I secretly was near ready to burst out of my skin as the days led closer and closer to July 9, 2011, when we would be headed to St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands. A friend told me never to get too excited, because you never know what could happen to ruin your chances of going...I heard her loud and clear, but her attractive advice was quickly muted whenever I would envision the true blue water or the white sandy beaches which awaited me.
Fast forward to July 9, first of all, we hadn't packed until the day of. It just seems like our life is so fast paced, every minute is accounted for. Literally, the day we were scheduled to leave for Austin, (where we would fly out of Austin-Bergstrom to St. Thomas) I had a 6 o'clock social gathering with a major PR Firm in Houston. I jetted to Central Houston to attend that, and jetted back to Humble to scoop my wife and daughter and drive through the night to Austin. Needless to say, I didn't sleep but a couple of hours. We headed to the airport around 4:30 a.m. to catch our flight.
I guess things never quite pan out the way we envision them in our mind. I've learned it's not a horrible thing at all, it's just our subconscious hoping for the best. The boarding at Austin's airport was like waiting in line for a free ticket(s) to a Jay-Z concert....at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN...IT WAS NUTS!!! We have a toddler, and she was absolutely not impressed with all the walking, sitting, standing, checking in, checking out, boarding etc. By the time we were seated on our plane, she was over stimulated and amid a sea of emotions. She rallied herself into a state of somewhat serenity when presented with an iPod...
We arrived on St. Thomas at about 2:30p.m., and when I stepped off the plane, I was greeted with literal rolling hills of trees. Stepping off a plane into the outside air of an Island made me feel exactly how President Obama does every time he steps off of Air Force One. I felt like "I HAD DONE MADE IT"!!! 40 Acres AND they mule ain't had nothing on me lol! We walked into the airport, and family was everywhere waiting for us. Many, I hadn't seen since my wife and I got married in '06, and some I hadn't met at all, so it was destined to be a great week!
We headed to grandma's Island Villa, and retreated to island living indeed! It took some time getting used to no a/c in the house, but I enjoyed even that, because I know things like this add to the experience...makes for great memories, ya know! We must've gone to the beach almost immediately, just in time to catch the sunset and eat some good food! We stayed out there for several hours, losing track of time...the way it should be!!!!
We visited so many places, I can't even begin to talk about the beautiful scenery out there. It feels worlds away, and everyone is so nice. The understanding on the whole Island is to speak to people, saying "Good morning" during the morning hours, or "Good evening", later in the day! It created a climate and culture of character, and it really spoke volumes to the standards set on "THE ROCK". My father-in-law knows his way around the Island, so he took us around, and soon enough, I got the courage to start driving on my own. Locals drive on the left hand side of the road there, sort of like the British, so naturally it took some getting used to, but as expected...I managed!
We visited the Islands of St. John, Tortola, but more than anything, we couldn't wait to set our feet aboard the dock of Harris' Place Restaurant on Jost Van Dyke Island. My wife's Grandfather built the restaurant, and since he passed, my Aunt in Law, "Cynthi", has been running the restaurant like a well oiled machine, though she may jokingly beg to differ! We stayed the weekend on the grounds of the restaurant; It is well equipped with more than 5 living quarters... so it was like being in a dream! Eating good food on the water, fishing all day and night! You couldn't pay to get that peace of mind living in the city! NO WAY!!! We took picture after picture, but I'd like you to see a classic view of the Harris' Place Restaurant from the Atlantic Ocean~
I could go on and on about our 12 day trip there. The pictures are endless, and so are the memories. My brother in law caught a baby shark, which was pretty cool; He was really a patient fisherman, which is necessary! Fish aren't totally mindless contrary to what humans believe. After being on Jost Van Dyke for 3 days, we were set to head to Tortola, another nearby Island to spend time with more family, before we headed back to St. Thomas to close out our trip. There was alot of traveling going on, having visited 3 other Island aside from my mainstay! At a point, I felt like a Hotel Bellman, dragging bags, bags, and more bags from one boat to the next...I think we were all ready to throw our heavy luggage into the Ocean...
One thing I can say is that I felt no stress, no urge to rush where I was going, and no "GO GO GO" mentality like I have when I'm at home in Houston. It felt really good just to sleep late if I wanted to, stay up late, and not worry about time. Living in the city has the ability to keep you in a bit more of a controlled state, and I hardly felt like that while away from the States. I enjoyed it so much. The water was crazy blue, the wind was blowing pretty much always, and I slept so good while I was there. I took more naps in those 12 days than I may have taken all year, and that's for sure. I got plenty of rest. Imagine falling asleep on the beach and waking up to this...
I'm tellin' you, it was like being in a dream, and being devastated when it's time to wake up!!! I plan to be back on that white sand soon and very soon...
Reeghordliss
