First week in paradise

Just a Jack-less Rose out adventuring on her own

When I first made the decision to move out of NYC, I thought I was a total bad ass. I was going to quit my job where I sat stuck in a cubicle from nine to five and run out of the building door without looking back. I was going to leave Manhattan, get on a plane with my one way ticket and one checked suitcase and create a whole new life for myself in the Virgin Islands. I would arrive to the Islands with an umbrella drink waiting for me and suddenly life would be easy and fabulous. 

The plan didn't pan out exactly as I thought it would. Leaving NYC meant leaving coworkers that had become like family to me. It meant leaving an apartment with two of my best friends who I spent my entire life with up to that date. It meant leaving my family and moving somewhere I knew absolutely nothing about, taking only a few pair of shorts and a framed picture of me and my mother. But you don't think about this stuff when you decide to manifest a dream. You simply think about how cool it is, how bad ass you are for quitting and actually following through on a plan that was made over a quick text message. You feel empowered. At least at first. 

Then you arrive. That powerful bad ass feeling suddenly becomes an overwhelming feeling of anxiety and you quickly enter into a massive state of panic. You sleep on a couch in a house of people you don't know, with the exception of one roommate who has been recently diagnosed with Salmonella. There is no fun island beverage waiting for you, and delicious island food is not an option because your body decides to shut down. You can not eat, sleep, drink. You stay on a couch the first few nights to avoid getting Salmonella yourself. (Yes, it is contagious.) You get up in the middle of the night to splash some cold water on your hot face and step on to a beetle the size of a mouse in the process. You listen to the sounds of roosters clucking all night long. Your mind is racing with questions about how you're going to live here, what will you do? How will you make it work? You flick ants and mosquitoes off your skin and you wonder...

What the hell have I done?

---

My close friend Liz texted me shortly after my mother died this past March. Liz had been living in Saint John, Virgin Islands for the past few years. She knew I had been on a health kick before Mom had gotten worse. For the year leading up to my mother's final week on earth I became a green juice fanatic. I started researching juicing and vegan lifestyles and actually was vegan for a few months and making my mom drink juices as much as she could. Then my mom passed away. The diet veered off course and more in a direction of mashed potatoes and whiskey after the funeral. Liz texted me the week I returned back to the city. I had gone back to work and tried to get back into a life I had absolutely no interest in living at that point. She told me I should move to the Islands. She said I would love it and that I would be able to do some hiking, get back to healthy eating and relax for a bit. I kindly told her that would be great but knew it could never happen. I couldn't just quit my job and leave my whole life in Manhattan. 

Two weeks later, I decided I could do it. I quit, I bought my ticket, and today I am writing from Saint John. 

The transition wasn't easy. I did not sleep the first two nights leading up to my early morning flight on December 30th. I did not sleep the first three nights I arrived on the Virgin Islands. My roommate was deathly ill with Salmonella. I couldn't eat. I missed my family. I painfully missed my mom all over again. I missed my friends. I was miserable. 

Then I woke up a few days later and was fine. It was really weird actually, but overnight I did a 180 and was fine the next day. One of my roommates is a kayak tour guide. She brought me on her morning tour and I got to see some beautiful beaches. I got to snorkel in my brand new hot pink snorkel gear that my sister got me for Christmas. My other sister got me a suit to match the gear perfectly. Either I looked like a pro, or a huge ass. I'd like to think pro.

The next day I went on a venture with my roommate's boyfriend to a gorgeous beach where we could bring the dog. By the way, there is a dog. I find this extremely comforting to have while everyone is at work during the day. He has been licking my ankle for the last two paragraphs. I have only been here for one week, but I think I may have already found love.

Sunday was one of the best days. I got up early with my friend Liz and she took me out on the boat she works on, the Kekoa. The boat is absolutely gorgeous with an awesome history and it was a nice small group that went out that day. I made friends with a recently married couple and their parents and spent the day reading, snorkeling, and enjoying a drink at the Soggy Dollar. On the way back we passed what looked like the iceberg in Titanic and the captain blasted "My Heart Will Go On" and made me stand in the front of the boat with my arms outstretched. 

I guess my message here today is, if you have something amazing you want to do this year and you're scared, do it anyway. You will be ok. It just takes some time to adjust. You might panic, but the panic subsides. 

Because moving to an island you know nothing about is relatively exhilarating. You just have to realize it will all be fine. You will be fine.

And when you do start to panic again, you put on Katy Perry's soundtrack (because after watching her documentary 'Part of Me" she is now one of your inspirations) and you remind yourself why this year you will be your own hero.

My sober new year celebration in Saint John (and a warmer viewing of Times Square) 

Cool fire-hoop dancing lady: 

The ball starting to drop:

Baby lizard ring:

First fun day out! Kayaking with my roommate:

First fun cocktail since arrival! Lime in de coconut after the big day kayaking:

My first sleep. Lasted 20 whole minutes, woke up with a protective pup paw:

View from our porch: 

The gorgeous beach I visited:

Saint John traditional Christmas tree (a Century plant):

Day out on the boat with my roommate and her friends:

Saturday brunch with Liz - our first real outing post Salmonella!

Snuck into a resort for some hot tub time and this fabulous view:

New favorite spot to sit on the island:

Day trip to Jost on the boat Liz works on:

Liz getting the boat ready for the day:

Sea turtles!

Nothing beats a boat hammock:

Mary's point, where we went snorkeling:

Jost!

The end to a perfect day: