So, Sunday past was our last full day on SXM until who knows when again. Hopefully, next April but right now, thanks to the on-going issues at our timeshare, I’m not banking on that but we’ll see what happens. Our two weeks literally flew by and yet, we promised ourselves this trip would have no agendas and we were damned and determined to relax and enjoy it.

It was a bittersweet trip, for me anyway. We got to spend time with old friends which is always a good thing and got to meet many more people this trip than I expected, and best of all, we got to meet people I’d hoped to come to know and at the very least, to be able to associate a face to a name. And sadly, there were a few friends from years gone by we’d hoped to connect with but we were unable to........and then there were the November groups we missed both before our arrival and after our departure - hopefully, another year and another trip our paths will cross again.

Our trip consisted of three nights at ElZafiro where the staff couldn’t have been any more gracious and welcoming as well as the accommodations being very comfortable. And then, the prize - eleven days at BSV in Unit 14, adjacent to the pool. The Mascarin family has created a real haven there that you really need to experience to appreciate fully, and I’m so happy we got to do both and we’re already looking forward to a return next Fall.

The trip itself was good but a hard one. So many ‘blue roofs’ everywhere, and so many places we’d come to love are gone. We drove around early in our trip and found it heartbreaking to see the damage and destruction everywhere. The first ride took us as far as Marigot and then on to P’berg, and it really wrenches your gut to see what so many suffered. And yet, even in our two short weeks we’ve seen old businesses reopen and new ones arise out of what used to be. But we also witnessed the sadness in the eyes of many when they spoke of their hurricane experiences.

And we know, St. Martiners from both sides of the island are a strong and resilient people, and THEY WILL SURVIVE. And they have and they are. And just like after Luis, a few years from now, that b itch Irma will be but a terrible memory like a really scary nightmare, or at least, that’s my hope.

It was funny, but staying on the beach in both places as we did, there was no strong incentive for us to go to other beaches and in fact, this was the first time in all our 45+ years of visits we never made it to Mullet. And our biggest decisions each day seemed to center around whether and where we should do meals, particularly dinner. We tried some new places and some old favorites and shared a few very pleasant evenings with good friends. It really doesn’t get much better than that, IMHO.

The journey home took place with yet more firsts. Our first departure under the current SXM airport situation; our first time using a connecting flight home in probably thirty years; and our first time connecting and clearing through CLT. And on that note, we were quite amazed the SXM airport situation went as well as it did both arriving and departing the island. I think we cleared immigration faster in our tent arrival than we ever did in the actual terminal. The only negative we experienced, and it really wasn’t too big a deal, was that we arrived almost simultaneously with the big Air France so baggage was a bit of a zoo but it often was pre Irma, right?

We connected through CLT going home. I felt a lot better when the porter told me it was actually a mile from where we deplaned at International Arrivals to where we departed in our local commuter. I suspected this might have been the case based on our flights to the island, but really, who knew?! I think I might actually consider this option coming home on future trips if it’s available and affordable. We did FF tix home this trip which is always a nice addition to any trip since free is good, particularly after all the hassles of booking flights that were ultimately cancelled and trips needing to be restructured due to other issues. But for SXM it’s well worth the effort, right?!

And in conclusion, my thoughts for those who are still debating their return, my suggestion Is go but with the mindset the island has suffered but the people are the same wonderful people you’ve always known and enjoyed. They want and benefit from our support and truly do appreciate our presence.