests, I've finally learned that I can relinquish the hostess with the mostess aspiration and have just as good of a time). Well okay, not quite - I did have a daily itinerary of what I had planned ... more like where I had planned for us to eat. And surprisingly, as much of a foodie as Nick is, even he said that we couldn't eat out for multiple meals a day for 14 days. So we have been pretty good, for the most part - not overindulging ourselves (excluding the aforementioned Bacchus and Coconuts), eating a lot of leftovers, and Nick even cooked one night. Shark - it was delicious! Not quite the tequila lime flavoring he had in mind, but my pineapple rum worked just as well! Nick said that he has enjoyed having breakfast ready for him every morning (coffee - thanks to Dport and Shelby for my new daily habit, and muffins - thanks to the samples prior to taking to Pollys), but is surprised and disappointed in the seemingly lack of fresh fish in either the grocery stores or at whatever restaurant we go to. What do you think this is, an island or something?!? (I am surprised too ... seems like when all my other guests were here, there has been fresh local mahi, wahoo, tuna, or lobster at every place every time - sorry if we are killing supply!)
It has been a great week and a half, but I have been kicking myself for not planning the agenda better. The one thing Nick said he wanted to do in his two weeks down here was the moonlight kayak tour. Of course I had three nights 'available' to go - and go figure, the dive shop was not running tours any of those nights. Okay plan b, I was hoping one of my kayak friends would come through and do the unofficial tour (not that I'm concerned about the cost, but now that it is staying lighter longer, the officially tour starts during daylight where we get to go on our own schedule otherwise - and the darker the better) or at least let me borrow some kayaks. No dice. So plan c, I booked the last resort back-up tour for tonight, since last Thursday was trivia night (and regrettably new moon - which would have been the darkest night of the month and the best night for the tour). Ugh, I really need to re-prioritize!!! So all was going as planned, and despite my regrets about not rearranging the schedule when I had the chance, we were going to do the tour tonight. Then - all of a sudden - Nick is sick! I feel so bad for the kid, he was having such a great vacation. Praying that he feels better soon, especially before his flight home on Saturday! Or maybe this is his way of 'having' to stay longer ... he already has picked out living on the North Shore when he moves down - granted, he'd for sure make it to the bio bay if he moves next ... otherwise, I just owe him a trip again sometime!
Nick's 30th birthday coincided with Superbowl Sunday this year, and since I didn't get him the hook-up in Dallas with my buddy Too Tall Jones, he went for his second best option - having a free place to stay in St Croix. Talk about the perfect trifecta - (1) 30th birthday, (2) in the Caribbean, and (3) his Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl! I don't know if there is such a thing as "double trifecta", but (4) Saturday night dinner at Bacchus, (5) Sunday steak at Coconuts, and (6) watching the game at Carambola only added to the celebration. Oh, and I guess I baked his favorite cake - the "lucky 7" we'll call it! We seriously couldn't have asked for a better day!
Funny too how Nick is the guest staying the longest (2 weeks ... when he started researching flights, US Air had a direct flight every OTHER Saturday ... so I told him to come on down ... and go figure, they changed it to EVERY Saturday soon thereafter - oh well!) - and seemingly the easiest. Maybe it's because I've lived with him for so long that I didn't feel obligated to playing 'host' (or maybe after 12 other guests, I've finally learned that I can relinquish the hostess with the mostess aspiration and have just as good of a time). Well okay, not quite - I did have a daily itinerary of what I had planned ... more like where I had planned for us to eat. And surprisingly, as much of a foodie as Nick is, even he said that we couldn't eat out for multiple meals a day for 14 days. So we have been pretty good, for the most part - not overindulging ourselves (excluding the aforementioned Bacchus and Coconuts), eating a lot of leftovers, and Nick even cooked one night. Shark - it was delicious! Not quite the tequila lime flavoring he had in mind, but my pineapple rum worked just as well! Nick said that he has enjoyed having breakfast ready for him every morning (coffee - thanks to Dport and Shelby for my new daily habit, and muffins - thanks to the samples prior to taking to Pollys), but is surprised and disappointed in the seemingly lack of fresh fish in either the grocery stores or at whatever restaurant we go to. What do you think this is, an island or something?!? (I am surprised too ... seems like when all my other guests were here, there has been fresh local mahi, wahoo, tuna, or lobster at every place every time - sorry if we are killing supply!)
It has been a great week and a half, but I have been kicking myself for not planning the agenda better. The one thing Nick said he wanted to do in his two weeks down here was the moonlight kayak tour. Of course I had three nights 'available' to go - and go figure, the dive shop was not running tours any of those nights. Okay plan b, I was hoping one of my kayak friends would come through and do the unofficial tour (not that I'm concerned about the cost, but now that it is staying lighter longer, the officially tour starts during daylight where we get to go on our own schedule otherwise - and the darker the better) or at least let me borrow some kayaks. No dice. So plan c, I booked the last resort back-up tour for tonight, since last Thursday was trivia night (and regrettably new moon - which would have been the darkest night of the month and the best night for the tour). Ugh, I really need to re-prioritize!!! So all was going as planned, and despite my regrets about not rearranging the schedule when I had the chance, we were going to do the tour tonight. Then - all of a sudden - Nick is sick! I feel so bad for the kid, he was having such a great vacation. Praying that he feels better soon, especially before his flight home on Saturday! Or maybe this is his way of 'having' to stay longer ... he already has picked out living on the North Shore when he moves down - granted, he'd for sure make it to the bio bay if he moves next ... otherwise, I just owe him a trip again sometime!
Learning process
It's funny and ironic that one of my favorite quotes came from a card my mom gave me years ago: "It's where we go and what we do, when we get there that tells us who we are." I bet neither one of us had living in the Caribbean in mind when she sent that to me. Even more random is that the card had nothing to do with the saying - it was just one of those blank inside cards where she had sent me something totally unrelated.
But it's absolutely true. I wasn't really sure what to expect of my journey down here - I was envisioning a lot more sun and a lot less stress, that's for sure! But it's definitely served its purpose ... I've definitely learned a lot about who I am - and that a beautiful, warm location does not change that - for better or worse!
But it's absolutely true. I wasn't really sure what to expect of my journey down here - I was envisioning a lot more sun and a lot less stress, that's for sure! But it's definitely served its purpose ... I've definitely learned a lot about who I am - and that a beautiful, warm location does not change that - for better or worse!
Jan 30, 2011
Clear as the blue water
So I went swimming last week ... for the first time in almost two months! Sad how I live across the street from the Caribbean Sea and have already taken it for granted! I went through a few rough weeks, but think I have finally come out of it with clarity. First of all, I need to spend more time in the water! Amazing how refreshing it has been - both physically and mentally!
I think I've learned over the past few weeks that this journey isn't going to be what I thought it would be or what friends thought it would be - and that is okay. I finally realized that God has other plans, so it's a matter of staying on His path and not mine - and embracing that.
