My wife (The Admiral) & I planned out 25th anniverasry trip to the BVI's for June of 2001. We arranged for a `10 day bareboat charter, got first class upgrades to San Juan, created list upon list, rounded up passports, we were so organized. Three weeks before departure, my Mom suddenly fell ill, requiring a heart transplant...We spent the better part of that three weeks with her in in a Tampa Hospital, 4 hours from our home. Our college age daughters thought we had abandoned them...the BVI trip was slipping away, as was Mom...unbeliveable stress with no end in sight. Mom called my sister in Texas, flew her out and begged us to take the trip. We rushed home, arriving at midnight, packed, slept two hours and caught our flight at 6am. We were zombies...until we saw those islands from the American Eagle flight. The chickens in the Tortola airport were a nice touch as was the Mad Cow disease poster at the airport. All our luggage made it, the boat was perfect, as was the weather. My wife had "dinghy-phobia" knowing she would flip out of it, After a day she was soloing all over the anchorages. We had a wonderful time shoppjng, eating out, dancing, snokeling, sailing..unwinding. Cane Garden Bay was our favorite spot...we returned twice. The lights on the mountain at night looked like lighters buring at a concert...thank-you Quito. We chatted with Foxy for 15 minutes, enjoyed a great lunch and wrote our names and date on the white gutter at his beach bar. The BVI people are wonderful...we've been all over the world and never met happier or nicer people, they can't do enough for you. We reluctantly boarded the flight home, knowing the personal trials we had to face. The BVI vacation made dealing with everything so much easier. Mom got her heart in July and is doing great...and we are going back 5/24/2002 for another 10 day charter...we're hooked! <br><br>P<br>