TravelStream™ news feed for member ashleyandustin on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ashleyandustin en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:15:42 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1240704060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1240704060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1240704060/tpod.html Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:15:42 -0400 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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St. John, Virgin Islands US

Hello to everyone! Sorry for such a long break. I can attribute it to two things: after the five month mark it began to feel less and less like we were on a trip that we should be keeping log of and more and more like being back in the regular grind of life as it would be anywhere else (which seems to amaze tourists); the second being that just when the first was taking place everything seemed to start getting complicated and things not only got busy but confusing. Let me elaborate, end of Dec. I (Dustin) take the Restaurant Manager position at Crazy Cracker's- a decision based on the opportunity of a higher level management title( mas $$) and ownership in the next five years. Well, that was not part of the original plan but if you remember there was no true "plan." So now were toying with the idea of living here five to ten years, doing some traveling in the off season and then reassessing after we have a taste of being business owners. The beginning of March brings a conversation and some changes in the operation of the restaurant that points towards things not being as we (I) had thought, so we start to re-think our plan again. My mom, dad and youngest brother came to visit at the end of March so I hold off on making any drastic decisions till I get some of Dad's trusted advise. Also an other element is thrown into the mix- Freddy Mills ;). After a brief introduction and a trip across to St. Thomas, Freddy is thought of as a friend. Another sail and he suggests that Ash and I accompany him up to Bermuda and on to New York. That all happened very fast, and I had to talk it over with my better half. So we kick around the idea, and a decision was made during the St. Thomas International Rolex Regatta.~ sailing is something that needs to be in our future. So after my parents leave we confirm our spot on crew up North, and put in our notice at work. And that brings us to late April, planning on leaving with in the next two weeks and not too sure in the coarse after NY.

With my husband's wonderful recap I feel as though we're up to date on the logistics. Looking back on our time here, I've realized we've only been to the beach maybe half a dozen times together, and we've missed out on countless boat trips because of Dustin's work. Although I must say this has been a fantastic learning experience in many ways. We've come to better understand what owning and running a business entails, and ways to succeed or fail in such an endeavor. I'd say we have made some wonderful friends and come up against some very interesting adversaries-understanding more of ourselves in each encounter. As Dustin said we've found we share a love for sailing and a motivation to live on a boat. I had no idea how many people actually do it, but this area is a haven for live aboard sailors. We spend hours obsessively browsing yachtworld.com looking for just the right vessel for us and entertaining fantasies of circumnavigation. Dust has developed an astounding sailing vocabulary while I tend to focus on floor plan and color scheme. (Gotta have both sides of the coin right?)

I feel that we've become slightly jaded to the beauty of this place,
and then I remind myself that's simply the work talking. Whenever we venture out we are reminded why so many people from the states have made their homes here, and why it's considered one of the most beautiful places in the world.
One can never forget the crystal clear bright blue waters of the Caribbean, nor can they forget the demeanor of its people-an interesting mix of intensity and social abandon. I've come to feel uncomfortable more often than not, and getting use to that is a process I've not enjoyed. Perhaps that helps explain our reasons for not writing another blog as well, since both of us have trouble putting into words social experiences here that caught us completely off guard. It is so very different from "home" in so many ways, such is the intention of travel, to-to experience all the world has to offer. Now we're off to a different part of the world for a while... just not sure where.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1232390460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1232390460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1232390460/tpod.html Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:59:27 -0500 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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St. John, Virgin Islands US

Yes, I really did put glitter on the "pig skin" Dustin drew on the super bowl poster we decorated today. I wanted it to be obvious that a female was responsible for the artistic additions and I figured iridescent glitter on the laces was a dead giveaway. The American football holiday spirit is much easier to get into that the Christmas holidays were, being a drinking holiday by nature it fits nicely into everyones repertoire. Speaking of drinking, my 30 day hiatus is up in 5 short days. Successful completion = computer shopping for me!! We're planning a boat trip to break my fast, I'll keep you posted.

