First Snow, Warm Memories

The Baths, Virgin Gorda, BVI 2024

It’s snowing.

Watching the first flakes of the year fall from my couch, I can’t help thinking back to the warm places my family has traveled—those quiet Caribbean moments that always seem to carry me through the long Maine winter. It’s that time of year when everyone and everything is busy preparing.

I cleaned out my gardens yesterday, and today I’m coaxing my sore body to get moving. It’s tough to stay motivated as the days get colder and shorter.

Everything outside is brown. The snow isn’t enough to cover the ground, but it’s enough to remind me that winter is on the way.

It’s the end of the trimester at school, which means lots of assessments for my kindergarten students—plus report cards, parent conferences, holiday excitement, and holiday gatherings. Not an easy time of year for an introvert like me.

So here I sit, scrolling through old photos during a much needed four-day weekend.

A breath.
A pause.

And where does my mind go?

Travel—

Snorkeling adventures in warm blue waters, surrounded by marine life.

Feeling grounded and renewed by sandy beach walks and sun-drenched skin.

Awakened senses through new foods, new cultures, and vibrant colors.

I wasn’t always a traveler. Growing up, my family stayed close to home. My first trip was to St. Lucia 25 years ago, after the death of my first husband and high school sweetheart. I took the honeymoon we didn’t get to have when he passed from cancer at age 26, just three months after our wedding. I floated in the salty, warm blue water, drove on the wrong side of the road into a volcano, and decided I would make the best of this short life. That journey was not only my first taste of the Caribbean, but also my first lesson in healing through travel—the beginning of a new life where I vowed to live each moment fully and without regret.

Fast forward a few years, and that new life brought me an adventure-loving man, a water-and-mud-seeking little boy, a Pilates-teaching side hustle, and a hobby farm full of animals. Sometimes I still ask myself: How did I transform such deep sorrow into this rich life?

The answer: Gratitude.

Discovering The Secret by Rhonda Byrne was a turning point. Practicing gratitude daily became the path that helped me rebuild a life of joy and possibility. It made the pipe dream of starting an alpaca farm feel real, and once those animals were actually in my yard, they became daily reminders that anything was possible.

I longed to return to the Caribbean with my new family, but how could we find the time and money with everything we had going on? More on that to come—but we would find a way. I had vowed not to put things off until tomorrow, because tomorrow is never promised. Somehow, since then, we’ve managed not just one trip but many meaningful adventures. We’ve visited Barbados, St. Lucia, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama, St. Martin, St. Croix, and Grenada. We sailed for a week on a catamaran through the British Virgin Islands. I even overcame my fear of small planes to fly to Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Every time we explore a new place, I share my photos and adventures on Facebook and Instagram like everyone else—my own little collection of Caribbean travel stories. I’m almost never in the photos; I’m not a selfie person. Most of what I share is the local culture, hidden natural wonders, and the creatures I meet while snorkeling—things that feel more meaningful to me than nightlife or busy tourist spots.

Could I be doing more with my quiet travel experiences? Would other people, beyond my small circle of friends, benefit from my stories? I have so many ideas to share…

A rural traveler’s perspective—How do you get there from here?

Introvert travel tips—Avoiding crowds, making arrangements without phone calls

Budget friendly travel and ways to find deals

Gentle adventures like snorkeling and nature-based activities

Family friendly Caribbean Island experiences…

But will anyone want to listen?

So here I sit on my couch, surrounded by travel photos, rubbing my sore shoulder with a noni-fruit herbal remedy from Grenada, and listening to reggae music. The daily impacts of our travels are all around me, and I keep wondering…

Is my quiet-traveler story worth sharing?