I feel that there have been several signs lately pointing me in the right direction. I had such a fabulous time with all my girls visiting ... really reminded me how much I miss them and how I consider Charlotte "home". On Wednesday, I couldn't sleep and just kept thinking about how I was excited to go back. NOT that I'm ready to go home tomorrow because I love my friends here and love the fact that it's 80 degrees every day, but that I know that this stop was temporary. And knowing that, I need to make the most of the time I have left here in paradise to make sure I don't have any regrets. And NOT to say that I won't rethink spending winters in STX and summers in CLT once it starts getting cold out again ... =)
As much as I didn't want to set a date for my flight home and was planning on letting the next few months play out, it just hit me. My initial plan was to stay down here for six months, so my lease runs through April 30 ... and ironically, the last direct flight of the peak season is on April 30 ... so I couldn't stop thinking about making that the official trip home. Plus, knowing that Kirby and Andy will be in the states the first of May, we've talked about how much fun it would be to meet up in Atlanta or Charlotte (still such a bummer it's not for the Cardinals series in ATL!). After not sleeping well the night before, I went for a walk that morning ... put my ipod on shuffle, and the very first song played was "Carolina" by Eric Church ... where he sings in the chorus, "Carolina, you keep calling me home". Wow ... it just felt like a sign. So I couldn't wait any longer. I had nothing but comfort that April 30 would be my trip home. I ended up using my US Air credit and considering the first class ticket was less than $100 more than the coach ticket, I rewarded myself with the upgrade. AND ... I still can't figure out how they didn't charge me the $150 change fee, but I didn't want to ask! All I know is that I'm excited about heading back ... who knows if it will be for four months, four years, or forever, but I know I will be ready and excited to be home.
THEN ... the next morning I got a note from Shelby saying that her roommate just told her she was moving out ... so all of a sudden, she has an extra bedroom and offered it to me when I return! I am BEYOND EXCITED! We both agree that as much as we love spending time with each other, her lease is only through July 31 and we will both be ready for our own places again, but what a perfect transition plan! Plus I already promised my brother I wouldn't even ask to stay with him, since last time two weeks turned into two years! I'm already thinking about walks around Myers Park, Ginbu, Mellow Mushroom, Selwyn Pub on Sunday afternoons, wine at Nolen ... ah, summer in Charlotte with Shelby ... life is good!!!
Amazing how things just seem to fall in place as they are supposed to.
Amazing how much better I feel these days too - just needed to go through some bumps to realize what I need to work on (and thankfully Shelby and my mom were here to help me with that), so I've finally got some clarity. At least for this week ;) I think it helps too to have something to look forward to, and to know that my time here is limited so I need to make the most of it - I live in the Caribbean and it's freakin' winter!!!!!!!!!!!
Over the past few weeks, I was completely overwhelmed trying to keep up with both jobs and all my guests. But I am so glad I have a different mentality ... I am so incredibly lucky for all of the people who have been able to visit ... even for those who have at least considered it! I need to embrace how lucky I am and show off this beautiful place where I live!
This week I received an email quoting "You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." -Albert Camus. Again, I feel that my purpose down here is different than I had in mind, but I'm finally starting to learn what it is really about.
I mean, I didn't win the lottery and I'm not living down here on vacation. So I'm learning about balance ... and boundaries ... and being able to say no. Another thing I've confirmed about myself on this journey is that I'm certifiably crazy ... amazing how I can make life in the Caribbean busier than anywhere else I have ever lived! But you know what, I've learned that is just who I am.
I can't say how excited I am about going back without saying how sad I will be to leave. So we're not going to talk about that yet ...
I look forward to what the next few months have to offer ... and can't wait to see you all soon back on the mainland!
I think I've learned over the past few weeks that this journey isn't going to be what I thought it would be or what friends thought it would be - and that is okay. I finally realized that God has other plans, so it's a matter of staying on His path and not mine - and embracing that.
I feel that there have been several signs lately pointing me in the right direction. I had such a fabulous time with all my girls visiting ... really reminded me how much I miss them and how I consider Charlotte "home". On Wednesday, I couldn't sleep and just kept thinking about how I was excited to go back. NOT that I'm ready to go home tomorrow because I love my friends here and love the fact that it's 80 degrees every day, but that I know that this stop was temporary. And knowing that, I need to make the most of the time I have left here in paradise to make sure I don't have any regrets. And NOT to say that I won't rethink spending winters in STX and summers in CLT once it starts getting cold out again ... =)
As much as I didn't want to set a date for my flight home and was planning on letting the next few months play out, it just hit me. My initial plan was to stay down here for six months, so my lease runs through April 30 ... and ironically, the last direct flight of the peak season is on April 30 ... so I couldn't stop thinking about making that the official trip home. Plus, knowing that Kirby and Andy will be in the states the first of May, we've talked about how much fun it would be to meet up in Atlanta or Charlotte (still such a bummer it's not for the Cardinals series in ATL!). After not sleeping well the night before, I went for a walk that morning ... put my ipod on shuffle, and the very first song played was "Carolina" by Eric Church ... where he sings in the chorus, "Carolina, you keep calling me home". Wow ... it just felt like a sign. So I couldn't wait any longer. I had nothing but comfort that April 30 would be my trip home. I ended up using my US Air credit and considering the first class ticket was less than $100 more than the coach ticket, I rewarded myself with the upgrade. AND ... I still can't figure out how they didn't charge me the $150 change fee, but I didn't want to ask! All I know is that I'm excited about heading back ... who knows if it will be for four months, four years, or forever, but I know I will be ready and excited to be home.
THEN ... the next morning I got a note from Shelby saying that her roommate just told her she was moving out ... so all of a sudden, she has an extra bedroom and offered it to me when I return! I am BEYOND EXCITED! We both agree that as much as we love spending time with each other, her lease is only through July 31 and we will both be ready for our own places again, but what a perfect transition plan! Plus I already promised my brother I wouldn't even ask to stay with him, since last time two weeks turned into two years! I'm already thinking about walks around Myers Park, Ginbu, Mellow Mushroom, Selwyn Pub on Sunday afternoons, wine at Nolen ... ah, summer in Charlotte with Shelby ... life is good!!!
Amazing how things just seem to fall in place as they are supposed to.
Amazing how much better I feel these days too - just needed to go through some bumps to realize what I need to work on (and thankfully Shelby and my mom were here to help me with that), so I've finally got some clarity. At least for this week ;) I think it helps too to have something to look forward to, and to know that my time here is limited so I need to make the most of it - I live in the Caribbean and it's freakin' winter!!!!!!!!!!!
Over the past few weeks, I was completely overwhelmed trying to keep up with both jobs and all my guests. But I am so glad I have a different mentality ... I am so incredibly lucky for all of the people who have been able to visit ... even for those who have at least considered it! I need to embrace how lucky I am and show off this beautiful place where I live!
This week I received an email quoting "You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." -Albert Camus. Again, I feel that my purpose down here is different than I had in mind, but I'm finally starting to learn what it is really about.
I mean, I didn't win the lottery and I'm not living down here on vacation. So I'm learning about balance ... and boundaries ... and being able to say no. Another thing I've confirmed about myself on this journey is that I'm certifiably crazy ... amazing how I can make life in the Caribbean busier than anywhere else I have ever lived! But you know what, I've learned that is just who I am.
I can't say how excited I am about going back without saying how sad I will be to leave. So we're not going to talk about that yet ...
I look forward to what the next few months have to offer ... and can't wait to see you all soon back on the mainland!
Jan 27, 2011
Taking the island by storm
St Croix has no idea what just hit it! Three of my best girlfriends from Charlotte flew in over the weekend ... Amy, Lacy, and Michelle. Add Shelby to that mix, and we make up the "Fab 5"! Oh, how I've missed those girls! My voice still hasn't recovered from all of the laughing and screaming!
The girls flew in on Saturday, with Michelle the second one off the plane after her upgrade to first class. Amy and Lacy were soon to follow ... we immediately celebrated with some Bud Light Limes on the way home from the airport. Still amazes me we can't talk or text and drive here, but it is legal to drink and drive! Dropped off stuff at my place (I was a little concerned fitting three people and luggage in both my Jeep and apartment, but it worked out just fine ... nice and cozy!), then walked down to Sandcastles to watch the sunset. Met my friend Bruno, who they all immediately fell in love with. Hate he was busy working, but we sure enjoyed hanging out on his patio for a while!
