The Vacation that Wasn't...Steemit goes St. Kitts

Although the title may be a bit deceptive, this isn't about a vacation that wasn't fun, refreshing, rejuvenating and much needed.  This is about a trip to a place that changed my heart and gave me a renewed sense of gratitude, humility, and a whole new perspective on the life I have led up until this point.

Vacations throughout my life have ultimately consisted of week long trips to the beaches of North and South Carolina due the convenience of growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Up until the week of July 4th, I hadn't been on a real vacation other than a quick weekend get a way or a family visit in ten years, and a break from my norm was long overdue.  

My mother, brother and myself booked a cruise in March and the countdown to July 3rd began.  With the exception of my brother's three day venture to the Bahamas with Royal Caribbean for Spring Break, none of us had ever experienced anything like what we were about to embark upon and we had no idea what to expect.  I approached the entire experience knowing that my soul belongs by the water and was set on disembarking on an island and never returning to the United States.  I even prepared by packing a few copies of my resume in case I came across a rogue "Now Hiring" sign somewhere along the way.  

We traveled on the Allure of the Seas, one of the largest ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet and we ported in The Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Kitts.  Although the Bahamas and St. Thomas were respectively beautiful places, St. Kitts stole my heart.  During high school I went to Tijuana, Mexico on mission trips and my heart was filled, but St. Kitts gave me something I have never experienced before that I am yet to find the words to describe.  


For those of you who aren't familiar with St. Kitts, geographically it is located in the West Indies and is better known to the locals as Saint Christopher.  It was originally named for Christopher Columbus and is known for it's rainforested mountains and white, grey and volcanic black sands.  For many years it boasted a booming economy through the production of sugar cane prior to embargos being put into place by Great Britain and in the mid 2000's St. Kitts found itself in need of another form of reliable income.  Introduce: cruise ships and tourism.  



I was lucky enough to escape the beaten path that most tourists take during the day that I spent on the island.  My family and I found an older, local gentleman, who drove a taxi to support his family and was truly passionate about his home.  He drove us around the entire island, stopping along the way telling us of it's history and encouraging us to take photographs of unique landmarks and local ways of life. After a two and a half hour tour, our driver took us to a local beach to spend the remainder of our afternoon soaking in the sun and enjoying the velvety, black beach.  The tour had already pulled on my heart strings as I saw how excited the local people were to see visitors and how gracious they were for our mere existence, but what I wasn't prepared for was the way I was going to feel after becoming friends with locals.  

There were several lovely local people who had made the beach area their home and business, renting out snorkeling equipment, paddle boards, and jet skis and giving aloe massages under an umbrella with the sound of crashing waves within arms reach.  When my mother, brother and myself arrived, we basically had the beach to ourselves and were able to interact with the families residing there.  We collectively decided to rent three snorkels for a mere $5 a piece and set out to see what was lying just below the crystal blue water.  My mask was unfortunately leaky, so I left my mom and brother to go trade it in for a different one.  Upon arriving back at the tent, I met a lovely local guy named Justin.  He was at the beach with his twin brother, Jason who was looking for a job with the family we rented our snorkels from.  We immediately struck up a conversation as I don't meet a stranger and I was completely distracted from snorkeling and couldn't get enough of their accents.  Justin told me stories from his childhood growing up in St. Kitts, and I quickly learned that they had never left the island.  Most people would consider the island to be a bit of a third world country by looking at the majority of the villages and residences and it is easy to understand that many people living there have never known anything different.  Justin and I walked up and down the beach and talked for a little over three hours.  We shared a few local beers called Carib that to me tasted much like Yuengling and developed a fast friendship.


When our time together drew to a close, I gave both he and his brother a hug and retrieved a piece of paper and a pen to leave them my information so we could stay in touch.  I wrote down my phone number and email address and was quickly informed that they'd never owned a phone or a computer.  My heart cried in this moment as I realized that I would probably never see them again without a way to keep in touch, but I told them to keep it anyway in case they ever found an opportunity to reach out.  I walked away to join my mom and brother who were waiting for our taxi to arrive and tears stung my cheeks.  Here I was crying leaving this place where so many people had so little and I was going back to a boat that had anything you could imagine at your finger tips.  I didn't want the boat.  I no longer wanted my television, internet or cell phone.  I realized that what I wanted was so much more simple.  I wanted to be left on that island with those people who were all so kind and who didn't know any different and didn't have a selfish bone in their bodies.  I wanted to spend the rest of my life living simply without the hassles of our busy lives back in America.  Justin must have seen that I was crying because I felt a tap on my shoulder to find him sitting next to me offering his hand and telling me not to cry that he was going to wait with me for my taxi.  I forced a smile and said thank you as my fingers intertwined his.  I didn't give my heart to a boy which is what I normally do when it gets broken here in the US, but I gave my heart to an entire community that day.  


Fast forward three and a half weeks to a normal Wednesday morning in the office here at home.  It was about 9:30 and I was just opening up my emails and calendar to see what my day had in store for me when I felt the vibration of my phone.  To my surprise the caller ID showed St. Kitts in bright white letters and my heart skipped about four beats.  I answered to hear both Justin and Jason's voice on the other end so excited because they'd spent the previous three weeks working and saving every penny they had to buy a cell phone in order to call me so we could plan my return visit to their home.  In this moment I found my heart full again and I immediately began conspiring a way to get back to St. Kitts as soon as I possibly could.  I texted my best friend here, Adam, and explained to him that one of two things were happening...either a) we were visiting there asap or b) we were finding jobs and we were going on a long term adventure.  He was in immediate agreement and we began to plan.  I am saving every extra penny I make right now in order to give myself the opportunity to make it back to see my friends and a country that feels more like home that my own as soon as I possibly can.  

My vacation was refreshing and relaxing, but it became so much more than just a vacation because of that day spent in St. Kitts.  It became a completely life changing experience and I am have a totally renewed soul as a result.