MLK day and the inauguration are making a big splash. The Love City Pan Dragons (the local youth steel drum band) were in the park today, my favorite addition to any holiday. I hope everyone stateside is as enthusiastic, I don't go a day without seeing an Obama t-shirt walking around town.

Our first movie night was today-four months since our last trip to the theater and we spent 166 minutes in a "cold as $&%# degree" room (thank you Dustin for the temperature estimate) on St. Thomas. I've been so fond of our little teensy island that our initial walk from the theater at 11:15pm on a four lane road was a bit scary with low blood sugar. I popped some gummy snacks and got up the gumption to ask for a ride. I hate the feeling when you realize from the safety of a truck bed how many unfortunate hours it would have taken you to walk the distance you were prepared to trek only moments before. I was actually surprised how small the roads were when we got back to St. John only to be greeted by the usual 15 people you know before you can get to your doorstep. Our moderately perilous evening seems oh so harmless now that I'm safe in bed.

We spent some time in Home Depot on this trip as well, it was so familiar I could almost imagine stepping out the front door and looking out on the old Corvallis shopping center I love so much. Gotta love corporations and their consistency.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1232126820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1232126820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1232126820/tpod.html Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:55:32 -0500 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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St. John, Virgin Islands US

The full moon on the beach almost looks like daylight, the water a muted shade of its brilliant cyan blue, the green from the trees a silvery gray/black, and the sand a bright golden-white even under the night sky. Stars blotted out by the brightest moon we'll see this year. Us northerners even get a little chilly, reveling in the chance to put on a sweatshirt over our bathing suits while our toes are still in the sand. The little iPod travel case blasts out Moby's Porcelain as we marvel at the scene, then providing us with a little hip-hop for an impromptu midnight dance party. The seven of us are completely alone on the expanse of beach watching the clouds play peek-a-boo with the moon. It even rains a bit as I call my parents, wishing I could share the sight with them...

Emily wanted the rain, wished it would just rain for an entire day like back home. Of course the rain came the next day, off and on like home, but gusty and whooshing. It seems as though at any moment it could become a torrent of water and wind or stop entirely and you could watch the sun come out. That inconsistency is refreshing, it reminds me that life is still going on out there. I had no idea how true the never land feeling of this place could be- a place where time seems to stop and you remain each day as you were the day before. I see it around me and within me as well, even though I've experienced growth, I feel unchanged-static. People of all ages here seem to live a certain moment for the rest of their days, at least until they've had enough. In my mind I'll see them at 16, 25, 40, or 60 forever... long after we've all moved on, like a child who finally recognizes her parents as people they are frozen. One day I'll be surprised to remind myself they're different when I realize they've chosen a new moment to try and recapture.

I seem to recall life moved faster back home, with more things to fill your day, more people to meet, more interstate to travel. Then again, I still saw the same landscape everyday, shopped the same stores, filled my gas tank at the same pumps. Our storage unit came up for payment this month and we have to decide how much longer to pay for it I guess. The way we've been talking, Eugene feels so far away and such an unlikely place for us to return to in the near future. Having become accustomed to living with less so quickly I wonder what will happen to all the things I deemed important enough to keep safe. Things like sweaters, wall decor, books, dishes. I was so excited when we decided to buy a coffee maker recently, as if it was a discussion, like a car or a home. I hugged the box to me like a kid would a beloved toy so comforting and familiar. I want to remember that feeling.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1230576540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1230576540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1230576540/tpod.html Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:51:26 -0500 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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St. John, Virgin Islands US

