Island Life: My first Steemit Post =)

This will be my first post on Steemit as well as my very first blog ever. I haven’t quiet decided what my rhyme or reason for each post will be or even what I plan to get out of all this. Mostly, I just want to tell my story, share my insights and hopefully get some good feedback. I love to write and recently made a huge life change by moving from the states over to the caribbean on my own. Already so much has happened, I only wish I had begun keeping a written record of events from the day I moved. But, as we all know “there’s no time like the present”. So I’ll start here in the middle of the adventure and from time to time refer back to events that have already come and gone.

I am the type of person who craves adventure and is constantly in search of the next thrill. I chose to move to the caribbean due to my love of the sea and a desperate need for a change of scenery. I am a Dive Master by certification although since moving here I have made the decision to not make diving my profession and have just kept it as something I love to do recreationally. I am without a doubt happiest outdoors. When I am not working I am typically hiking, snorkeling, diving, reading, doing yoga, taking photos, enjoying adult beverages or any combination of these things. Island life truly suits me (not that I ever doubted it would) and I have found on an island where the party never stops, it is necessary to have some hobbies to try to help keep myself from getting too swept up in it all.

A very short and sweet summary of whats happened so far would be that I moved to the caribbean back in July, pre-hurricanes. I had two short but magical months on island before the weather took a turn for the worse. I then thought it wise to return to my hometown in Florida just ahead of CAT 5 Irma (although I ended up enduring Irma in the states at a lower category none the less). For a couple even shorter days directly after Irma passed I thought I was going to be back on island within the week... Mother nature had other plans for me however and I was then stuck on the mainland for the better part of 2 months after Maria made her appearance and devastated most everything in the Virgin Islands that Irma did not manage to. The phone call did eventually come from my job back on island though, the amazing news that power was back on and we'd be open again finally came. I booked my flight that night and returned to the island post hurricanes in December.

When I initially moved to island in July, I came with only my dachshund, Dewey and my tabby cat, Mowgli. Both Mowgli and Dewey then evacuated the island with me back in September, but only Mowgli made the returning voyage back after the storms. One of the hardest things I have ever done is leave Dewey behind with my mom, but even now three months later, I know it was the right thing to do. The initial move never did sit right with Dewey, he was having a tough time adjusting to the island. At 13-years-old he is not too keen on change, I feared another trip to the island would only cause him to age more quickly. For those of you who have pets, I’m sure you can sympathize. Our pets become family, Dewey was my little companion since I was 14 and has made every move with me since then until now. Sometimes, if not most of the the time, the right thing to do is not the easiest thing to do.

Dewey, Mowgli and I at the San Juan airport awaiting our connecting flight back to Florida ahead of Irma.

It was my wonderful father who helped us make that initial move by traveling with us here and staying long enough to help me find wheels and a place to live before reluctantly leaving me and my fur babies to return to the states. The day I moved was not my first time ever setting foot on island, back In February 2017 it was my mother that traveled to the island with me for a quick 3 day sojourn. I wanted to get a true feel for the island before I went all in with my move and my mom was eager to be the one by my side for moral support. You can only learn so much from behind a computer screen, you learn the basic facts and can read a plethora of peoples conflicting opinions but I base most of the decisions in my life, especially the life changing ones, off of vibes and my gut instincts so spending a couple of days on island was an absolute must for me. I believe in the universe, karmic energy, and following your intuition. I believe if we pay enough attention to our own feelings and to those around us, we always end up exactly where we are suppose to be. All signs for me, pointed to Croix. It took me less than one day to know with every fiber of my body that moving to Croix was the right thing.

The whole crew on our way to Miami airport moving day.

My mom and I onto of Goat Hill, one of my favorite places on the whole island.

One thing you will all come to learn if you choose to follow me, my family is my biggest support system. I am the independent , self sufficient person I am due to their constant encouragement and unwavering faith in my ability to chose what is right for myself.

Moving here is the first time in my life I have ever lived more than 30 minutes from my hometown. Before I left I already thought I knew myself pretty well but as it turns out, theres something new to learn almost every day. It’s one thing to spend time alone in your home town with your parents and closest friends just a car ride away. It is something completely different to find yourself in a place completely foreign to you, with not one prior connection, only the new people you meet from day to day. Its been liberating, lonely, uncomfortable, eye opening, breath taking, exciting and intimidating… the most wonderful life changing adventure I have embarked on yet.

I look forward to being able to share my experience as well as my insights into day to day life with the Steemit community. I also look forward to any feedback I may get from my experiences, insights and photos. It is exciting to start introducing myself to a completely new community of people and cannot wait to begin building even more new relationships.

One of my favorite beaches to hike down to, Jacks Bay.

By far my favorite place to spend my days off reading and unwinding.

I recently bought myself a camera for snorkeling and diving, I am certainly no professional but I am enjoying learning.