A beautiful view of the island right before we landed

It’s been a minute since my last post - time seems to be speeding up since returning to the island. Not a ton to report, but the combination of finally finding our groove with work and school schedules, as well as meeting more people has kept us comfortably busy. Two Saturday’s ago we went to a local craft fair and found a small piece of artwork, locally made rum and the kids each got the most adorable crocheted animals.

The last two weeks in particular have been filled with the most incredible impromptu gatherings - from last minute beach get togethers, to homemade pizza and taco nights, to adult and kids jam sessions - we’ve had the best time. We feel so fortunate to have met a group of wonderful friends.

One thing I’ve learned is, entertaining here is so different than at home. There is an unspoken understanding that just the simple act of getting together is enough. There are no expectations. Everyone knows how hard it is to have everything you want when you want it, to prepare the perfect meal or serve your favorite cocktail, so instead we all just pitch in where we can and make do with what we have. It has been so refreshing for my type A personality; there is so much beauty in the unplanned.

In other news, you may have heard about the SpaceX Starship that blew up just over the Bahamas. Thank God it didn’t reach land or it could have been disastrous. We couldn’t see the explosion from our house, but friends did and it was pretty remarkable.

Screengrab from video a friend took of the rocket explosion over the island

Our kayak and paddle board rack rusted out and broke, so Tom and the kids made a new rack out of wood we had laying around from the garage. We’re learning that anything metal that’s remotely close to the water has about an 18 month lifespan. The salt air is so corrosive, but thankfully wood seems to fare pretty well.

The garage has made a little more progress, too. While the kids were at sailing, Tom and I drove about 30 minutes south to the lumber yard and purchased two, 20’ treated 2x10 boards, then tied them up to the top of the Jeep. The guys at the yard seriously thought we were nuts! Tom installed the boards and they look pretty good. Now we just need to repair some of the plaster around them and give them a coat of stain.

We continue to see the most beautiful sea life! Sting rays, skates, dolphins, sharks, turtles starfish and all sorts of interesting fish we’ve never seen before.

The kids are getting more comfortable surfing and sailing and after discovering some ruins yesterday, they are trying to convince me and Tom that we need to buy and restore the property. I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen, but it has been fun to listen to them dream about what they would turn it into.