This past month has been a very exciting one, we have visited several countries some of which I only dreamed of seeing others I didn't even know about like Les Saintes. We have experienced natures grace as we approached Dominica and paddled up the Indian River at dawn, the ravages of Mount Pelle when it erupted in Martinique practically wiping out the "Paris of the Caribbean" and Neptune's wrath as we crossed to St. Lucia.
This is a cultural awakening, as a Caribbean person everyday that I walk among the peoples of these countries, exchange thoughts (when language permits) and ideas, consume their produce, drink their beer or the traditional rum and listen to the beat of their music it hits me how similar yet different we are.
Every country we have visited has it's own rhythm and it's own smell, as we approached Dominica I could smell chocolate milk well, they have groves of cocoa trees! Martinique smelled like nutmeg. In St. Lucia "just now" could mean in the next minute or in two hours. But the one common denominator in all of these countries has been the great smiles we have received, a little slow at first but once we give one we receive many, the hospitality and helpfulness.
As I told my friend Ulla (I had to travel to St. Croix as our house sitter Valentina was to return to Rome and Ara my niece was flying in from Connecticut and settling in at Estancia Green Cay for the next month) after this unimaginable experience, I will never be the same.
What a blessing this has been.
And what a blessing to have the family and friends that we have back home! As I mentioned before I had to travel to St. Croix (leaving Brian in St. Lucia) to see about the house and cars and prepare for Ara's arrival. How do you get back into your previous life after being gone for two and half months?
It was so easy; sushi with Jill, Jerry, Chris, Justine and Valentina at Dashi the first night home. Going to see Evita, which was magnificent, with Janine, Ulla, Isabel, Jill and Justine at Caribbean Community Theater. Spending the weekend at home with my sisters Ana (who cooked a mean pot for us) and La Verne, my niece Margie, my nephew Sean and Ara. Being woken up early in the morning to the sounds of my brother Tony rambling in the yard calling me awake! And Ms. Verna coming by to check on me and hear all the tales.
Oh, and the phone calls! Being in the Caribbean and away from home makes telephone conversations prohibitively expensive so the phone didn't stop ringing. Got to talk to Jonathan for an hour (such a treat) and get all of his news about life in New York City, Norma and her stories of life in Mayaguez (she retired and moved), Ibia in Vieques and George in Miami. All of this and getting the house ready too.
Thank you guys for making my short trip home a fun and successful one. I love you all but, must go back to my honey down in St. Lucia!
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