Neighborhoods back in Oregon have houses built in similar style on streets that are mostly straight and organized in grids. Oftentimes one neighborhood will have a theme in the street names; like Oak Street and Evergreen Lane or Alpine View Road and Bench View Avenue. All of this alludes to some greater plan in the mind of the project manager, making sure our orderly lives will fit into our orderly houses in our orderly neighborhoods. Sometimes they're even gated and walled in from the outside world- our little wooden sanctuaries. Come to think of it, I know very few people whose lives are under control in such a manner so perhaps it's all an illusion to make us feel safe.
A "neighborhood" here consists of houses of all different types, colors (or remnants of a colors) and sizes built in different decades in moderately close proximity to each other and in different stages of completion or degradation. Most houses are open or have screens with slatted windows and gates are unheard of except to contain a wandering pet or for looks alone, for there are no fences attached to those gates. Chickens scurry around like wild squirrels and feral cats are just as plentiful. We've heard the petroleum used to build the roads is an inexpensive product of St. Croix and seeps onto the surface, causing the roads to be much more slippery than those in San Francisco or Seattle (cities known for their steep, hilly streets) making it common to watch (or hear at 4am) cars spin their tires trying to scale the heights that really aren't all that high; leaving tire residue and compounding the issue. Its common to hear dogs and/or babies crying into the later hours of the night, each dog having some relation to the Pit-bull and unfortunately looking as if they've been fought. And even though we live two turns off the main thoroughfare we share the same street name as if we all live on the worlds longest driveway.
We don't mean to paint a bleak picture and no one living here would think of it as such. We do believe that anyone looking in on our life back home would see a bit of opulence in comparison, or see our life now as "roughing it". It is refreshing to remember the essentials, although the little luxuries we shared are still missed from time to time. A friend recently encapsulated her shopping experience here as a trip to Kmart being a big deal, whereas at home Kmart would be her absolute last stop. If we could live by the same parameters as we do now back home, the money we'd save would be enough to retire in ten years.
On that note, I've offered to buy Ashley a computer if she can make it 30 days with no alcohol down here, and I'm sure the money I'll save with her not drinking will easily exceed the price of the computer. What can I say, I'm a hustler. J
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1227980820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1227980820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1227980820/tpod.html Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:34:03 -0500 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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St. John, Virgin Islands US

I looked at the weather for Portland, OR today.... ouch.... 45 degrees. We're having a bit of a "cold streak" here at 85. It is a beautiful day and I'm having one of those "wow I live here" times. Looking back on what's happened since the last blog I wrote I'm a little overwhelmed to be honest.
Our snow day consisted of heading over to Jost (pronounced Yost)Van Dyke for the night. Equipped with my toothbrush, passport, and bathing suit I spent 36 hours on what may be the most quintessential Caribbean beach. You have to take a dinghy or swim to the beach through the clearest waters you've ever seen... the boat anchored in water that was about 25 feet deep and I could see the bottom- only to get a drink at Ivan's Stress Free self service bar and wade your way back into the ocean. There's an honor system at Ivan's and each drink gets a tally in the book theoretically. Twelve drinks in and you have to remind yourself to add a couple to the tally the next day. We spent the afternoon and evening on the beach or in the water drinking, taking turns with 10 drink orders on a tray out to the water. Since there's really nothing to do on Jost you hit a state of relaxation very quickly, although I'm sure the banana painkillers and vodka tings didn't hurt. I spent most of the night hanging with Ben and Emily's baby Saylor (one of the coolest two year olds EVER), watching him run around rocking out on a plastic guitar or dancing in the sand. There's a lot of happiness to be found watching a child who loves the ocean so much he lays on his belly in the sand and giggles every time the waves catch him. Another highlight of my evening was waking up at 5am on the boat and watching the 4 foot tarpon swim beneath me in the bright blue light the boat shines underwater. The light makes it look like a pool and swimming at night is a trip... I think the water was almost warmer than the air so it's a good thing the tarpon scattered when I jumped in because I couldn't resist. The next day was more of watching Saylor and drinking in the water, and since we had the beach to ourselves most of the time it was hard to leave. Though the restaurant was originally going to be open at 3 for happy hour, that quickly turned into only being open for dinner, which switched to only being open for a couple hours.
We made a plan to head back to Jost on the boat the next day. Everyone met at the Westin and hopped the boat again, only to be harassed by customs in Tortola. I'll spare you the details but there was no strip search- thank goodness -and I walked away fairly unscathed. My interrogator said "you look nervous, " and I'm saying "DUH" internally. When was the last time you were grilled by a British Customs officer in a 3 foot by 4 foot office?? Back to Ivan's we went and then to Soggy Dollar where I learned how to play some silly drinking game with a heavy 2 inch ring on a rope and a hook attached to a tree. Something about getting the ring to swing and attach to the hook from 12 feet away... who knows. We then traversed the beach to a cute little restaurant where we met 10 Swedish men in Speedo shorts of varying colors frolicking in the ocean and hitting on us in broken English while doing spread eagle pull ups on the eaves of the building. All this after video taping their own arm wrestling contests. Somehow we convinced one of them to yodel for us. I've never been yodeled to before, it's quite the experience, so if you can work that into your life please do- I'm not sure I've ever laughed so hard in my life.
Reluctantly we swam to the boat and headed home that night, back to our other paradise and pina coladas at the Westin resort bar. People would ask me how my trip was and it's hard to explain how amazing the whole experience has been, and this is only the first month!! Since my days in Jost I've mostly been working, Dustin still doing the manual labor thing, although he seems to be jealous that I'm writing the blogs. I keep trying to tell him that I can't make his fingers type the keys, so he'll have to do it himself. This is Ashley Myers signing off... I'll talk to you soon! Miss you and love you all!