Headed over to Christiansted that evening for dinner at the restaurant Bacchus ... a place I had not yet been to, but had always heard wonderful things. Amy just found out that a friend of hers from college owns the restaurant, so away we went! Immediately it was the nicest restaurant on the island I've been to ... actually might be the first indoor air conditioned place I've been to. And all of a sudden, it felt like we were back in Charlotte! Even more, we had the most AMAZING meal! Seriously, we all said that it was one of the best meals we had ALL EVER had!!! Met the owner Tim at the end of the meal and couldn't stop thanking him for a incredible dining experience. Of course the wine and tears were flowing all night, so it REALLY felt like our typical girls' night out in Charlotte!
Sunday and Monday we pretty much did the same thing ... hung out at Rainbow Beach, then popped into Rhythms for lunch and fruity drinks as needed! Love the lime in de coconut! We had such a fabulous time both days just hanging out and catching up. For the first time in three months, I FELT LIKE I WAS ON VACATION. AND IT WAS WONDERFUL. Sunday night we had quite the hook-up to watch the football games (Amy is from Pittsburgh and a HUGE Steelers fan) - hopefully I have as much luck with Superbowl Sunday for Nick's 30th birthday! (Nick also immediately texted me when the Packers won the NFC Championship that if the power goes out during the Superbowl, he will be shooting at people until it comes back on!) Really reminded me of our girls' nights out in Charlotte as we were tailgating in the parking lot - this time with pizza instead of dessert, but same concept =) Had a few freak out sessions on the drive home with spiders ... ah, the joys of owning a jeep with no windows!
Monday afternoon we headed up to Normas to drink with the pigs (I'm proud of Amy and Lacy for going in with me and Michelle), where Tim met us again ... and he ended up taking home a puppy! We all got together again that evening for dinner with Kirby, Andy, Lisa, and Jeff at Rowdy Joe's ... yet another Charlotte girls' night out experience ... I'm sure we were so loud that we won't be asked back again!
Tuesday morning we walked down to Polly's for breakfast (I had never tried breakfast there other than the delicious muffins and coffeecake!), then back to my place where the girls got packed up. I was the one who started crying that day on the way to the airport ... had such a great time, wasn't ready for them to leave, and sure miss my crew back home! And good to know where I call "home" =)
The girls flew in on Saturday, with Michelle the second one off the plane after her upgrade to first class. Amy and Lacy were soon to follow ... we immediately celebrated with some Bud Light Limes on the way home from the airport. Still amazes me we can't talk or text and drive here, but it is legal to drink and drive! Dropped off stuff at my place (I was a little concerned fitting three people and luggage in both my Jeep and apartment, but it worked out just fine ... nice and cozy!), then walked down to Sandcastles to watch the sunset. Met my friend Bruno, who they all immediately fell in love with. Hate he was busy working, but we sure enjoyed hanging out on his patio for a while!
Headed over to Christiansted that evening for dinner at the restaurant Bacchus ... a place I had not yet been to, but had always heard wonderful things. Amy just found out that a friend of hers from college owns the restaurant, so away we went! Immediately it was the nicest restaurant on the island I've been to ... actually might be the first indoor air conditioned place I've been to. And all of a sudden, it felt like we were back in Charlotte! Even more, we had the most AMAZING meal! Seriously, we all said that it was one of the best meals we had ALL EVER had!!! Met the owner Tim at the end of the meal and couldn't stop thanking him for a incredible dining experience. Of course the wine and tears were flowing all night, so it REALLY felt like our typical girls' night out in Charlotte!
Sunday and Monday we pretty much did the same thing ... hung out at Rainbow Beach, then popped into Rhythms for lunch and fruity drinks as needed! Love the lime in de coconut! We had such a fabulous time both days just hanging out and catching up. For the first time in three months, I FELT LIKE I WAS ON VACATION. AND IT WAS WONDERFUL. Sunday night we had quite the hook-up to watch the football games (Amy is from Pittsburgh and a HUGE Steelers fan) - hopefully I have as much luck with Superbowl Sunday for Nick's 30th birthday! (Nick also immediately texted me when the Packers won the NFC Championship that if the power goes out during the Superbowl, he will be shooting at people until it comes back on!) Really reminded me of our girls' nights out in Charlotte as we were tailgating in the parking lot - this time with pizza instead of dessert, but same concept =) Had a few freak out sessions on the drive home with spiders ... ah, the joys of owning a jeep with no windows!
Monday afternoon we headed up to Normas to drink with the pigs (I'm proud of Amy and Lacy for going in with me and Michelle), where Tim met us again ... and he ended up taking home a puppy! We all got together again that evening for dinner with Kirby, Andy, Lisa, and Jeff at Rowdy Joe's ... yet another Charlotte girls' night out experience ... I'm sure we were so loud that we won't be asked back again!
Tuesday morning we walked down to Polly's for breakfast (I had never tried breakfast there other than the delicious muffins and coffeecake!), then back to my place where the girls got packed up. I was the one who started crying that day on the way to the airport ... had such a great time, wasn't ready for them to leave, and sure miss my crew back home! And good to know where I call "home" =)
Back to the fun stuff
Sorry I've taken a bit of a blog hiatus. Definitely spent a lot of time recently analyzing my journey so far. Think it has been good for me to have my ups and downs, and it certainly has been a learning process, but better logged in my journal than my blog. I hate to bore you with the details ... and I'm sure I'll get no sympathy for my "crazy" life in the Caribbean!
Back to the fun stuff, my mom visited! She flew down on Monday the 11th...luckily through Chicago and not Charlotte or Atlanta, which is ironic for January! She only had one plane change in San Juan with a 30 minute delay...but still a full day of travel. Monday we had dinner down at Sandcastles where my friends Bruno and Torrence work. At the end of the week, mom said the mahi she had that night was her favorite meal of the week. My friend Michael joined us for drinks and exchanged some tax assistance with some beautiful bougainvillea flowers!
Tuesday was back to work for me, but exploring for mom. We did Turtles for lunch, then mom headed downtown Frederiksted. Then it was the typical Tuesday night - bingo on the beach, dinner at Rowdy Joe's. Apologies to Lisa and Jeff, I think we've confirmed I'm officially the bingo bad luck charm! Dinner was delicious as always. Mom had never eaten edamame before (though she was going to go home and tell dad we ate soybeans), but I may have ruined it for her since this edamame is fried ...and oh so good!
Wednesday morning mom walked down to Turtles and brought us back breakfast. My friend John can make a mean cinnamon roll and almond danish! We opted for a late lunch at Blue Moon since we had kayak plans that night instead of jazz. Mom again had the mahi since it is so fresh here, but she did agree that I had the best crab cake she's ever had! Yes, if you're sensing a theme here, we did eat well ...and lots!
That evening we signed up for the moonlight kayak tour - again, mom's first kayak experience - by the light of the stars and bioluminescence bay - even better! Of course it was my first experience in the back of the kayak, which seemed like a lot more work! Actually, the water was rougher than any other time I had been out there. Thanks to the "Christmas winds" ... it was the first arm workout I'd had in a long time! Another cool experience, though after going three times, it is amazing the difference in lighting, visibility, and weather each time.
Thursday morning mom helped me with some desserts for Polly's (in addition to trying out some lemon poppy seed muffins that week - thanks mom, I've also made the lemon poppy seed coffeecake!) - and despite my new "rule" of saying no, they talked me into a few desserts since they had a tv crew from a travel channel coming in! Hopefully they gave me props =) We actually had lunch at Polly's that day, then went to Rhythms that night for dinner and trivia. This time mom tried fresh local wahoo for the first time - another dining success! And another successful trivia week coming in near the top ... I guess my contribution to the group is always bringing someone who knows some of the answers, since I sure don't!
