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How We Roll…

I’m hip…I’m cool…I’m down with the lingo! HA!!

Some of you will remember that Kel and I returned from our grand viaje back at the end of 2007. We came back to the United States as the same people but had also changed at the same time. We were a walking contradiction; seemingly the same but somehow fundamentally different.

But, we were really, really lucky because when we got back there were new friends and old friends who welcomed us with open arms. Almost as soon as we returned we found a group of people who accepted us as the not quite normal Americans that we were. People like Brian & Laura, Melissa & Andre and many others were willing to make us into a part of their group. We were so fortunate to have a new group just when we were having a hard time figuring out who and what we wanted to be.

Well, very early after our return this new group had a conundrum; one couple from a group of three had to back out of a newly planned trip due to the ever common ailment which seems to be affecting couples in our age group: pregnancy!!! Their loss turned into our gain when the remaining couples asked if we’d like to join them. Without even a heartbeat’s hesitation we said sure…who wouldn’t want to spend a week in St. Croix with friends??

A Nearly Flawless Trip To A Beautiful Tropical Oasis

Fast forward 8 or more months and it was time to leave for St. Croix, a beautiful Caribbean island less than 100 miles from Puerto Rico. In the heart of the Caribbean island chain, St. Croix is one of the few places south of Florida that you can travel to without a passport as a US citizen. It has the distinction of being the easternmost point of land that is owned by the US. While it’s not a state (technically it is a territory), the first time the sun shines on the United States each day, it shines here.

As it seems with all small tropical islands the world over, getting to St. Croix is neither cheap nor easy. Booking airfare to this little chunk of the US costs almost twice as much as it feels it should because few airlines fly here which gives them power. As we all study in economics, when demand is high and supply is low, expect to pay! Our multi-leg flight to St. Croix could certainly have been worse (I distinctly remember the pain associated with our flight from Barcelona to Kruger National Park in South Africa) but it didn’t go off without a hitch.

As our more faithful readers will know, we had a serious luggage issue on our big trip when British Airways decided I no longer needed my bag despite the fact it had nearly everything I owned in it. Well, I had images of a similar circumstance when we ran from one plane to another in Atlanta. We literally made it onto our connection with moments to spare…which means our bags didn’t make it with us. (Kel - we were so close on time that we were literally sprinting across terminals in Atlanta airport. I’m so not a runner, but thanks to my 8+ months with a personal trainer this year, I did it! Toward the end, people even started getting out of my way when I came up behind them . . . whether they heard my impressive footfall rhythm or the deep wheezing as I gasped for air, no one knows. I’m going with the former =)

Instead of badgering you with a “woe-is-me” style of recapping all of my feelings about this sort of situation, I’ll cut to the chase:
A) I was disappointed that my bag didn’t make it to St. Croix (understatement, we were close to gnashing of teeth)
B) It did arrive a day or so later and was intact (I was relieved)
C) Kel and I were both glad this happened to us and not someone else as we can handle a little rockiness when it comes to travel
We’d always prefer to suffer a little bit so that others may enjoy, and our travel companions needed a vacation WAY more than we did!

On the brightest of bright sides, our rental house was amazing!! You can check it out here if you so desire Blue Vista Villa Compared to our airfare, it was cheap because we were there in off season and the amenities were to die for: a pool, hot tub, three bedrooms each with a bathroom and a full kitchen. This doesn’t even account for the incredible view from our pool. It really was the sort of place you could just lie around and drink a beer while your mind daydreams and all tension melts.

Party Time

Our few days in paradise were a blur of fun and relaxation. Andre’s friend Joe lives on the island and was able to guide us through local activities, restaurants, parties and even a day of serious off-road exploration in our two jeeps. Needless to say, we were busy when we wanted to be and relaxed when we wanted as well. Some would say it was the perfect vacation from life’s hectic schedule.

