Stateside Again

So, as many of you know I spent the past 5 weeks in Maho Bay on St. John's in the USVI. I can sum up my time there as PHENOMENAL. I mean, really nothing like it. Such a positive amazing experience.

While I kept a journal the whole time I was there (I wrote in it every day!) I am not sure I want to post all the boring details online. 

Here's one thing I know though - I'm going back in January! I ended up working in the kitchen when I got there, which was AWESOME. I forgot how much I really enjoy the dysfunctionality of a kitchen environment. Like a little warped family. =) So anyway the kitchen manager offered me a month position to come down and do a little hosting/catering to some rich group that comes down all the time. I said yes. The details still need to be hammered out, but it WILL happen. =)

During the 3rd week when everyone started asking if I was staying for season (until June) I initially said no. At the time I was thinking, LA, boyfriend, family etc. etc. - however, by the 4th week I was secretly wishing I had told everyone yes, and by the 5th week it was no secret, I wanted to stay. Maybe once I'm down in Jan. I can figure out a way... I don't know, a lot of "stuff" going on and unsure of what direction I'm headed to worry about that at the moment.

It's been a rather rough adjustment to being back home. I've moved so much in my life that I find it generally v. easy to adapt no matter where I am. This can be both a blessing and curse. While it's good because my "homesick" days last about one week, it's bad because I get used to a place very quickly and come to think of it as home sooner rather than later. This, of course, happened even more easily in Maho. It just opened it's arms up to me and wrapped me up, and has yet to let go. So many amazing people there... that helped too ;)

So here are some things I've had to adjust to/are different since being back:

1. Walls. I was accustomed to being outdoors 100% of the time. Even when I was 'inside' I was still outside, because nothing is a real permanent structure with walls that aren't made out of screens!

2. The weather. I knew I'd be coming home to winter. I say EVERY winter that it will be my last in the cold. This one DEF. will be my last. How could I leave sunny 85 degree weather to come home to icy, windy, cloudy, cold 30 degrees and below? I must done bumped my head.

3. Socks. I normally love socks. I am a big proponent, and I always said that if I ever made it big or had a lot of money my one indulgence would be to wear a new pair of socks EVERY day, because there is nothing like putting on a brand new pair of socks. So cushiony and soft, enveloping your foot in a little pillow of warmth and softness. Anyway, I came back and refused to wear them up until a day or so ago, and I'm still comfortable with the notion. My feet feel like they can't breathe! And to put boots/shoes on top of that?!?! ACK! My feet are screaming GET ME OUT.

4. I had little to no boogers or snot when I was in the islands. I haven't stopped blowing my nose since I landed (granted I came home with a cold, but I believe it would have cleared up V. quickly down there...)

5. I had NO ear wax in St. John. A weird observation, I realize, but true. I use a q-tip every time  I shower and I'm not saying I get like gobs of earwax (that's gross), but it usually feels really good and I have a little to clear or something. NOT while I was at Maho, I swear not one single time was there ANYthing on the q-tip. I'd use it and it would come out clean, so clean I could even use it again if I was so inclined. Since I've returned the ear wax has come back too. So weird.

6. My skin is suddenly DRY. I know part of that is the winter and thus the humidity isn't as great etc. etc. but COME ON. Down there I was applying sunscreen once a day, all over my body. EVERYWHERE. Not only that but then I would add a layer of DEET (do you know what that is?!?! That is SERIOUS bug spray, that's what that is, I wouldn't even call it bug spray, I would say, Poisonous chemicals that I was spraying all over myself) and I would add this layer AT A MINIMUM of 4 times a day, often times more... So my skin was moisturized, tan, and glowing. Not only that, but I broke out close to never. I mean, I think I got like a solo zit maybe, but that's IT. My skin has never looked or felt better. I was smooth and tan and clear. It was incredible. My face esp! I mean, granted, allllllll of my freckles came out (not that I have a shit ton of them, but still...) and that was that. I got burned one time, by no one's fault but my own, and even that faded by THE NEXT DAY - which never happens to me! Me and my skin - HYPER SENSITIVE, to products, to sun, to chemicals, to ANYTHING, but not down there. My sun skin rash never appeared. Not once. It was MAGICAL. Ok, enough about the skin.

7. My back stopped hurting, in fact, everywhere kind of stopped hurting. I mean, aside from my clumsy spills up the wood stairs all over the place, but other than that the little aches and pains were gone! My upper back in my shoulders (where I hold all my stress apparently) - NOTHING. I only just realized because the last few days I've been working for an office and doing data entry in front of a computer all day, and despite the fact that my posture is good, my upper shoulders are KILLING me (and I've only been home a couple weeks). I didn't get as many headaches and my knee didn't even bother be doing 500+stairs every day. 

8. I cried maybe once. (I am generally driving an emotional roller coaster.) Down there? My biggest worry was mosquito bites. And if that's your biggest worry in life? That and what to eat or drink that day... then you're doing alright, ya know? Day to day life down there was just so much simpler. The right things mattered. It was about connecting with other people, and living life the way you want to and just relaxing. People get so worked up for no reason about stupid little things that in the end, matter not. 

Obviously, I can't say enough good things about Maho. It changed my life. I now feel like I can remember who I am. What the important things in life are. Why I love really connecting with people so much. I watched ZERO television down there, read 15 books, watched 5 movies, and spent every night drinking at some point, though not to excess. And spent every waking moment completely happy to be alive.