Friday I was able to take the day off of work - WOO HOO! Mom and I headed over to Christiansted for lunch, shopping, and walking along the boardwalk, then we drove to Point Udall, then to the Divi Resort and Casino ... for massages and gambling! Talk about a great day! Especially after winning $50 playing blackjack! Mom was disappointed ... I guess she is spoiled by all of those nice casinos back home, especially since she's been the big winner lately. But I had just enough to buy our dinner at Blue Water Terrace that evening - a restaurant out East I had never been to before, and dinner was delicious! And I can't believe I skipped right over the massages ... probably one of the best I've ever had and best set-up where you could feel the ocean breeze and hear the waves crashing!
Saturday we got up and did the hike at Carambola, then stuck around for lunch and a little hanging on the beach until it started raining. Ran a few errands on the way back, then decided to have a nice low key night in - bake and watch football. Go figure, just as we sat down with dessert in the oven and were watching the second quarter of the Packers game, the power went out! I was at first afraid I knocked out the power of the building with all of my baking, but the ENTIRE west side of the island was dark! Sounds like it happens all of the time, but it was the first I had experienced a 3 hour power outage. My brother (Packers fan) and friend Andy (Falcons fan) had to keep us updated on the game - hate we missed it!
Sunday drove out to Sandy Point and sat at the beach for a while (can't believe mom forgot to have me put sunscreen on her back ... ouch! But at least she said she'd rather go back with some color than nothing .... just hate it was a burn instead of a tan), then did some beach bar hopping, from Coconuts (ironic watching the football game in snowy Chicago while tending to sunburns) to Normas (Aunt Rita, I keep forgetting the "I Dig the Pig" hat you sent me ... will be perfect for pictures with the drinking pigs!) to the Lost Dog. Love my Sunday night pizza from the Dog!
My only miss was walking downtown during cruise ship day (surprisingly only one ship the entire week mom was here). Selfishly, I was hoping to avoid Polly's in case they asked me to bake again that day since mom and I had plans to be east all day. Does avoidance count as saying "no"? =)
Mom headed home on Monday morning ... unfortunately, as I was guilt-fully laying in a hammock reading a book (thanks Bank holiday!), got a call from dad that her flight from Miami to Chicago had been canceled and rescheduled ... for Tuesday evening! So luckily dad was able to make some phone calls and get her on flights from Miami to Tampa to Chicago to Peoria ... and after lots of delays and a long day in the air and airports, mom finally made it into Peoria (and somehow her luggage beat her) and they were home at 1:30am ... sorry for the 20 hour trip home, but hope the rest of the week made it worth it!
Back to the fun stuff, my mom visited! She flew down on Monday the 11th...luckily through Chicago and not Charlotte or Atlanta, which is ironic for January! She only had one plane change in San Juan with a 30 minute delay...but still a full day of travel. Monday we had dinner down at Sandcastles where my friends Bruno and Torrence work. At the end of the week, mom said the mahi she had that night was her favorite meal of the week. My friend Michael joined us for drinks and exchanged some tax assistance with some beautiful bougainvillea flowers!
Tuesday was back to work for me, but exploring for mom. We did Turtles for lunch, then mom headed downtown Frederiksted. Then it was the typical Tuesday night - bingo on the beach, dinner at Rowdy Joe's. Apologies to Lisa and Jeff, I think we've confirmed I'm officially the bingo bad luck charm! Dinner was delicious as always. Mom had never eaten edamame before (though she was going to go home and tell dad we ate soybeans), but I may have ruined it for her since this edamame is fried ...and oh so good!
Wednesday morning mom walked down to Turtles and brought us back breakfast. My friend John can make a mean cinnamon roll and almond danish! We opted for a late lunch at Blue Moon since we had kayak plans that night instead of jazz. Mom again had the mahi since it is so fresh here, but she did agree that I had the best crab cake she's ever had! Yes, if you're sensing a theme here, we did eat well ...and lots!
That evening we signed up for the moonlight kayak tour - again, mom's first kayak experience - by the light of the stars and bioluminescence bay - even better! Of course it was my first experience in the back of the kayak, which seemed like a lot more work! Actually, the water was rougher than any other time I had been out there. Thanks to the "Christmas winds" ... it was the first arm workout I'd had in a long time! Another cool experience, though after going three times, it is amazing the difference in lighting, visibility, and weather each time.
Thursday morning mom helped me with some desserts for Polly's (in addition to trying out some lemon poppy seed muffins that week - thanks mom, I've also made the lemon poppy seed coffeecake!) - and despite my new "rule" of saying no, they talked me into a few desserts since they had a tv crew from a travel channel coming in! Hopefully they gave me props =) We actually had lunch at Polly's that day, then went to Rhythms that night for dinner and trivia. This time mom tried fresh local wahoo for the first time - another dining success! And another successful trivia week coming in near the top ... I guess my contribution to the group is always bringing someone who knows some of the answers, since I sure don't!
Friday I was able to take the day off of work - WOO HOO! Mom and I headed over to Christiansted for lunch, shopping, and walking along the boardwalk, then we drove to Point Udall, then to the Divi Resort and Casino ... for massages and gambling! Talk about a great day! Especially after winning $50 playing blackjack! Mom was disappointed ... I guess she is spoiled by all of those nice casinos back home, especially since she's been the big winner lately. But I had just enough to buy our dinner at Blue Water Terrace that evening - a restaurant out East I had never been to before, and dinner was delicious! And I can't believe I skipped right over the massages ... probably one of the best I've ever had and best set-up where you could feel the ocean breeze and hear the waves crashing!
Saturday we got up and did the hike at Carambola, then stuck around for lunch and a little hanging on the beach until it started raining. Ran a few errands on the way back, then decided to have a nice low key night in - bake and watch football. Go figure, just as we sat down with dessert in the oven and were watching the second quarter of the Packers game, the power went out! I was at first afraid I knocked out the power of the building with all of my baking, but the ENTIRE west side of the island was dark! Sounds like it happens all of the time, but it was the first I had experienced a 3 hour power outage. My brother (Packers fan) and friend Andy (Falcons fan) had to keep us updated on the game - hate we missed it!
Sunday drove out to Sandy Point and sat at the beach for a while (can't believe mom forgot to have me put sunscreen on her back ... ouch! But at least she said she'd rather go back with some color than nothing .... just hate it was a burn instead of a tan), then did some beach bar hopping, from Coconuts (ironic watching the football game in snowy Chicago while tending to sunburns) to Normas (Aunt Rita, I keep forgetting the "I Dig the Pig" hat you sent me ... will be perfect for pictures with the drinking pigs!) to the Lost Dog. Love my Sunday night pizza from the Dog!
My only miss was walking downtown during cruise ship day (surprisingly only one ship the entire week mom was here). Selfishly, I was hoping to avoid Polly's in case they asked me to bake again that day since mom and I had plans to be east all day. Does avoidance count as saying "no"? =)
Mom headed home on Monday morning ... unfortunately, as I was guilt-fully laying in a hammock reading a book (thanks Bank holiday!), got a call from dad that her flight from Miami to Chicago had been canceled and rescheduled ... for Tuesday evening! So luckily dad was able to make some phone calls and get her on flights from Miami to Tampa to Chicago to Peoria ... and after lots of delays and a long day in the air and airports, mom finally made it into Peoria (and somehow her luggage beat her) and they were home at 1:30am ... sorry for the 20 hour trip home, but hope the rest of the week made it worth it!