Our second night on the island, we got a chance to hit up the local bar scene (which was essentially a hut in the middle of the jungle) complete with an incredible local musician who played multiple instruments at the same time via recording loops. With the exception of a few dudes on hand percussion, this guy was able to create full dance tunes by looping flute, bass, guitar and drums while he sang. It was ridiculous and a ton of fun as we drank beer and watched locals dance their butts off. Thanks to Andre, I got out of dancing duty. Turns out he and Kel make a fine dance team…which was completely okay with me!!

A couple of nights we hung out at Joe’s restaurant: Angry Nates and were wined and dined by the staff (it’s nice to know the boss)! Angry Nate’s, located on the boardwalk in Christiansted, has an incredibly talented young chef who spoiled us one night with sushi grade tuna that was fresh off the boat that day. To top the great food we spent a night making fool out of ourselves singing karaoke. Kel even led the bar in a rousing rendition of Jim Croce’s “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” I ripped it up so much so that a couple of regulars asked me to join the “pro” karaoke set on the island. Imagine the conversation something like this:

Large, slightly awkward man (furthermore referred to as S.A.M.) approaches Mike at the bar…

S.A.M.: Hey man, you’re good!

Mike: Umm…thanks!

S.A.M.: You should compete. There’s karaoke on the island somewhere every night. Tomorrow it’s at _____.

Mike: Yeah…um…we might be busy since we’re on vacation but I’ll do my best.

S.A.M.: Cool…you should hear me sing ______.

Mike: Uhhhhh…ok…maybe next time!

I did escape the conversation in one piece despite his rather creepy demeanor but I did not escape the night without ridicule from my lovely wife who thought the whole thing was hilarious. I kept hearing something about how I could be the next St. Croix Idol. (Kel - yep, still giggling when I think about it. He could have been a star!)

You’re Sure We Won’t Get Stuck

Later in the week Joe was nice enough to lead us through an off road adventure on the north west side of the island near Annaly Bay. Being the more adventurous types, Brian, Andre and Joe took the lead with Kel and I following in our own Jeep. Being an experienced off-road driver, Joe was able to lead us down a very steep, tricky path to the beach in a secluded part of the island where we explored some hidden water pools flowing from the ocean.

Being a big wimp and fearing that my inexperience would cause us to damage the Jeep, I asked Joe to drive back up to the road. Thankfully, he was more than happy to take a nearly new Jeep through its paces. He made it look easy, but I’ll tell you that when I was driving it certainly didn’t feel that easy. Sometimes it pays to be cautious…other times it’s better to just let go and have some fun!! (Kel - it was scary, both up and down. But once Joe got going, we felt his confidence and it got really fun - I love riding fast & furious when someone other than me is driving!)

Relaxation At Its Best

The remained of the trip was pretty restful. We ate, mostly at home, thanks to Kel and Andre, two of the best cooks around. With the beautiful view from our pool, plentiful food, and copious amounts of alcohol we were generally able to spend our time sitting around soaking up the beauty around us. It rained a couple of times and was pretty windy but we didn’t care. Who cares when you’re free to do what you want when you want?

Towards the end of the trip the gang (sans me) went on a sailing/snorkeling day trip on a small boat. The weather didn’t really cooperate (which was why I skipped out) so everyone got knocked around a bit and definitely got a bit of rain but seemed in good spirits upon their return. While they were out on the boat I took a brief trip to the eastern side of the island, the aforementioned eastern-most point in the USA. (Kel - I totally agreed with Mike’s decision to give this trip a miss - it was cold, choppy and very rocking on the waves. Mike + rocking waves + very small boat = unhappy, green husband with his head hanging over the side revisiting his lunch. No good!)

When it was time to leave, we were all more than a little sad to return to reality. The trip marked a splitting of our group. Melissa and Andre are still in Richmond but only a few weeks later Kel and I left for a new adventure in Colorado, which I’m sure we’ll blog about later. Brian and Laura are happily settled in St. Louis, MO thanks to a move precipitated by work. Thus, as we said goodbye we knew it’d be a long time before we really hung out again and definitely a good period of time before a vacation of this sorts was on the horizon.

Well, as usual, thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed it! If you like the photos, check out our photography site: Team Turner Photography While we don’t blog as much as we used to, there will be more….we promise!!

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