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1228840140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1228840140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1228840140/tpod.html Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:31:17 -0500 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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St. John, Virgin Islands US

Rain starts to fall here and it could almost be mistaken for the sound of the wind. The only way I can tell one from the other is the rattle from the little palm outside my window when it's windy. It still rains for a few minutes most days but it's getting less frequent. The temperature does seem to be dropping a bit in accordance with the holiday season, but 5 degrees isn't really something I'm apt to quibble over. Since it appears to be Christmas time, I bought a strand of colored lights today. I can be made instantly happier by colored Christmas lights regardless of the time of year, but since fir trees are scarce here they are officially the extent of my decorations for the season. One of the guys I work with was sent a real live Christmas tree by his mom, you should have seen the reaction of everyone who saw (and smelled) it. Having only been away from Oregon and our home surrounded by Christmas tree farms on three sides for a matter of months their sentiments made me giggle, but it's a luxury I was happy to see them enjoy. The closest thing I have to a Christmas tree is the 12 foot tall banana leaf that decided to unfurl over our balcony. I've been wearing a santa hat the past few days at work, although I must say the affect isn't quite the same when I'm sweating my butt of in it because it's still 80 degrees here.
Beach days are becoming more frequent as we settle into the life here, and we've been studying our book of trails and beaches to find new things to do and places to go. There's a great trail to a viewpoint that could be considered a workout by even the ridiculously fit among us, we vowed to do it a few times a week and have yet to scale the "mountain" since the first time. Lazy bums. There was a great free jazz concert in the ball park at the school the other day. Kids ran around like madmen doing impromptu baton routines to the music while Dust and I looked on, eating the BEST home cooked food from Shela's. Check it out if you have a chance to come down, she's got a gift for the good stuff- stewed chicken, baked mac and cheese, seasoned rice, potato salad, and this stuffing that's like mashed sweet potatoes or something. (All for $10!!)
"Crazy Cracker's" opens Thursday night and I can't tell you how excited I am for them. The whole crew has been working so hard the past few weeks and it's time for that work to pay off. I look forward to the public's response to the restaurant. Speaking of, I was recognized at Woody's the other day from this blog! Weird huh?
THE MOSQUITOES STILL SUCK!!! I'm still getting bitten. It's been 5 weeks, are we done with those little beasts yet????? I'm waiting with baited breath for the mosquitoes to stop biting, as I've been told it's only a matter of time. Perhaps I'm just too sweet and they can't get enough of me.
Nothing more of interest to report at this time, although I can say it may be some time before we depart from the island permanently. At this point we really love the people and the vibe on St. John. I feel like there's peace here that I haven't been able to tap into so far in my short little life. Maybe it's just that there's not much going on, and it's easy to ignore the rest of the world since we're so isolated. Or maybe it's just that for now, this is where we're suppose to be.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!! We will be missing you over the season and thinking of you lots.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1227119280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1227119280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1227119280/tpod.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:46:52 -0500 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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St. John, Virgin Islands US

