Productive trip to St Thomas for the new apartment & then finished off at the beach HashtagMonday'saren'tsobad
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Productive trip to St Thomas for the new apartment & then finished off at the beach HashtagMonday'saren'tsobad
Today I worked both jobs, opened a bank account, & moved into an apartment with this rough view Hashtaglookatmenow (at St. John USVI)
Looking over Cruz Bay
No Real Updates, Mostly Just Appreciation & Observations
First off, Iâm terrible at writing in a timely manner I have multiple teachers who could attest to that. On that note, thank you to Terry Linehan & team for dealing with me! Secondly, Iâm still shocked I live in paradise. Now letâs get down to the point of this Tumblr & get everyone who cares in the loop!
Quick recap with my little detour in Florida. I couldnât be more appreciative for the hospitality Laura & Bobbea showed me or just getting to hang out with one of my best girlfriends before moving. Then of course finishing up last minute adventures with Evan made it feel just like we were back in the good olâ state of Maine. It was great to be able to relax & reset before so many changes were about to unfold. That all sounds kind of cheesy, but either way Iâm thankful it was apart of the journey & I had a blast. So hereâs to everyone involved in the Florida chapter of my adventure, thanks loves!
Now the St John part has a lot to cover &, to no surprise, will most likely be all over the place just like a conversation with me.
Big thanks to Kelsey & Jack for letting me bombard them with questions & picking their brains before moving down and then their hospitality & showing me around once I got down here. Seriously, the help you guys have given me is invaluable, especially for people I had never met before coming down here. So thank you Wyatt & Emma for that one too! The only reason winging this crazy adventure was even mildly possible is because of reaching out to network & make random connections. Itâs been incredibly cool to see how all of that works out.
I know everyone has seen pictures of the Caribbean, but I was still shocked at what I was seeing while flying into St Thomas. Just going to state the obvious observations real quick. Itâs rather really blue or just clear and much warmer in January than back home on the best summer day. The salt air down here isnât as strong; you can be standing right next to the water & it smells as strong as if you were a few miles into Portland just getting a waft. Although this is one one of my favorite smells in the world, I think Iâll figure out a way to liveâ probably while by frolicking in the ocean. My last mind blowing observation is how different the sand feels between your toes, but donât worry, even in paradise it still gets everywhere & you canât get rid of it.
People had mentioned how hilly it was down here & that the drivers could be somewhat scary. By no means did I comprehend what they meant by either of those statements. I did not fathom that landscape even existed like this or that you could then even build on it. They drive on the left side of the road down here, but you still have to he careful incase some tourist forgets that minor detail. Also, drinking & driving is basically fine as long as you donât crash, but make sure to keep your seat belt on & to stay off your phone! Seriously, they will pull you over & ticket you for those offenses. I was informed that the seatbelt law is so you donât spill your drink while taking all these crazy turns & suddenly it made a little bit more sense. Now while walking around thereâs not much, if any, room on the side of the roads for pedestrians. Basically, picture walking around on the side of these tight bending roads, but continuously on hills similar to Elizabeth Street & Brackett Street on Peaks Island or State Street & Melon Street in Portland while hoping everyone is sober enough to stay in their proper lane and not take a turn to wide⊠Weâll call it exhilarating. The silver lining to these bubble butt building hills & unwelcoming conditions for pedestrians is that you can always try to hitch hike, actually you just call it hitching down here. I never would of expected to hitch in my life ever, but itâs actually pretty safe down here (of course you use your judgement & keep your wits about you). Donât use your thumb to signal you want to hitch though, you simply point in the direction youâre going. Sometimes you get a ride right away & others not so much, but so far I have met some pretty cool people through it!
The alcohol laws down here are so incredibly relaxed that itâs kind of mind boggling coming from the States. I have only been carded once & people were incredibly surprised to hear that. As I mentioned earlier, you can drink and drive with no shame. Bartenders will ask if you want your drink to go & you can even walk around or into another establishment with it. Last call is more of a loosey goosey kind of deal (there may not even be a real one) & you can drink with your bartender. Everything I have known about the laws of alcohol have just been slapped in the face.