Jan 8, 2011
A week of celebration ... and a few tears
When Shelby booked her flight for the first week of January (and a week after her birthday), I promised her festivals and celebrations in her honor. We had no idea what we were in for!
Shelby flew down on New Years Day ... she came in on the same plane that Amy flew back on ... so talk about increasing my airport pick-up/drop-off efficiency by only having to make one trip for two friends! We met Lisa and Jeff for dinner that evening at Eat at Cane Bay ... one of the only restaurants open on the holiday (which felt strange, considering it was a Saturday). Shelby and Lisa are friends from nursing school, so it was fun to have Shelby visit two sets on friends on the island.
We were looking forward to having a nice relaxing day on the beach on Sunday. After lots of active visitors, Shelby promised me she just wanted to hang out on the beach, and I gladly accepted! We started with a nice long walk on Sandy Point, then planned on the typical Sunday funday activities - Rhythms at Rainbow Beach, Coconuts, and the Lost Dog. Well we hit two of three, as we left Rhythms when it started raining. We came back to my place and just hung out - again no complaints since it was nice to just sit around and catch up - and relax (though I was missing the sun)! We made it out for pizza at the Dog and just as we were leaving, Shelby ran back in the building and shouted "Hurry! We're going to get stuck in the parade!" It felt like a Seinfeld episode! Sure enough, my Jeep was parked right in between the police leading the parade and a line of cars / floats in what was our first parade of the week. Whew, thank goodness we avoided that one. Who knows how long we could have got stuck - and we had things to do. Came home and started baking, as Shelby, my superior when it comes to baking, assured me that muffins will retain more moisture a day after baking - so much for those 4:30 mornings - woo hoo!
Made my 7am delivery on Monday, then we had the rest of the day to ourselves. We walked downtown to check out all of the cruiseship festivities, drove to Christiansted for lunch and some window shopping, then over to the Buccaneer for pedicures. I am really enjoying her visit at this point! Even better, we stopped at the grocery store for wine and cheese and just enjoyed a night in - wow, I really needed more days like this!
Then when we got home, I received a note from the coffeeshop that they had completely sold out of EVERYTHING from Monday and needed an entire stock of goodies for Tuesday - ugh! I mean, it's a compliment that the items I'm baking are going over so well, but I was back to work full time for the Bank on Tuesday, had Shelby on island visiting (funny that I just replaced "in town" with "on island), and really can't afford spending 4 hours a day baking. But of course I did ... and for the first time, I had a bit of a breakdown since I DIDN'T WANT TO BAKE. What? Me? Not wanting to bake? Who had I become?!? I didn't want to spend the time and energy grocery shopping, baking, and cleaning ... especially when I had done it all the night before and I just wanted to enjoy ONE night off! So over the course of the rest of the week, the former "joy" of baking has officially turned into a "job" ... which I find myself no longer enjoying. I am quickly realizing that I love to bake when it is for my friends ... and on my time. And one item a week or so ... not 4 items 4 times a week! I am curious how I would feel if I did not already have a full-time job - or if I would still enjoy baking if it were my full-time job - or if it will always be something to enjoy as a hobby only.
So Monday night, we made everything again. Delivered on Tuesday, then back to work. Of course of all days, my internet connection was down, so I frantically made a few phone calls and was lucky to catch Kirby and Andy and be able to work from their place during the day. And back to work I was ... I hit their couch just in time for my first conference call ... and didn't move all day. Of course most of my co-workers had been off the past two weeks, so we all had a lot of catch up work to do. Kirby and Andy and their friends walked into their place at 6, to me still sitting on the couch working in the dark. What a welcome back! Luckily I was soon able to logoff, then 9 of us met for dinner at Rowdy Joes. Thankfully, Lisa had the day off, so I'm glad she and Shelby had the day to enjoy together, especially since I wouldn't have made a good host that day. I was definitely exhausted after an unexpected 4 hours of baking, then a non-stop day of work!
Wednesday we woke up to blaring music ... and I mean early. What kind of parades start at 5am? Well, all part of the Crucian Christmas festival we found out! Shelby spent some time walking and checking it all out, then I did take a break over lunch where the festivities were still going. On one hand, it was good to see some of the island culture, but on the other hand, I quickly realized how much I enjoyed the usual peace and quiet (once you get past the roosters at least). We ate from the street vendors - I had a roti (chick pea tortilla with chicken and potatoes in a Caribbean curry sauce - delicious!) and peanut punch (best drink ever - and a good add to coffee!), while Shelby had roasted goat. I tried a bite and it was good! Back to work for me, back to the beach for Shelby, then we ended up staying in again that night to bake. Shelby had been out and about for most of the day, but I did feel bad not "entertaining". We had another dinner of wine and cheese, but I almost didn't feel right about staying in again. Looking back, I wonder if maybe I'm so used to being out that too many nights in made me a little stir-crazy (Goal 1: Finding a happy medium so I don't have to be out all of the time, yet I don't go crazy by staying in - I guess it makes a difference working from home as well, since I enjoy the break from the apartment after being inside all day). The good news is, we got all the baking done again (and Shelby was an excellent assistant, taste-tester, cleaner, etc.), so at least it felt productive, but I was just afraid it did not feel like vacation for her.
Same kind of day on Thursday, and we broke for lunch at Polly's. I will say everything I have ever had there is delicious (of course I refuse to buy any of my own stuff!). So I do think it is a great little shop (though overpriced ... especially seeing how much they charge for items, knowing what they pay me!), but I guess it is also teaching me a lesson in the industry. That evening we were finally in for a nice sunset, so I forced myself away from the computer to walk down to Sandcastles to enjoy the view - again, another little reminder of why I moved down here and that I need to take time to stop and smell the roses. We all then headed to Rhythms for what was our closest taste of trivia victory yet! Shelby ... or as she was nicknamed my "Know It All Wildcard" ... has quite a talent when it comes to Trivial Pursuit ... and we ended up getting beat by one point! So disappointing that we were so close ... but we did have a lot of fun.
Our gameplan for Friday was for me to get up and do a few hours of work, take a mid-day 4 hours of vacation, then I needed to be back for a 3pm meeting. I woke up with some time to spare and thought getting the grocery store trip out of the way first thing would be a good start, but before we left I checked my email and had a last minute request for desserts at Polly's. I frantically looked around the kitchen to see what I could make since I was out of eggs ... scotcheroos it was. When Shelby woke up and I was already worked up, she was like "why are you all stressed out already this morning?" I told her I had to bake for Polly's ... and she reminded me that "NO", I did not have to do anything (when it is usually an every other day schedule - with a few day before requests in recent weeks - definitely nothing day of). So of course I ran out of corn syrup and was unable to make the scotcheroos ... I debated going to the grocery store then to get supplies ... and again, she reminded me of all the other plans and obligations I had already made for the day ... which really did not give me any time to make any desserts. She also reminded me that I couldn't just drop everything else anytime they made a last minute request and let them expect I would always have the flexibility and willingness to do so. I struggled back and forth, but finally responded that I unfortunately did not have the time or any ingredients to make desserts that day. Instead of feeling like it was their fault since I had no advance warning, I still felt like I let them down (Goal 2: Not to feel bad about saying no).
So after the first "no" in a long time, we made a mad dash to the grocery store ... and that's when we got stuck in Parade #2 traffic. The children's parade was on Friday, and I sure didn't expect half of the roads closing down, again especially so early in the morning! Of course this just added to my already stressful morning, since I needed to be back for work, wasn't sure of my way around on the backroads in some not so nice parts of the island, etc. I finally got done what needed to be done in the morning, then Shelby and I headed to Carambola Resort to hike to the tide pools. What a great few hours hiking and sitting down for lunch on a beautiful day with a gorgeous view. Again, it is amazing when I appreciate the opportunities I have for living here and need to take advantage of more often! We were sitting at lunch, and I enjoyed the feeling that I was on vacation for once. We had just enough time for what should have been making it back for my meeting ... not envisioning that the roads would still be closed ...ugh! Luckily we finally made it home, I was able to finish my work and get a head start on Saturday's baking assignment, then we met up with Lisa and Jeff for an awesome Greek dinner and live Blue Grass music.