I might be having another homesick day so I figured that was a good reason to write a blog to everyone!! Sorry it's been so long, the internet here is slow at best so it's been hard to get up the motivation to stare at the computer screen for a few hours at a time. You could probably do a full load of laundry before 2 pictures were uploaded . If you're not family or don't want to hear about how we got jobs and a place to live... just skip to paragraph three lol...
Not remembering where the last blog ended, I'll recap. We arrived on St. John safe and sound. Dust and I spent 3 days at Cinnamon Bay Campground, which is beautiful but was still infested with mosquitoes when we got there. We cut our stay short from our intended seven days after meeting some fellow relocaters with a car (it was either ride with them or hitchhike into town) and finding an apartment. Liz and Emily are now our neighbors, and we love our little studio. It's the perfect size for us since we usually only use one room in the house at a time anyway. It's been so nice having all those little things I didn't think about needing like silverware, a cheese grater, and a shower curtain. Not to mention the blankets and brand new pillows Jane gave us the day we moved in. Jane and Sonny are our landlords and neighbors who built this house almost 25 years ago and divided it into apartments after their children moved out. There are 5 households here now, each with 2 people plus one with Tiffany (Liz and Emily's new roommate). We all seem to be fairly quiet with the exception of us and the girls when we drink too much rum and get chatty.
Dustin and I both got jobs right away, me at a place called Woody's (www.woodysseafood.com look for pictures of me!!! No, those are not my boobs.) which makes my first bartending job and I'm having a blast with it. Looks like a crazy place on the website, I know, but it's pretty mellow with the exception of Happy Hour and late night. Dustin is working at a new restaurant & bar called "Crazy Crackers" after the owner's pet Chihuahua who liked to get dressed up so much he had his own drawer full of dog clothes. They plan to open on December 1st and are in the midst of remodeling; Dustin has found he has an affinity for electrical work and can wire just about anything in the restaurant. Our workplaces are right across the street from each other and both within short walking distance of the house, as is just about everything else in Cruz Bay. We walk everywhere and a car isn't really needed. I met a girl who has lived here for 5 years and still doesn't own a car.
The people are friendly and say hello to each other upon passing, often honking and waving at people they know, and after 3 weeks I have a hard time walking down the street without seeing someone I've met. Because of the size of the island (population 4500) word gets around quickly and most people are courteous and welcoming. Treating others badly isn't really something that's tolerated and it seems as though people who make a bad name for themselves don't last long.
We've made friends quickly and have someone to chat with wherever we go. The owners of 'Crackers' (Dave and April) got married last Sunday at a gorgeous ceremony on the beach at Trunk Bay followed by a reception at the ruins in Caneel Bay. The day before they took us all to that same beach for snorkeling and sunbathing, then on a sunset cruise on my very first sailboat!! Lots of Painkillers were served on board- a local specialty drink with dark rum, pineapple juice, and the ever present Coco Lopez (cream of coconut). The chef for 'Crackers' cooked us all dinner afterwards and we made each other drinks with more rum... big surprise. All this was done with Dave and April's families who embraced us wholeheartedly, our party totaling just fewer than 20 for the festivities. I feel lucky to have met them all-the very definition of southern hospitality and sweetness. I missed the reception but Dust took pictures for me so I attached those for you too! After the reception everyone came to Woody's to see me, April in her wedding gown taking pictures with me in my Woody's gear.
Between the mosquitoes and nosee-ums (bugs I'd never heard of sometimes called flying teeth), the bug bites are pretty constant and I'm a little tired of being itchy all the time. Some days are worse than others, but right now I'm pretty low on bites... numbering around 8 or 9. The groceries here are super spendy compared to what I'm used to. My favorite comparison is that a liter of rum costs me $6.99 which is about the same as a head of iceberg lettuce. Between Cruzan rum and dollar beers for happy hour, it's much cheaper to drink than it is to eat well; a fact locals and tourists alike seem to embrace with gusto. There are some local crazies, mostly harmless with whom we all have much closer contact than I've ever had with homeless people. They too have their good days and their bad days; luckily for us they still have access to medications.
Since downtown Cruz bay has just a few streets it's hard to get away from anyone for too long and there's a circuit of about 4 or 5 bars everyone meanders through each night. If you're looking for someone when you're out you need only walk the 5 minutes it takes to get through that circuit and you'll probably find them. Locals I've met say this is one of the reasons you have to get off the island every few months if you plan to make it for longer than a season. Otherwise island fever will drive you insane. There is another small town on the other side of the island called Coral bay, but it's one of those don't blink or you'll miss it kind of places and people are more spread out there it seems. The rest is mostly national park and there are only a couple roads that traverse the island, all of which have the craziest turns and hills which you need 4-wheel-drive to get past. If that wasn't enough to deter you from renting a car here, they also drive on the left hand side of the road and half the streets in Cruz bay are one way with no lines and few signs.
Overall the island is clean although underdeveloped. For those of you that were with us in Playa Del Carmen, it's cleaner than that for the most part. The population is described as about 50% white and 50% West Indian (roughly) with some Latino mixed in from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic etc. I hear more Latino music than I do reggae usually, although I've heard a lot of what's called calypso-usually involving steel drums. I didn't know I liked steel drum music so much, some of us are even talking about taking lessons at the church down the street.
My favorite event so far would have to be a tie between watching Liz get super excited about the donkey sticking his head through the window to eat her Chex mix and watching a parade through town after Obama's election. We've found since that donkeys seem to sense artificial cheese products and are less assertive when not lured by them. The parade brought me to tears as they were chanting Obama's name and playing band instruments in celebration. Seeing so many people united in celebration over a single event, regardless of its origin, gives me hope. The fact that it was something our nation did as a whole makes it that much more profound for me, and I hope any that do not support our new president can find it in their hearts to tolerate him with more grace than those of us who opposed the reign of Bush.
My least favorite event would have to be walking in the rain at night through a cloud of mosquitoes our first night on the island. Cinnamon bay campground was pitch black, wet, sticky, new to me and a little overwhelming after 24 hours of travel. The fact that I only cried a little bit that night still surprises me, my thanks to Dustin for assuring me we would be fine even if we were covered in 35 mosquito bites a piece and couldn't get our clothes to dry for all the moisture in the air.
Today is a "snow day" for Woody's, which means we're all taking the day off for some group recreation. I get to try out my new bikini and turn down a few more rum drinks to drink cheap beer while I lay in the sun. I love it here...
I miss you all and think of you often. If I hadn't already made you follow me to Mexico for our wedding I'd ask that you all come to visit so I could share the island's surreal beauty and laid back lifestyle. Just remember that there are places in the world where time moves slower and not to rush too much through your days.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1225666740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1225666740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1225666740/tpod.html Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:34:05 -0500 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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St. John, Utah, Virgin Islands US

