“The Virgin Islands & Its Resilience”

Great Vibes in the Virgin Islands after Hurricane Irma & Maria!

 

For us here in the Sandbar it has always been about the music. When certain songs take you to places as beautiful as St. John and the surrounding US and British Virgin Islands, it becomes a special place in your heart. I (Connie) just spent the most amazing 5 days in the hurricane ravaged islands that we love so much. From arriving on the ferry and seeing the Beach Bar and Joes’s Rum Hut so devastated, to driving over to Coral Bay and noticing all the palm trees missing,  this trip took on a inspirational tone.

 

The people of the Virgin Islands are summed up into one word for me… Resilient!

re·sil·ient
(of a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

 

While I was there I can’t count the number of times I heard a local say “Kenny Chesney built that.” From the deck at Miss Lucy’s, the stall shade at Carolina Coral, the shade roof at Skinny Legs  and even the kitchen rebuild at Woody’s, Love For Love City was a part of it! I spoke to a few of the Love For Love City worker bees and their newest project is rebuilding a house on Island. Did I mention they took the last few rescue animals off the islands while I was there too?

 

Yes, the beach landscapes have changed and a few of my favorite bars weren’t opened yet but oh well. Just 6 months ago I would have never thought I would have been able to sit at Ivan’s Stress Free Bar and drink a painkiller. As our boat moored up onto the beach the first thing you see is a No Shoes Nation flag to greet you! That totally made my heart happy. Also, walking down the dock at Foxy’s, I quickly learned it was built by the Love For Love City crew!

 

Everyone was happy to see us and tell us their own personal story of recovery. Each and every person was thankful for the life they are living.

Who needs a cruise ship or Mexican resort when the most beautiful place on earth is a ferry boat ride away? Your tourist dollars are welcomed and needed there more than any other place I could imagine.

 

The songs that Kenny has written and shared with us about his beloved islands are alive and real there today through the people, the beaches and emotions you feel as soon as you step off the ferry at Cruz Bay or the boat at Jost. From  Be As You Are, Life On A Rock to Lucky Old Sun… those albums still embody life in the Virgin Islands.

 

I am already scheduling my next visit for the fall and encourage everyone to book their trip too. If that isn’t an option donate to Love For Love City if you can, every single dollar helps and keeps them rebuilding for the future.

 

Thanks for letting me spread my love of the Virgin Islands with you all,

Connie