The countdown has started!

In 1999, I took my soon-to-be husband to visit my family in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. I have not been back since. It really hasn’t been for lack of trying. My husband and I were married in 2000 here in the states. Since then, it has been one life-changing event after another. None of them has led me back to my rock.
Sadly, I have missed many birthday celebrations, family reunions and most disturbingly, my grandfather’s funeral. My children have never had the opportunity to meet their 98 year old great-grandmother, plethora of cousins, aunts and uncles or even sink their toes into the sand at Magen’s Bay.

While wiping back tears of overwhelming happiness, we purchased our tickets. Excitement, fear, anxiousness and nostalgia consumed me the instant I hit “Submit” on the ticket purchase. Of course, I had to spread the news with a series of Facebook posts, texts and phone calls – which, by the way, occurred simultaneously. (I love my smartphone!)

So, now the planning begins. I have downloaded the Virgin Islands app on my iPhone, contacted my parents and family, emailed copies of our itinerary to those who absolutely need it and begun organizing the kids’ clothes to determine what to pack and what to purchase. I have also beefed up my efforts at my current weight loss plan (Currently at -16#s!) Without admitting it openly, my hubby has done the same.
Time is flying as we prepare for this trip. But, every so often, I’ll sit back and think about how much it means to me to be able teach my children about their family, their culture and most importantly, me.