We are back from another peaceful and relaxing trip to JVD. We stayed at White Bay Villas in the Sunset East Villa which is beautiful with breathtaking views.

Flew United from Chicago and all went smoothly. We landed in STT around 3:30 and took the 4:00 ferry (which didn’t leave until 4:50) to West End where we caught the 6:00 ferry to JVD. We were eating dinner at Corsair’s by 8:00 p.m. I couldn’t wait to savor the pizza again – there is no better place to enjoy pizza than Corsair’s. We were excited to see Vinnie and Lisa again and I was also elated to see Chi Chi (the little brown dog) again.

Most days were the same for us. We walked the road between Sandcastle and Great Harbour every day and then had breakfast on the deck of our villa. Three days I fed Chi Chi breakfast at the villa as well. I brought dog food and treats for him and also gave him water. The first day we went to the White Bay Suprette to buy eggs, cheese, bread, butter, soda, salsa, chips and cookies. This little store has everything you might need for the week.

After breakfast, we packed our beach gear and headed down to the beach for the day. We mostly hung out at Soggy Dollar because we like to people watch. It was very windy most days. One day we rented a dinghy from Colin. We went to Sandy Cay, the bubbly pool, had lunch at Foxy’s Taboo, and then had pie at Harris’ Place in Little Harbour. I love the pineapple and guavaberry pies. The swells were large and kind of scary getting around Georgy Point (I think that is what the map called it) to Sandy Cay. I didn’t enjoy that much, but once we were around the corner it was a little better. We were soaked, however, from the spray.

Most beach days, we ate lunch Soggy Dollar (I love the veggie burgers) and at Gertrude’s. We never made it down to One Love for lunch, but I heard people saying the lunches there are wonderful. We usually stayed on the beach until 5:00 or so and then had happy hour at the villa until dinner. We ate at Corsair’s a lot because I love Vinnie, the pizza, and Lisa our waitress. Chi Chi joined us a lot for dinner as well. My husband loved the shark and the mahi-mahi.

We also went to Ali Baba’s for the Monday night BBQ which was wonderful and my favorite BBQ on the island now. We have done Foxy’s in the past, but have not had good experiences there so skipped that one this time. It is just so busy and we have had experiences with some rude, drunk people there. Ali Baba’s was much more laid back. Ivan’s BBQ on Thursday was fun as well and we met some great people. We met one guy, named Z, from London who was actually contemplating quitting his job. He works in a high stress job in London and after only 2 days on JVD he realized how unhappy he has been for the last 11 years. It was fascinating to talk with him. He said over and over again how he had never met so many happy people. JVD has changed his life. Every trip we meet people like Z and it is wonderful to hear their stories.

We flew back Saturday to snow, rain, and cold temps.

JVD sure has a way of putting life into perspective and relaxing one’s mind. I have only been back 2 days and am attempting to teach grammar for the ACT test to my students. Wow. What a jolt back to reality. I am lucky I remembered how to get to work. Also, the more time I spend on JVD, the more I notice people at home who are so stressed and always in a rush. I want to tell them to, “Slow down. What really is there to worry about? Life will work itself out.”

Lastly, in the STT airport I found two great books about the islands. One is called A Trip to the Beach by Melinda and Robert Blanchard. It is about a couple who sell everything and move to Anguilla and open a restaurant. I loved learning about living on island time. The second book is called An Embarrassment of Mangoes by Anne VanderHoof and is about a couple who sell everything, buy a sailboat, and sail from Toronto to Trinidad and back. I have not finished this one yet, but I love it so far.

Next trip is December and we will be staying at White Bay again. Thad and Malia are wonderful and will do anything for you. Bonnie is also wonderful as you plan your trip.

With a sigh I now go back to reality. Thank goodness I have Reuben’s CD and my memories of JVD to keep the peaceful feeling alive.