I just realized these have all been more observations instead of the play by play of my first survived fortnight of going coastal in the US Virgin Islands⊠Probably did that out of order, per usual, but I guess that means the next blog post will be way more interesting!
To say I thoroughly enjoyed my first day in the Virgin Islands would be an under statement. Special thanks to Tyler & his family!
Tumblr?
Normally I wouldnât bother with a blog. Partially because Iâm still in denial about the LiveJournal & Myspace days (which I think itâs in all of our best interests to pretend that they never happened), but also because I already abuse the life out of social media already. So as much as Iâd love to go off the grid, I figure on big life adventures I should probably attempt to keep people some what up to date, not one of my best skills, & a concentrated place to do so doesnât sound like the worst idea. Now if Tumblr is actually a blog Iâm still not 100%, so we may just be adding this to one of the many etiquettes of life that I seemed to miss the memo on & stumble through gracelesslyâ oh joy. If youâre supposed to introduce yourself on a blog I have no idea. If you donât know me & are reading this: Go away stranger danger! Seriously, Iâm not that interesting. Also, to the loved ones wondering what on earth Iâm talking about on adventure: Iâm the worst & Iâm sorry.Â
Now I will attempt to give the blunt summary of my adventures while answering the frequently asked questions, but minus the rambling. Iâve always wanted to travel and go on adventures, but had commitments I felt I couldnât walk away from. I had been living with my serious boyfriend & was unexpectedly dumped (Disclaimer: Still a decent dude, just apart of the story). Now I was frantic on what my options were considering winter in Maine isnât exactly prime time to move or make money in most restaurants. The dreaded task of moving couldnât be avoided, but I also realized this was my first time without major commitment. So I made light out of a bad situation and decided it was time for adventures! The U.S. Virgin Islands donât require a work visa, but would still be a different world from home. Also, Iâm pretty sure Garth Brooks tried telling me it was a good idea with the song âTwo Pina Coladasâ
I was feelinâ the blues I was watching the news When this fella came on the TV He said Iâm tellinâ you That science has proven That heartaches are healed by the sea That got me goinâ Without even knowinâ I packed right up and drove down Now Iâm on a roll And I swear to my soul Tonight Iâm gonna paint this townÂ
Oh yea, I just went there and already referenced country music. Anyways, back on track.
I had a vacation planned with Ali for Sarasota, FL before everything hit the the fan. I extended my stay in FL for two more days so I could see my buddy Evan & booked my one way ticket for USVI for Tuesday January 14 out of Orlando. One of my best friends since middle school, Noah, will be flying down to move with me the next day. We plan to live on Saint John & couch surf until we find a legitimate place to stay. At the moment I only expect this adventure to be half a year for me; that being said, it has also been mentioned more than once that people have a tendency to stay longer than they originally planned to, it is paradise after all. I do not know anyone first hand who lives down there already, but am incredibly thankful to have been put into contact with some very warm & welcoming people down there (always accepting more connections though!). I am incredibly excited for this adventure, but at the same time just as equally terrified. Donât get me wrong, I am confident I will do fine down there by just working hard. It still doesnât change the fact that I am 1,777 miles out of comfort zone and thatâs a wee bit scary. This whole opportunity for adventure came unexpectedly, so Iâm just going down on a song & a prayerâ minus the prayer considering Iâm not a religious person. That should cover most of all the preliminary bases, more to come when I actually get down there.
PS- Big shout out to everyone who had to deal with the drawn out process of me figuring out the break up and my plans to to travel. You guys are the best & I appreciate you all!Â
The big ticket
All the gear I'm bringing down (minus the coat, that went to Goodwill). One day pack with a little back pack rolled up inside it!