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Often the most beautiful sunsets come after a storm. That was most certainly the case on Tuesday night. It served as a powerful metaphor. After 4 days on an emotional rollercoaster that quite literally began with crazy and unexpected weather on island, I found myself on the water witnessing the most awe-inspiring post storm sunset I have ever seen. Complete with a rainbow that lit the sky on fire, I knew that my personal storm had passed as well. I then sat down and played my songs and shared my story and remembered who I am at my core. Sometimes life is messy. Sometimes we stumble and fall…hard. What matters most is that we get back up, brush ourselves off, place one foot in front of the other and try again. And give thanks for those who reach out a loving hand to help lift you back to your feet. It is in this space that the growing happens. There will be storms but there will also be rainbows.
#livinglovinggrowing

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Magic In The Air

Two weeks from today, I will join my friends in Puerto Rico on their beautiful vessel, Someday Soon.  We will set sail for the Bahamas and then on to Key West, Florida…There is magic in the air.

photo location: US Virgin Islands (January 2015)

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Sunday Sunset

For the most part I work in the evenings – except Sundays. On Sunday mornings I am the brunch bartender at Rhumb Lines Restaurant in Cruz Bay. It is a shift that I have worked for nearly six years, and I love it. On St. John there is no shortage of excuses to celebrate, and Sundays hold no exception – the day alone is reason enough. “Sunday Funday” is a weekly occasion. I could bemoan the fact that I regularly work through this celebration (and no doubt have from time to time), but my primary reaction is to feel that I am actually an important part of it. I, along with my Rhumb Lines cohorts, am one of the girls who waves the flag to start the races. I look forward to the locals that pile into the restaurant before they head out for their adventures. I like that I am there to nourish, caffeinate, hydrate, and adequately prep them for the volleyball, sailing, beaching, boating, and/or general shenanigans that will later ensue. We all catch up on the week that has passed and get excited about the days to come. When the shift is over I feel as if I spent the day hanging out with my friends, with my island family. I leave content. I also leave knowing that my own favorite Sunday activity still awaits…sunset.

Sunday evening sunsets provide such perfect closure to my week. The location can vary, with sailboat decks being my most preferred point of view. However, I usually enjoy the scene from my balcony. It is not always quiet – often one neighbor is rockin’ the reggae in an attempt to drown out the soca beat from a few doors down – but it is always peaceful. Some days I am joined by housemates. Other days I use the time to phone stateside friends. Sitting on my own is equally pleasurable. It is a time that naturally lends itself to reflection as the sun melts into the horizon and takes with it any of the weeks left over resistance. As the light fades and the colors stretch across the sky, I am always left feeling vastly thankful for all of the beauty that this life offers and equally hopeful for all of the possibility that the next week holds.

photo: US Virgin Islands (April 2015)