"What are we doing here?" I say after getting off a plane into the worst weather Chicago has seen in my lifetime.
Jason looks at me and says "Fuck it, let's move to The Virgin Islands."
Two weeks later our home was on the market, two weeks later it sold, and two weeks later I was shoving all our keepsakes into a "Pod", selling our furniture, and giving our other nonsense away... Off we went.
I know in my mind that it didn't really happen like that, Jason and I have been making moves for years to be able to get the hell out, we had constructed our lives to be portable, Jason working on a business for over a decade that he could have anywhere. We knew we didn't want to raise our 2 year old in the "Heartland".
Nonetheless, we are here.
Our car isn't, it is somewhere in the ocean, only one week delayed, so far.
Our home here is beautiful and perfect for us. We woke up the day before yesterday, no water. As the water was being pumped in by a kind Dominican man, our power went out. We've had two pool guys here, none of which are hired to do so, but our pool looks grand. but other than that, everything has been smooth.
I know so far that the "locals" require "salutations" to do anything. I know that when it rains here, IT REALLY RAINS... and I know that everything moves at a snails pace, and people love to chat. Efficiency is not a priority here, but kindness and consideration is a must. The "old-timers" seem to loath "new-comers", or "white people", I haven't been able to tell which, but the "under-sixties" are genuine, funny, and eager to help. If you say you live on the island, you get a cheaper price. Personally, I appreciate the "we are all in this together" mentality.
I've found decorating Kmart Couture Style works for me... We used bath towels and grommets to make couch cushion covers, and I made a rug for my bedroom using multiple rugs. I like the thought process of "what can we do with what we have", I get to use my creativity and it makes me appreciate one of my gifts, making something better than it was before.
Driving on the left hand side is far easier than I thought it would be. Driving on the side of a mountain? Not so bad.... and since I am used to getting honked at, the honking doesn't seem to bother me a bit. I haven't received one bird, or one mouthed "fuck you" yet, a vast improvement from where I come.
My Momma and Poppy came to settle us, they will be here until the 13th. We took them to Magens Bay, shopping, and out to dinner, other than that, they have both been working like dogs to make us comfortable. There is something about having your Momma around, she knows just what you like, when you like it, and I love having her near me. I am so grateful to have them.
There is a feeling here, a calmness, a satisfaction to knowing that we are living a dream, that our lives aren't "happening to us" here, we did this, "we happened to our lives". We didn't move here for a job, or away from a marriage, or because we had to, we did it because we wanted to, and that is freeing.
I know that a geographical location is incapable of making someone happy, but the power of going somewhere and doing what you want because you wanted to does have the power to bring happiness.