WOW.....
We landed on St. Thomas after 14 hours of traveling to do some more traveling. Hopped a bus-cab with a hodge-podge of travelers in the rain (of all things) and got on a 15 minute ferry headed for St. John still in the rain. Hopped a cab-open air this time- to get to our campsite surrounded by mosquitoes in the pitch black dark Jurassic Park forest. The lizards are chirping so loud that making unnatural sounds seems strangely out of place. The beach is about 20 feet away from the tent which is a bonus but the rain made everything so moist our clothes never dried and the mosquitoes so thick you can't go outside without getting 10 new bites-which of course feels like a thousand. 
Hitchhiking is the norm here, it's legal and accepted so we tried it --only once mom don't freak out we were told it's totally safe here-- a nice local with a little dog named Jim. "Dat's mah nice boy Jim," he said. Everyone here sounds like they're speaking another language but it's still English supposedly. Cruz Bay is a cute little community, one of the few developed parts of the Island which is mostly National Park. Long story short I loaned a couple girls at the campground my hair dryer and they serendipitously became our travel buds and neighbors. We drove around the whole Island in their rental car - pictures to follow soon - and met a donkey up close head in the window style which we fed artificial cheese flavored chex mix and took a photo op. That's the same day we found our studio apartment up the sketchiest hill I've ever seen next to our awesome landlords and cool new friends for next to no rent compared to a lot of places on the island. We're about a 2 minute walk from "downtown" Cruz Bay with a laundry mat and a grocery store on each side of us. 
People here are nice if you start out that way, and it seems they try to slow down their speech when they're talking to us mainlanders who seem to use too many fill words or something. Their sentence structure basically contains vowels and verbs and that's about it. I wish I could even imitate it cuz it's pretty cool sounding but I'm just a west coast girl. I'll get back to you with pictures and narrative, we're having fun hanging with our new friends but it gets dark so early that we have to make effort to not drink until a decent hour. It's 7:30 now and it's been pitch black dark for 2 hours, the bars are always open and people drink well before noon on a regular basis--Never-land for sure.
Love you and miss you all, I'll get back to you soon!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1225038840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1225038840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1225038840/tpod.html Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:45:58 -0400 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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Salome, Arizona, United States

