Our B.V.I. Adventure

What a week and a half "back in the states!"  Let's do this by the numbers...

16 flights
4 states (5 if you count Maryland for our layover in Baltimore)
2 weddings
Countless memories!

I went ahead of Michael to spend some time with my mom.  She drove down to Orlando so we could go shopping and enjoy little luxuries like air-conditioning, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks!  

Next stop was Waynesville, North Carolina by way of the Asheville Regional Airport.  Our friends Parrish and Jonathan had a destination wedding in this adorable mountain town, peppered with lush green golf courses with picturesque backdrops of the Great Smoky Mountains.  We had an absolute blast!!!  Thanks to Ashley and Gordon for being our traveling companions!
Michael's brother, Matt was kind enough to pick us up in North Carolina and take us to Knoxville, where our friends and family were gathered in Market Square.  This was our first time back in 8+ months!  I was able to go into work and see all of my colleagues.  We even went to lunch together at Aubrey's, our favorite lunch spot. 
Michael and I also spent some valuable time with our two beautiful nieces, Avery and Gracen.  They are the sweetest things alive!!!

As we visited our way through Knoxville, my sister Whitney made her way to the BVI.  She was so kind to take care of Milly while we continued our US adventure!  We left our car at the airport for her.  While she had been to the BVI for two previous visits, she had never driven...that was probably the toughest part for her!  {We'll find out in her exit survey - coming soon!}

Our last stop was Cleveland, Ohio for our friend Richard's wedding.  Neither of us had been to Cleveland before and we were pleasantly surprised!  We left out of Nashville, on the same flight as our friends Kevin and Lauren who visited the BVI last month!  We had an absolute blast!


An alternate title for this post could easily be "Collage Crazy" because apparently, that is what I am!  I have just started to organize my photos with Flickr and use Picture2Life to create these collages...still figuring it out.

Congrats to Parrish & Jonathan and Anne & Richard!  Thanks to all of our family and friends who made our visit so special.  We hope to see you again soon, whether it's here in the BVI or stateside.  Love to you all!

Off to find out what Tropical Storm Bonnie has in store...

This is the term we're using to describe our week back in the states...we'll be "off island." 

Michael and I have two weddings to attend, the first of which is in North Carolina.  It will be wonderful to be in the Great Smoky Mountains and enjoy some cooler temperatures.  The second wedding is in Cleveland, Ohio.  I've never been to Cleveland...not sure what to expect. 

We're also going to do indulge in some retail therapy, and most important of all: spend some much needed time with family and friends in Knoxville!!!

The only sad part about a week and a half "off island" is leaving this little thing behind:

She came with Michael to drop me off at the airport.  {While I headed over to Orlando on Wednesday, his flight is on Thursday.} 

We are so lucky to have a wonderful neighbor to take care of Milly for us while we're away.  My sister will be traveling to the BVI next week, so she'll be with her for a few days before we return. 

So, if you'll bear with us, our next few posts will be focused on "Our US Adventure!"

Da Tree Men performed an original at The Elm on Sunday night.  Adam, the lead singer of the band, has been writing songs about the British Virgin Islands for the past several months, and I was anxious to hear one of them.

The title is "Jost van Dyke" and for those of you who've been there, you will most definitely relate to the lyrics!  That means you, Caty, Matt, Liz, Jeff, Gerry, Felicity, Whitney, mom, dad, JMac, McRee, KK, Lauren, Brian and Beth!!!  :)

So, without further ado, here it is!



Lyrics...
I got drunk as a skunk last night at a bar on Jost van Dyke
Which bar I can't tell you by its name
Played with Reuben Chinnery, you were sitting next to me
Felt the sun and played the ring toss game
I've got to get myself back there again


Tropical paradise so nice - yeah yeah, take my advice
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke
(repeat)


They've got a drink to kill your pain while the breezes cool your brain
Get out there and you'll see what I mean
In this world of broken dreams where things are not what they seem
Take one trip out there and you'll see what I mean


Tropical paradise so nice - yeah yeah, take my advice
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke
(repeat)


Take a plane, take a boat, maybe build a raft and float
Click your heels three times and just pretend you're there
In this world of broken dreams where things are not what they seem
Take one trip out there and you'll see what I mean


Tropical paradise so nice - yeah yeah, take my advice
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke
(repeat)
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke

The song is catchy isn't it?  I just love it!!!  As I listen to it over and over again, a slideshow of all the good times we've had there plays in my head.  Maybe once the song is recorded - which is the intent - I'll have to make such a slideshow set to Jost van Dyke! 

There are a few things that crack me up about this week's Signage Sunday.  For starters, the construction of this "sign."  It's essentially a t-shirt stretched out over a piece of plywood, covered in plastic. 

The name of the company also gives me pause.  mmBEKAA  Is this someone's actual name?  Surely, this doesn't refer to the Bekaa Valley region in the Middle East...  Maybe BEKAA is an acronym?  And if it is, does it taste really yummy, which would explain the preceeding "mm"s?

"Sew Classy San Diego."  {Dad, that's another Anchorman reference...}

Hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July weekend!

Our friend, Adam - the lead singer of Da Tree Men - has launched a website dedicated to live music in the British Virgin Islands.  It is www.bvimusic.com.



You have to check it out!  While it's a work is progress and new bands and venues will be added regularly, there's plenty to see, read, and soon enough, to hear!

Adam has been writing songs about the BVI over the last several months and if we're lucky, Da Tree Men will perform one of them on Sunday night at The Elm.  I'll make sure to take a video of that performance!

It's no secret that Michael and I love Mexican food and it's been one of the major things we've missed since moving to the BVI.  It was our first stop when we went to Ft. Lauderdale a few months ago, but now, 210 days in to our BVI adventure...we've found a fix!  Two of them actually.

One of our favorite restaurants, Barfly (which is connected to The Dove) has Mexican night on Tuesday nights.  So far we've been twice and loved it both times. Their pork tacos are to die for!!!  For our Knoxville friends, they rival the pork tacos at La Costa, back when Greg was the owner and they smoked the pork themselves.

The more "traditional" Mexican restaurant is Emile's Cantina in East End.  This outdoor restaurant is situated just off the main road, with a deck for patio seating and a small bar.  While they're known for their pizzas {Go figure!} Emile's Cantina is in fact a Mexican restaurant.

We had two cold cervezas, okay, maybe four!

And we enjoyed the spicy shrimp tacos and chicken chimichanga very much!  So much so in fact that we forgot to take a picture before it was too late!

Oh, and I must share this little antecdote...

You know how most Mexican restaurants serve complimentary chips and salsa?  Well, we knew better than to think that would be the case at Emile's.  But since nachos were on the menu, we asked if we could get some chips and salsa.  The chips were delicious...made right there in the kitchen and served warm, but we had to laugh when the bill came.  It looked something like this:


Yep, $8.00 for chips and salsa!  In a weird way it makes sense, because there are days when we're at the grocery store and notice that a bag of Ruffles is $7.99.    

Hard to believe, in a little more than a week we'll be in Knoxville on Market Square enjoying Soccer Taco with friends!  Salud!