Sailingdipity: St. Thomas In The Distance

St. Thomas in the Distance.

We are on our way. We have sailed away and St. Thomas is in the distance behind us. In the preparations this morning I had a break down. Jake and Fred (my father in-law) left the dock with Dozer and Crew to move the boat from the dock to another bay. We still had a few more loose ends and errands to tie up before leaving St. Thomas, so I stayed on land to finish those up. As I walked to the car and said farewell to the familiar faces I started to feel it coming on. I got in the car and lost it.

After living four years some place, you definitely have mixed feelings about leaving. Living in St. Thomas, we knew it wasn’t the right fit for us. We knew it wasn’t the place that we wanted to stay and settle down. The first few years were interesting getting to know the people and customs of the island. I was very unhappy with the difficulty to make close friends and the stresses of my job. I was ready to leave last year. With the engine problems keeping us another year my outlook changed. I guess everything happens for a reason. If I had left a year ago, I would have had no hesitation. This year is a whole other story. The last year has given me a more positive outlook on the island. Though my taste for the island isn’t as sour as before, I know that it isn’t the place for us. I know that the close friends we make are most likely to leave island and move on to bigger things. I know that we have a lot of aspirations that can’t be fulfilled there. I know that even though we developed sincere friendships with many people, it was time for us to move on. Change is hard, that is why I broke down.

It is the best thing for us to leave. Our future is bright with open seas waiting for us to explore. There is so much that I want to accomplish and I know that acclimating to change is what will help me do that. So here is to a whole new adventure. It is time to be brave and take some risks!

I look back on St. Thomas and have a lot of negative memories. Those memories helped me grow. Those situations helped Jake and I grow closer as a couple, knowing that we had each other to count on. With our final year being more enjoyable, I have positive memories and friendships I hope will last a lifetime. So St. Thomas, Thank you. Thank you for the good and the bad. Thank you for always keeping things interesting. I won’t miss the entitlement some have or everyone wanting to work on island time. However, I will miss all those moments when you just shake your head and say, “Only in St. Thomas, you can’t make this up!”