We're coming up to the end of our stay at Black Rock RV Resort! It's been a super relaxing week.....

We were greeted by awesome 90 degree heat and a dinner party upon our arrival where we met the crew. Our first couple days were consumed by cleaning and trying to fix grandpa's quad which finally required a trip to Parker (50 miles one way) for a new fuel pump.

The new pool seems to be the place for gossip... we were informed on our second trip that a woman had lost her false breast during that morning's water aerobics where it floated around for 20 minutes before it was claimed. Other than visits to the pool we've spent our days on quad runs a few hours long. I seem to be a natural at 4-wheeling in the Suzuki Smaurai they bought for grandma. One day was spent in Quartzite where I was taken to the Reader's Oasis bookstore... also known as the bookstore with the naked guy. He's and older gentleman who wears nothing but some jewelry, sometimes a hat, and a little knit sock thingy over his equipment. I've heard that during Christmas he puts a bell on "it". (LOL) Naked guy+nachos+beer=female visitor initiation at Black Rock. Don't be fooled ladies, that seemingly innocent trip to the bookstore isn't just for your reading material.

Today includes a dinner party for a birthday after happy hour (which happens at 4 every day),
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1224296760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1224296760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ashleyandustin/1/1224296760/tpod.html Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:37:04 -0400 Getting out of the grind... Our move to the USVI.

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Inyokern, California, United States

We've been on the road for a couple days now with the grandparents in a HUGE motorhome. I've been doing more than my fair share of sleeping, but the surrounding area is gorgeous. I learned how valuable having a toilet you can use while still moving is, as well as how cold it can be near Reno in the fall. Last night we stayed in the Washoe Lake campground in Nevada and it was sooo cold in the morning. The four of us have spent about 8 hours a day for two days on the road together. We should reach Black Rock, AZ which is outside of Salome, AZ tomorrow evening. Now that I've had a chance to wind down from making sure everything fits together for our move I'm getting excited about the USVI. Grandma's teaching me how to play pinochle though so I can whoop some butt when we get to Black Rock. TTYS!!
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