Day 3: We left Francis Bay and sailed to to Leinster Bay, St. John. We decided to make the three-mile round trip hike to the ruins of the old Anneburg Sugar Plantation. Here we met locals Charles and Olivia. Charles explained to us how to open coconuts, provided us with fresh sugar cane to chew, and spoke about how the coconuts and sugar cane made the bees 'hype.' Mr. Charles nicknamed Steve 'Mr. Too Strong' after breaking Charles' rock in an attempt to crack open a coconut. After about a half hour with him, Steve and Charles shook hands. "Mutual respect," Charles said to Steve in a truly heartwarming moment. In just a short time, this man - a stranger - was able to determine the kind of person my husband is and gave him the respect he always gives others. We also met Miss Olivia in the bread house. She was using an ancient method to cook dumb bread. We enjoyed her vanilla lime tea and hearing about her experiences when she visited the states. After our visit to Anneburg, we decided to snorkel around a small island in Leinster Bay. This was very special to me since this was the very first place I snorkeled as a young girl. The boys enjoyed seeing turtles, rays, and colorful fish. Meanwhile I enjoyed watching them explore the beautiful underwater world surrounding us. Day 4: We left the lovely island St. John and sailed into British waters. After adhering the 'Q' flag to the mast, we made our way into Sopher's Hole, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Here we met with Boarder and Customs agents for the BVI's and cleared customs. In addition, we provisioned and set sail to Jost Van Dyke. Unfortunately due to a regatta, there weren't any moorings near Foxy's. We decided to sail to Sandy Cay, where the boys were ecstatic to walk ashore and explore this uninhabited island. We later left Sandy Cay and anchored in Manchioneel Bay off the coast of Little Yost Van Dyke, home of Foxy's Taboo. The boys snorkeled around Manchioneel bay. William took to diving with his snorkel gear on, something I am still not comfortable doing. It amazes me how at ease he is when he is snorkeling. I remember being timid and quite afraid when I was snorkeling as a child. There is plenty to remember when snorkeling: keep your head at the surface, move your fins, don't get too close to fire coral or urchins, clear your gear if water gets in, don't drop your legs down to disturb the ocean floor, enjoy the scenery. Yet here he is, wondering off and exploring the sea as if he is in his element. William has always been one to explore and wander - it should be no surprise that he views the sea as a new playground. Fearless. Inquisitive. Soaking up all of these new experiences.
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Lots of narrative & pictures coming soon detailing our adventures in the US & British Virgin Islands!
Day 1: The night before we left we could hardly sleep. The anticipation of being reunited with Mom and David after a long four months kept Steve and I up later than we would have liked. When the alarm sounded at 2:00 am, we packed the car and headed to New Jersey. Our direct flight was scheduled to depart at 7:00 am with an anticipated arrival of 11:00 am in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI. Our itinerary couldn't have worked out better. Smooth flight -albeit Ben and I were in the seats dubbed the 'torture seats-' last row on the plane. We were treated with drinks and snacks by the lovely flight crew for being in 'the most uncomfortable seats on the plane.' We didn't mind and shared our goodies with Steve and William who were seated directly in front of us. As the plane began to descend, the boys were peering out the windows at the crystal blue waters. It was exciting to say the least! We were one of the first few to exit the plane and eagerly made our way to find Mom and David. As we turned the corner, there they were! Oh, what good and long hugs we had! Mom and I cried tears of joy - she is truly one of my best friends and I had missed her so much! Thankfully, we packed light; just a carry on for each of us. We had a twenty minute walk to catch the local taxi service - an open air safari type vehicle made from a converted pick-up truck. Thirty minutes later we arrived in Red Hook. The boat was docked at American Yacht Harbor, which is where we spent our first night. We enjoyed Molly Malones for lunch along with the locals- iguanas that wander around the floor of the open air restaurant searching for dropped morsels. Steve enjoyed presidente and I enjoyed my first 'painkiller.' Day 2: We quickly learned that you rise with the sun and fall with the sun on a sailboat. Our day started early as we prepared to leave Red Hook and sail to Francis Bay, in St. John. The day included the boys first snorkeling adventure off the beach in Francis Bay. Ben was apprehensive while Will was in his element. The boys enjoyed the warm temperatures of the water and swam off the back of the boat. After dinner, we all settled in and watched the most impressive sunset. Steve and the boys tried some night fishing, which allowed everyone to see the massive tarpons. A lone bat swooped in several times capturing a snack as the light shone on the water. As the years go on, so does my understanding of how important family truly is. We are blessed to be spoiled by the love our family showers us with. Today marks the end of the 2014/2015 wrestling season for the Chandler boys. We are not traveling for any post season events; they aren't ready.
William had one of his best days of wrestling yesterday. He had 3 wins and 2 loses. He came in 6th out of a 16 man bracket. One of his teammates lovingly reminded him that he beat a kid he lost to at the beginning of the season. #closingthegap Benjamin was a tough little dude yesterday. Although he was pinned in his final match, he closed the gap with another little guy he was chasing all season. Two overtimes and a 'controversial' coach {aka Dad} decision, he lost : 2-2. Hard to explain when the score table shows a final score as a tie. Benjamin came in 4th out of a 16 man bracket. Another season closes with lessons learned, and more importantly stronger bonds enriched. Forget the past
Respect you for who you are Inspire one another Encourage dreams Never compete Deserve you Support you Friendship is hard. It takes work. Honesty. Forgiveness. Understanding. When times get tough, real friends work it out instead of walking away. Competition doesn't exist. EVER. I appreciate each and everyone of you. You inspire, enlighten, and nourish my soul. |
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AuthorTraci, a wife, mother of two boys, Special Education teacher, and sole proprietor of Eco Alternatives LLC. Archives
September 2021
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