Responses to the news of our family's moving to the US Virgin Islands:
"wow!" - my fellow light seekers.
"whoa..." - those who are a bit confused, a bit concerned and, possibly, a bit jealous of the "free spiritedness" that us to the decision to up and go.
"why?" -the ones who just don't get it and are praying for us as I pack up our home of 8 years and bid adieu to a life that was both incredibly abundant and amazingly challenging.
Moving our family to the USVI? What else is there to say other than we are following our noses, reaching towards the sunshine, choosing change, and inviting opportunity. Getting to this solid ground where roots can be willingly lifted has been a journey of its own. But, this is us choosing joy, choosing the power of the sun and a life outdoors, choosing "other" in a long list of norms that don't seem to fit.
Before we left, a big formal "good-bye" was not an option, and yet a French fade or an Irish goodnight wouldn't suffice. So to not feel like we were skipping town, though my husband would have preferred that option, there were a few family reunions, BBQs and mid-life bachelorettes, along with a hint of one's own funeral. And as we said “ciao” to our nearest and dearest, the love we all felt was powerful. Regarding our life through our friendships was a reminder that change inspires feelings of curiosity and intimacy that might have otherwise remained dormant. Because family and friends supported us, we new that our dreaming was ok; our plan sunshine plan, accepted.
So "CHEERS" to the WOWsers out there! Thank you for your encouragement, or silent perplexity. Thank you for helping us dismantle our life and fanning our tired flames with your gracious generosity. We could not have done it without you: the packing up of boxes, driving us to the airport, taking our kids for the weekend, feeding us, selling my art, lending us your trucks, connecting us with friends as foolhardy as us, hosting us when our home was an empty, dirty carcass, checking in on us, dropping off goodbye notes and gifts, and, most importantly, cheering us on.
If we know anything, we know how to make great friends and find great neighbors.
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