After this morning's delivery (with an extra dessert to make up for missing yesterday), we had a nice relaxing morning. Sat on the balcony as we drank our coffee (which one of us made every morning ... the first time I had even used the coffee pot ... and thanks Dport for the coffee!) - again, something I need to do more often, when I look at the amazing view I have and have so quickly taken for granted. We had been hearing all week about the adults' parade, so all we really thought about were additional road closures, leaving early for the airport, etc. We walked downtown to check it out as it was just starting ... talk about the slowest moving parade ever! Instead of sticking around for more of the parade (which I caught on tv a good 6 hours later ... and WOW, when I sent Shelby pictures her response of "Sweet Jesus" was absolutely appropriate - pretty much all of the local women wearing as little clothing as possible having a booty-shake competition throughout the streets), we decided to hit the beach for one last hour before she had to head back. It was crazy how it hit me on the drive to the airport how quickly the week flew past. How I wasn't ready for her to leave. How I felt that we still needed to do more "vacation" like things, since it felt like I worked all week. I mean, I anticipated the tears when she dropped me off at the CLT airport when I was moving down here, but they came as more of a surprise today. Shelby assured me that she had a nice, relaxing vacation (which is the purpose of a beach trip), but I'm just bummed that we didn't have the type of week I envisioned. I guess God sent Shelby down this week since she is one of my absolute best friends - to have someone I love and trust remind me that I came down here for a reason and I'm not fulfilling that purpose - that I live in paradise and I have the ability to make my own choices that determine my happiness, and shouldn't have the bank or the coffeeshop or anything or anyone else to blame.
I made a pitstop at the store on my way home from the airport and realized how exhausted I was, so a night in was definitely in store. I need to stop running myself ragged to the point where when I finally have some free time, I am so tired that all I want to do is sleep and take a social-hiatus from the rest of the world (back to Goal 1 of finding that happy medium) ... though, all my CLT friends could say that's what I've done the past two years as well ... go go go, then need a complete break by myself to re-charge.
Interesting that if you would have asked me a few weeks ago how long I would be down here, I definitely would have said a lot longer than the 6 months I planned ... I was already making plans for "next year's" boat parade, Christmas cards, etc. (speaking of, thanks to all of you who sent me Christmas cards. I ordered mine and knew they would be late a few days late, but now the company can't even track the shipment!). But something has happened lately where I feel that I've lost a lot of the clarity that I thought I was on track to find ...
Shelby flew down on New Years Day ... she came in on the same plane that Amy flew back on ... so talk about increasing my airport pick-up/drop-off efficiency by only having to make one trip for two friends! We met Lisa and Jeff for dinner that evening at Eat at Cane Bay ... one of the only restaurants open on the holiday (which felt strange, considering it was a Saturday). Shelby and Lisa are friends from nursing school, so it was fun to have Shelby visit two sets on friends on the island.
We were looking forward to having a nice relaxing day on the beach on Sunday. After lots of active visitors, Shelby promised me she just wanted to hang out on the beach, and I gladly accepted! We started with a nice long walk on Sandy Point, then planned on the typical Sunday funday activities - Rhythms at Rainbow Beach, Coconuts, and the Lost Dog. Well we hit two of three, as we left Rhythms when it started raining. We came back to my place and just hung out - again no complaints since it was nice to just sit around and catch up - and relax (though I was missing the sun)! We made it out for pizza at the Dog and just as we were leaving, Shelby ran back in the building and shouted "Hurry! We're going to get stuck in the parade!" It felt like a Seinfeld episode! Sure enough, my Jeep was parked right in between the police leading the parade and a line of cars / floats in what was our first parade of the week. Whew, thank goodness we avoided that one. Who knows how long we could have got stuck - and we had things to do. Came home and started baking, as Shelby, my superior when it comes to baking, assured me that muffins will retain more moisture a day after baking - so much for those 4:30 mornings - woo hoo!
Made my 7am delivery on Monday, then we had the rest of the day to ourselves. We walked downtown to check out all of the cruiseship festivities, drove to Christiansted for lunch and some window shopping, then over to the Buccaneer for pedicures. I am really enjoying her visit at this point! Even better, we stopped at the grocery store for wine and cheese and just enjoyed a night in - wow, I really needed more days like this!
Then when we got home, I received a note from the coffeeshop that they had completely sold out of EVERYTHING from Monday and needed an entire stock of goodies for Tuesday - ugh! I mean, it's a compliment that the items I'm baking are going over so well, but I was back to work full time for the Bank on Tuesday, had Shelby on island visiting (funny that I just replaced "in town" with "on island), and really can't afford spending 4 hours a day baking. But of course I did ... and for the first time, I had a bit of a breakdown since I DIDN'T WANT TO BAKE. What? Me? Not wanting to bake? Who had I become?!? I didn't want to spend the time and energy grocery shopping, baking, and cleaning ... especially when I had done it all the night before and I just wanted to enjoy ONE night off! So over the course of the rest of the week, the former "joy" of baking has officially turned into a "job" ... which I find myself no longer enjoying. I am quickly realizing that I love to bake when it is for my friends ... and on my time. And one item a week or so ... not 4 items 4 times a week! I am curious how I would feel if I did not already have a full-time job - or if I would still enjoy baking if it were my full-time job - or if it will always be something to enjoy as a hobby only.
So Monday night, we made everything again. Delivered on Tuesday, then back to work. Of course of all days, my internet connection was down, so I frantically made a few phone calls and was lucky to catch Kirby and Andy and be able to work from their place during the day. And back to work I was ... I hit their couch just in time for my first conference call ... and didn't move all day. Of course most of my co-workers had been off the past two weeks, so we all had a lot of catch up work to do. Kirby and Andy and their friends walked into their place at 6, to me still sitting on the couch working in the dark. What a welcome back! Luckily I was soon able to logoff, then 9 of us met for dinner at Rowdy Joes. Thankfully, Lisa had the day off, so I'm glad she and Shelby had the day to enjoy together, especially since I wouldn't have made a good host that day. I was definitely exhausted after an unexpected 4 hours of baking, then a non-stop day of work!
Wednesday we woke up to blaring music ... and I mean early. What kind of parades start at 5am? Well, all part of the Crucian Christmas festival we found out! Shelby spent some time walking and checking it all out, then I did take a break over lunch where the festivities were still going. On one hand, it was good to see some of the island culture, but on the other hand, I quickly realized how much I enjoyed the usual peace and quiet (once you get past the roosters at least). We ate from the street vendors - I had a roti (chick pea tortilla with chicken and potatoes in a Caribbean curry sauce - delicious!) and peanut punch (best drink ever - and a good add to coffee!), while Shelby had roasted goat. I tried a bite and it was good! Back to work for me, back to the beach for Shelby, then we ended up staying in again that night to bake. Shelby had been out and about for most of the day, but I did feel bad not "entertaining". We had another dinner of wine and cheese, but I almost didn't feel right about staying in again. Looking back, I wonder if maybe I'm so used to being out that too many nights in made me a little stir-crazy (Goal 1: Finding a happy medium so I don't have to be out all of the time, yet I don't go crazy by staying in - I guess it makes a difference working from home as well, since I enjoy the break from the apartment after being inside all day). The good news is, we got all the baking done again (and Shelby was an excellent assistant, taste-tester, cleaner, etc.), so at least it felt productive, but I was just afraid it did not feel like vacation for her.
