Editor's Letter
May 2012
You know you’re no longer a Virgin Islands newbie when…
You no longer notice the incessant crow and cackle of the 24-hour rooster; you’re unflinching when passing a herd of white goats stumbling over a steep hillside or errant horses sharing the roadside alongside vehicles. You’re really fitting in when you know more people on the island than not; you and your neighbour now have more than 100 Facebook friends in common. I suppose you’re really touting your island street cred when you have a pet lizard living in your island whip; in Flinstones form you can see asphalt and gravel through the rusted-out base of your 1992 Suzuki Vitara. And you know you’re really legit when you confidently catch a hitch on anything from a scooter to a skip.
This month, I’ll celebrate my birthday as an island resident. I remember, like it was yesterday, when I first moved to Tortola. I suppose I’ve figured out a few things in my time here, but that’s not to say I don’t have a long way to go.
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My job allows me the freedom to discover new and exciting adventures as I put the magazine together each month. I’ve tripped and traveled from Anegada to St Thomas, reviewing some of the most luxurious locales and sampling some of the finest fares in the Virgin Islands. There’s a dangerous sense of comfort and security that comes with the island life. I often think to myself: What if I never leave?
I could imagine settling down with a nice little island princess on a secluded rock with a beachside view. The newly—yet sparsely—developed Scrub Island would be a prime choice, with more than a hundred of paradisiacal acres to choose from. They’ve also recently been added to the Marriot Autograph Collection, meaning that property management and marketing perks would make my life that much easier. I’d probably post up on Governor’s Point, a place where even the palm trees on postcards wish they were.
Famed underwater photographer Armando Jenik knows all about framing those perfect postcard pictures. He’s been doing it for so long that I’m pretty sure he’s grown gills. I know Armando’s no longer a newbie because he spends more time underwater than above.
If you’re visiting the Virgin Islands, this issue will help get you started on your adventures. Bring a copy home with you and open it once in a while to remind you that some people actually call this place home, and have given up the fast-pace, fast-talk and fast foods that define that place we call the real world. In the meantime, I’ll be right here …
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… always on island time.
