So, today I made 30 and it has been a lot of fun so far. Word spread about the birthday while I was out last night and the fun-loving people of Red Hook were more than happy to join in on the party. It all started around 8PM and didn't matter to them that it wasn't my birthday just yet (or that they didn't even know me), and my protests simply led to a countdown to midnight. Strangers become acquaintances or friends here very quickly, which is something that I have really loved about this place. So a good time was had by all and the party resumes tonight at Duffy's. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood! I'll even buy you a drink if you tell me I don't look a day over 25! :)
I know it's been a while since I've written, so I thought I would post a few pictures that show what I've been doing. Those of you who know me well worry when I don't post for a while because the delay is sometimes due to sadness. And that is partly the case this time, but only slightly so and overall I have been doing well. I hope that you enjoy the pictures below and I thank Kristen so much for taking them. Hopefully I'll dust my camera off soon and snap some photos of my own for you to enjoy.
What in the world does Trish do there in St. Thomas??
Well, I do have to eat, afterall. The island isn't exactly known for its cuisine(especially for people like me who don't eat seafood), but I have found a few good places to go and now have some favorites. This is me at Off the Hook. It's a great setting, a small yellow building off to the side as you are driving through Red Hook. Although it doesn't look like much from the front, when you enter it you realize that the dining area is open to the outside and that the restaurant sits right on the water. The harbour is right there so you can check out all the beautiful boats.
This particular picture reminds me of another great aspect of life here and that's how quickly you can meet people and form relationships. Kristen and I, after about 17 arduous hours of travel and luggage still AWOL, went to Duffy's on our way home from the airport. We met Pete, a really nice guy from Chicago who has come to St. Thomas many times and would love to move down here. Pete was very sweet to associate with us at all given our ragged, smelly conditions. Two days later, on the night of this photo, Pete happened to walk into Off the Hook when we were dining and he blew right past us. He came over a few minutes later to apologize, stating that he didn't recognize us at first. Amazing what clean clothes and a shower can do for a girl! So we chatted with Pete for a while, met his parents, he took a picture with us, and we all went on our merry way. (Okay, so we went to Duffy's.)
So now that I have energy from eating, it's time for some fun. I enjoy hanging out with friends. Adam, our captain from the Water Taxi, snapped this photo which seriously looks like a swimsuit ad in a JC Penney catalog. Aside from the friends I strongarm into coming to visit from the mainland, I have met so many nice people here to hang out with. I can leave my place at 2 in the afternoon for a quick outing, but end up staying out until 2 AM because I run into friendly faces and end up chatting with this person, then that one, then dinner with that one, drinks with another, etc. It's just crazy to think that 4 months ago I didn't know any of them.
Along the theme of fun, there's plenty of time to play here. This little ring toss game is on Jost at Soggy Dollar Bar. They say (and I think it may be true) that your chances of getting the ring on the hook increase the more you drink. Of course, that rumor may have been started by Soggy Dollar in order to sell more Pain Killers, not that the delicious drink wouldn't sell itself to begin with. There are plenty of ways to play here including going to the beach, swimming, golfing, snorkeling, diving, sailing, hiking, and more.
Mostly, I just like to enjoy the islands. This is me on the water taxi on the way back from Jost van Dyke, Pain Killer in hand. I love to be out on the boat to feel the wind in my hair and see the beautiful landscape. I still need to visit a couple more islands before leaving. But even though I've been on St. Thomas for 4 months, I still am blown away by the views of the land and water that I see every day. After a big storm (wind, not rain) came last week the water was even more spectacular than ever. In leaving my apartment to go to work, I ended up standing outside my front door for a good 5 minutes just amazed at the beauty.
So that's my life here in a nutshell - or at least on my days off. I eat, hang out on the beach, hang out with friends, play a little, and try to visit the other islands. It really has been a great experience and I thank you all again for your love and support.