Same kind of day on Thursday, and we broke for lunch at Polly's. I will say everything I have ever had there is delicious (of course I refuse to buy any of my own stuff!). So I do think it is a great little shop (though overpriced ... especially seeing how much they charge for items, knowing what they pay me!), but I guess it is also teaching me a lesson in the industry. That evening we were finally in for a nice sunset, so I forced myself away from the computer to walk down to Sandcastles to enjoy the view - again, another little reminder of why I moved down here and that I need to take time to stop and smell the roses. We all then headed to Rhythms for what was our closest taste of trivia victory yet! Shelby ... or as she was nicknamed my "Know It All Wildcard" ... has quite a talent when it comes to Trivial Pursuit ... and we ended up getting beat by one point! So disappointing that we were so close ... but we did have a lot of fun.
Our gameplan for Friday was for me to get up and do a few hours of work, take a mid-day 4 hours of vacation, then I needed to be back for a 3pm meeting. I woke up with some time to spare and thought getting the grocery store trip out of the way first thing would be a good start, but before we left I checked my email and had a last minute request for desserts at Polly's. I frantically looked around the kitchen to see what I could make since I was out of eggs ... scotcheroos it was. When Shelby woke up and I was already worked up, she was like "why are you all stressed out already this morning?" I told her I had to bake for Polly's ... and she reminded me that "NO", I did not have to do anything (when it is usually an every other day schedule - with a few day before requests in recent weeks - definitely nothing day of). So of course I ran out of corn syrup and was unable to make the scotcheroos ... I debated going to the grocery store then to get supplies ... and again, she reminded me of all the other plans and obligations I had already made for the day ... which really did not give me any time to make any desserts. She also reminded me that I couldn't just drop everything else anytime they made a last minute request and let them expect I would always have the flexibility and willingness to do so. I struggled back and forth, but finally responded that I unfortunately did not have the time or any ingredients to make desserts that day. Instead of feeling like it was their fault since I had no advance warning, I still felt like I let them down (Goal 2: Not to feel bad about saying no).
So after the first "no" in a long time, we made a mad dash to the grocery store ... and that's when we got stuck in Parade #2 traffic. The children's parade was on Friday, and I sure didn't expect half of the roads closing down, again especially so early in the morning! Of course this just added to my already stressful morning, since I needed to be back for work, wasn't sure of my way around on the backroads in some not so nice parts of the island, etc. I finally got done what needed to be done in the morning, then Shelby and I headed to Carambola Resort to hike to the tide pools. What a great few hours hiking and sitting down for lunch on a beautiful day with a gorgeous view. Again, it is amazing when I appreciate the opportunities I have for living here and need to take advantage of more often! We were sitting at lunch, and I enjoyed the feeling that I was on vacation for once. We had just enough time for what should have been making it back for my meeting ... not envisioning that the roads would still be closed ...ugh! Luckily we finally made it home, I was able to finish my work and get a head start on Saturday's baking assignment, then we met up with Lisa and Jeff for an awesome Greek dinner and live Blue Grass music.
After this morning's delivery (with an extra dessert to make up for missing yesterday), we had a nice relaxing morning. Sat on the balcony as we drank our coffee (which one of us made every morning ... the first time I had even used the coffee pot ... and thanks Dport for the coffee!) - again, something I need to do more often, when I look at the amazing view I have and have so quickly taken for granted. We had been hearing all week about the adults' parade, so all we really thought about were additional road closures, leaving early for the airport, etc. We walked downtown to check it out as it was just starting ... talk about the slowest moving parade ever! Instead of sticking around for more of the parade (which I caught on tv a good 6 hours later ... and WOW, when I sent Shelby pictures her response of "Sweet Jesus" was absolutely appropriate - pretty much all of the local women wearing as little clothing as possible having a booty-shake competition throughout the streets), we decided to hit the beach for one last hour before she had to head back. It was crazy how it hit me on the drive to the airport how quickly the week flew past. How I wasn't ready for her to leave. How I felt that we still needed to do more "vacation" like things, since it felt like I worked all week. I mean, I anticipated the tears when she dropped me off at the CLT airport when I was moving down here, but they came as more of a surprise today. Shelby assured me that she had a nice, relaxing vacation (which is the purpose of a beach trip), but I'm just bummed that we didn't have the type of week I envisioned. I guess God sent Shelby down this week since she is one of my absolute best friends - to have someone I love and trust remind me that I came down here for a reason and I'm not fulfilling that purpose - that I live in paradise and I have the ability to make my own choices that determine my happiness, and shouldn't have the bank or the coffeeshop or anything or anyone else to blame.
I made a pitstop at the store on my way home from the airport and realized how exhausted I was, so a night in was definitely in store. I need to stop running myself ragged to the point where when I finally have some free time, I am so tired that all I want to do is sleep and take a social-hiatus from the rest of the world (back to Goal 1 of finding that happy medium) ... though, all my CLT friends could say that's what I've done the past two years as well ... go go go, then need a complete break by myself to re-charge.
Interesting that if you would have asked me a few weeks ago how long I would be down here, I definitely would have said a lot longer than the 6 months I planned ... I was already making plans for "next year's" boat parade, Christmas cards, etc. (speaking of, thanks to all of you who sent me Christmas cards. I ordered mine and knew they would be late a few days late, but now the company can't even track the shipment!). But something has happened lately where I feel that I've lost a lot of the clarity that I thought I was on track to find ...
Jan 7, 2011
Sailing to the BVIs
Catching up from the holidays ... Amy and I were invited to sail to the British Virgin Islands with friends Jeff, Lisa, Tony, and LauraLee. Even given my history of seasickness, I did not want to pass up the opportunity! How many more times would I be invited ... how many other weeks could I easily take off a few days of work ... what other friends would want to spend their STX vacation on a boat instead, etc.
We set sail on Monday afternoon (12/27), but not before a full day of working for the Bank, baking for Polly's, then of course baking for the sail - I'm getting tired of all this baking and not getting to enjoy any of it, plus I couldn't forget the birthday cake for Lisa! Needless to say, it was an exhausting day, and I was happy just to sit down and breathe by the time we hit the boat.
Luckily my friend Lisa is also a nurse practitioner, so after telling her my concerns for the trip, she was able to prescribe me the motion sickness patch for behind my ear. I applied the patch on Monday morning and it definitely made me feel a little irritable (or maybe it was my to do list beforehand!), but I looked at it as proof of entering my system.
Monday night was great - weather could not have been more perfect (I was wearing a sundress, not even a need for a cover-up) - and I was giving all credit to the patch, as I felt completely fine on the sail. It had been a long and busy day, so I was exhausted and went to bed early. Nothing like waking up in the morning on a boat in the middle of the BVIs!
Our first stop was Tortola - such a cute little place! We did a little shopping while Captain Grant checked us in, then set sail again - made a pitstop for everyone else to go snorkeling. Given I was feeling great and didn't want to take any chances of making myself sea-sick, I stayed on the boat and just enjoyed the view. We then stopped on Jost Van Dyke at the Soggy Dollar Bar - very cool and touristy place. Again, I knew my limits and didn't want to chance anything, so stuck with drinking water and gingerale. Then, all of a sudden, "The sea was angry that day, my friends" (insert Seinfeld quote). It was rough just taking the dinghy from the island back the sailboat. And from there, we entered the Atlantic, where there were no islands around to slow down any of the swells.
