Goodness, where do I start? Italy has changed my life, twice. Once in high school, when I stayed in Alagna with Mara during an exchange program, and now. I left making many changes in my life, allowing myself time to digest changing careers, relationships, goals. I returned a new person--revived, alive, passionate, confident and plotting my return for a longer stay next year. Traveling 2 weeks solo, flying internationally, navigating the cities, figuring out the trains and metro, stumbling with the language and making the most of each location was life-changing. I gained confidence and conviction, plus met many wonderful new friends. Spending the end of the trip with Mara and her friends and family to be in her wedding was icing on the cake, if you will! Landing in Rome, I toured the city, then ventured to the Tuscan countryside to Montepulciano and surrounding rural wine country towns. Then I went back to urban trekking in Florence, then off to the Alps and the Valsesia valley. Videos soon come on my Gallery page.

Boy, do I love Manhattan. Spending a week there for the 3rd Annual New China Dragon Call Conference, I learned, saw, walked and absorbed a LOT. Surrounded by incredible industry professionals and having the opportunity to join them for a week was invaluable. It made me consider more seriously how I can continue to pursue that avenue, balancing working in Manhattan and STJ. I'll figure it out. Meanwhile, the fashion, the style, the selection, the shopping...gasp! Also incredible! I had to buy extra shoulderbags to carry home my purchases. Can't wait to get up there again soon.

Ahhhhhh...nothing like the country in the Springtime. I recently returned from a quick trip home to see family at my homeplace in rural West Virginia. Along the eastern panhandle, just before you drop deep into the Appalachians, my home in North River Mills always brings sanctuary. 2 hours from the nearest airport, it's not a quick trip to fly in and out. But so worth it! Spent a few days with family: rock scrambling with my dad, visiting the grandparents in the nursing homes, going to a festival with mom. The smells, oh the smells of the country in spring! Fresh grass, rains, mud, lilacs.

And there's nothing like Wal-mart! My goodness, they have everything! And so cheap! After living on STJ for coming on 4 years, I'm used to the 60% increase in the cost of living. But it's still so amazing to head back to the Everyday Low Prices and all the selection of stuff! So much STUFF! Living on a tiny, remote island has its wonderful payoffs...including the lack of products and variety. Keeps us from going nuts and buying more than what we need.

The other annual event I love to attend when home in WV is Apple Blossom. The week-long celebration in Winchester, VA features apple pie baking contests, a celebrity queen (usually some famous person's kid), dances, a firemens' parade, a Grand Parade, a circus, a carnival and a Midway vendor charade. It celebrates the heritage of Winchester and the annual bloom of apples, a favorite crop in the area. Check out the website at thebloom.com.

To the city for a weekend! NYC is a wonderful place--the energy, the people, the availability of everything at your fingertips, morning runs in Central Park, the museums, the fashion...sigh. I flew up for a solo weekend to galavant in the city, to go to all the places I have always wanted to see: the Met, the museum of Natural History, shopping in Columbus Circle, running at sunrise in Central Park, a Broadway show. I was hoping to hit more--but you can only do so much in a couple days! Every minute was fantastic--it was hard to get back on a plane this morning. Another day or two would have been perfect! But that means I return and am already looking at my calendar to plan another weekend. Flying direct is only 3 hrs and 45 mins from St. Thomas--it's nothing. I saw "Wicked" on Broadway as my first ever show. What a performance! Talk about energy! I also saw many fabulous outfits, boots and bags and spent time with new great friends. Vowing to travel light, I only came back with one pair of sneakers, perfume and a shoulder bag...and a wonderful memory. Traveling has a way of making your everyday "stresses" instantly seem insignificant. Highly recommend taking a spontaneous trip anywhere--gets your juices going fresh again.

One of my first memories of St. John was of the taxis. Riding a taxi is an experience all in its own here. The roads are certainly not flat nor are they straight, and these taxi drivers are very familiar with them...enough so that they seemingly fly over the hills when you're riding on the back of one. Jumping onto a taxi and heading to a North Shore beach when you first come to St. John can be a life changing experience...in more ways than one! But (knock on wood) you rarely here of any accidents, and these guys do know what they're doing. Just get off the road if you're running and you see one coming.

Football on St. John is certainly not as popular as it is in the states, but there is a core group of fans (mostly those of us that have moved here) that routinely hang out at the bars on Sundays for football. Skinny Legs, an open-air bar out in Coral Bay, is my favorite place to go with 5 HD TVs displaying games. They hold the best Super Bowl party, packing the little rustic bar with people from all over the island. They put up a huge screen out in the yard next door to broadcast the game. Drinks are cheap and frequent, as are the laughs and cheers. It's safe, it's fun, it's lively. This year proved no different as the Steelers brought home the title.

Love City's little park, straight across from the ferry dock, has been shaping up. Newly painted park benches, groundskeeping, signs and new trash cans have made the space look 100 times better. The chickens don't have as much grub to grab! But one feels safer hanging out there now. With the rains we've been having lately, the green leaves and blossoms are making it even more lovely. A pleasant greeting as one steps off the ferry onto St. John.

Seriously, I'm not going to skip heading out to my favorite beach as soon as I step foot back on the island! The smells, the air, the breezes are like no other: it feeds the soul. Even with the little no-see-ums going nuts on my arms and legs, it was still splendid to be back.

Fall and winter bring the Tradewinds to the Caribbean. The waters are clear and the sealife is active! I tried wind surfing for the first time this past weekend. Yahoo! I found a new sport I want to get into! With instructions from a South African surfer with over 15 years experience, I managed to stay on the board and get the sail up. From there, I kept flipping off backwards before I could get the sail into the wind. It will take a lot of practice. But what a great diversion from the work week!

Starting the mornings swiming over sting rays, starfish, sharks (see below), turtles and coral has a way of setting my whole day on the right track. Like going for a run and seeing the ocean horizon blazing orange and blues with the sunrise, I can get lost in those moments. That simple yet awesome beauty, natural and perfect, can be taken for granted seeing it on a daily basis. But when you take that moment to appreciate it...you can find inspiration and reassurance. Reassurance that beauty is everywhere, if you stop to look and recognize it.
I know for sure when the next car passes me on the road, a driver waves and grins with a friendly smile. That, too, is as beautiful in its own way--especially when it's the same people, every day. And every day, they smile and wave. Every day that beauty is out there, when you stop to appreciate it.

May 2008: What's It Worth?

March 2008: Independence

January 2008: Lessons to Learn

August 2007: Genuine Authenticity

June 2007: Finding True Love

March 2007: Letting Go

January 2007: Forget Be Not.

December 2006: Time.

July 2006: Contentment

June 2006: Authenticity

May 2006: Inside Out

April 2006: Getting a Grip

March 2006: In the Now

February 2006: Cultivating High Energy

January 2006: Where Are You Now?

December 2005: Just Do It

November 2005: Your Wish, Your Command

October 2005: Knowledge verses Experience