I have learned from prior experience to stay on the front of the boat, always keep my eyes on the horizon, and have the fresh air hit my face. I stayed out front as long as I could possibly stand it - holding on for dear life, watching the enormous swells and anticipating the hits to the boat, getting soaked and then cold. I finally gave in and went to the back of the boat. Unfortunately, within 30 minutes, poor Amy got sick first, then I wasn't too far behind her. We spent the rest of the rough sail hanging on to the back of the boat - us and our bucket, saltine crackers, and more gingerale. Both of us will admit it was a pretty awful few hours! And apologies to Kindred Spirit - I still owe you a bucket!
We finally made it to our next destination (Beef Island) - but by then, Amy and I had lost our appetite and hit the sack (okay, I admit, I was able to stomach some birthday cake). Luckily we woke up the next morning both feeling much better. We sailed over to Trellis Bay and walked around the very unique, artsy island. We made another stop on the way back for Lisa and Jeff to scuba dive, while Amy and I had secured our seats on the front. Unfortunately the sun didn't come out that day - so it was so much cooler on the sail back than on the way out. But we were entertained by an awesome dolphin show during our final sail -
We set sail on Monday afternoon (12/27), but not before a full day of working for the Bank, baking for Polly's, then of course baking for the sail - I'm getting tired of all this baking and not getting to enjoy any of it, plus I couldn't forget the birthday cake for Lisa! Needless to say, it was an exhausting day, and I was happy just to sit down and breathe by the time we hit the boat.
Luckily my friend Lisa is also a nurse practitioner, so after telling her my concerns for the trip, she was able to prescribe me the motion sickness patch for behind my ear. I applied the patch on Monday morning and it definitely made me feel a little irritable (or maybe it was my to do list beforehand!), but I looked at it as proof of entering my system.
Monday night was great - weather could not have been more perfect (I was wearing a sundress, not even a need for a cover-up) - and I was giving all credit to the patch, as I felt completely fine on the sail. It had been a long and busy day, so I was exhausted and went to bed early. Nothing like waking up in the morning on a boat in the middle of the BVIs!
Our first stop was Tortola - such a cute little place! We did a little shopping while Captain Grant checked us in, then set sail again - made a pitstop for everyone else to go snorkeling. Given I was feeling great and didn't want to take any chances of making myself sea-sick, I stayed on the boat and just enjoyed the view. We then stopped on Jost Van Dyke at the Soggy Dollar Bar - very cool and touristy place. Again, I knew my limits and didn't want to chance anything, so stuck with drinking water and gingerale. Then, all of a sudden, "The sea was angry that day, my friends" (insert Seinfeld quote). It was rough just taking the dinghy from the island back the sailboat. And from there, we entered the Atlantic, where there were no islands around to slow down any of the swells.
I have learned from prior experience to stay on the front of the boat, always keep my eyes on the horizon, and have the fresh air hit my face. I stayed out front as long as I could possibly stand it - holding on for dear life, watching the enormous swells and anticipating the hits to the boat, getting soaked and then cold. I finally gave in and went to the back of the boat. Unfortunately, within 30 minutes, poor Amy got sick first, then I wasn't too far behind her. We spent the rest of the rough sail hanging on to the back of the boat - us and our bucket, saltine crackers, and more gingerale. Both of us will admit it was a pretty awful few hours! And apologies to Kindred Spirit - I still owe you a bucket!
We finally made it to our next destination (Beef Island) - but by then, Amy and I had lost our appetite and hit the sack (okay, I admit, I was able to stomach some birthday cake). Luckily we woke up the next morning both feeling much better. We sailed over to Trellis Bay and walked around the very unique, artsy island. We made another stop on the way back for Lisa and Jeff to scuba dive, while Amy and I had secured our seats on the front. Unfortunately the sun didn't come out that day - so it was so much cooler on the sail back than on the way out. But we were entertained by an awesome dolphin show during our final sail -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBkxqU6_i1g.
Finally arrived home safe and sound Wednesday evening ... so great to be back on land! Fun with friends and cool trip overall, just hate that I don't think I'll ever be a sailor!
Finally arrived home safe and sound Wednesday evening ... so great to be back on land! Fun with friends and cool trip overall, just hate that I don't think I'll ever be a sailor!
Two little letters, one big word
"No". That's a word that hasn't seemed to be in my vocabulary for who knows how long. I always find myself overwhelmed, over-committed, over-worked, etc. And you would think by simply by saying "no", I could avoid that feeling. Ironically, you would think that moving to the Caribbean would dismiss those feelings as well. Unfortunately, having to say "no" today just made me feel bad and unreliable.
I started baking for the coffeeshop over a month ago. Talk about a dream come true - I have always loved baking and said if there was anything in the world I could do, I would run a bakery on the beach. Well here I am in St Croix doing just that! As you may remember, I had asked the Bank for a leave of absence. My plan was to come down here and take a break from Corporate America, find a part-time job for something to do, a way to meet people, and help pay the rent - my goal was to find something where I would probably never have the opportunity to do otherwise. So, baking 20-25 hours a week seems to have been exactly what I was looking to do. But all of the baking/shopping/cleaning on top of a 40+ hour a week job while having guests visit is not ideal!!!
I guess sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. I haven't wanted to complain because I am very lucky and grateful for: (1) the flexibility of the Bank allowing me to work remotely, (2) the opportunity to bake and follow a dream, and (3) so many friends and family willing and able to visit - but I do need to learn my limits and be able to use the word "no", otherwise I am not truly experiencing the purpose of being down here!
I started baking for the coffeeshop over a month ago. Talk about a dream come true - I have always loved baking and said if there was anything in the world I could do, I would run a bakery on the beach. Well here I am in St Croix doing just that! As you may remember, I had asked the Bank for a leave of absence. My plan was to come down here and take a break from Corporate America, find a part-time job for something to do, a way to meet people, and help pay the rent - my goal was to find something where I would probably never have the opportunity to do otherwise. So, baking 20-25 hours a week seems to have been exactly what I was looking to do. But all of the baking/shopping/cleaning on top of a 40+ hour a week job while having guests visit is not ideal!!!
I guess sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. I haven't wanted to complain because I am very lucky and grateful for: (1) the flexibility of the Bank allowing me to work remotely, (2) the opportunity to bake and follow a dream, and (3) so many friends and family willing and able to visit - but I do need to learn my limits and be able to use the word "no", otherwise I am not truly experiencing the purpose of being down here!
Jan 3, 2011
New Year
Happy 2011! Amazing what a year I had in 2010. Lots to look back on and be thankful for, and 2011 is starting off just as well. Though in typical Jen Grant fashion, I have bit off more than I can chew. I have lots of updates to make, just not sure when I'll have the time to write them.
I am thankful for all of you who are following my journey. I still can't believe I'm about the busiest I've ever been in my entire life! So maybe that should be my resolution, to reassess and re-prioritize. I want to ensure I get out of this experience what I came here for ... and not to leave before I find it. In the meantime, I am reminding myself of all the updates to be made from the past few weeks:
• Setting sail
• Choices
• Feeling like a bad host
• Looking in the mirror: tired and unhappy (this is not why I came here!)
• The (former) joy of baking
• Resolutions
Here's to a Happy 2011!
I am thankful for all of you who are following my journey. I still can't believe I'm about the busiest I've ever been in my entire life! So maybe that should be my resolution, to reassess and re-prioritize. I want to ensure I get out of this experience what I came here for ... and not to leave before I find it. In the meantime, I am reminding myself of all the updates to be made from the past few weeks:
• Setting sail
• Choices
• Feeling like a bad host
• Looking in the mirror: tired and unhappy (this is not why I came here!)
• The (former) joy of baking
• Resolutions
Here's to a Happy 2011!
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