St. Thomas, my endless dreamland

I read somewhere that “to set sail is to free oneself” and during my stay in St. Thomas I can honestly say I felt as free as the clear blue ocean surrounding me. During my college years I was fortunate enough to have met 3 girls from the US Virgin Islands. These girls quickly became 3 of the kind of friends that I felt as though I had known forever, even when our friendship had just begun. After graduating College back in 2013, B went back to St. Thomas, L Boogie (Lauren) transferred to a school in Florida and my darling Britt stayed in Baltimore for a year as we both pursued our Master’s degree. Britt headed back to St. Thomas in September of last year and I thought about how perfect the timing was to visit everyone and bring in the New Year with them. It was an overdue trip and I felt as though I already knew the island through their stories. I was so happy to finally see the island that had brought me such beautiful people in my life and experience it for myself. I was even more excited to meet my friends’ family and friends of which I’ve heard endless amazing stories about.Similar to my post on St. Croix, I wanted to share with you all tons of pictures & memories from my trip to St. Thomas. There were certain events like infamous game nights that I don’t have pictures of but wonderful memories. The amount of laughter that came from those nights was unforgettable. I think I finally met another group of friends that matched my competitiveness as well as my sense of humor.Each day I spent on St. Thomas, was filled with adventure, laughs and lots of love. On Friday I did the ultimate island hopping. I was on all three Islands in one day and as exhausting as it was (talk about #IslandProblems); it was one of those things that I could check off my bucket list. My day started in St. Croix on Friday where I took my seaplane back to St. Thomas to get on a ferry to spend the day in St. John.St. John – Trails, beach and babes During our trip to St. John I finally got to meet most of my friends’ friends. It was so nice to finally put faces to the girls I had heard so many good things about prior to my trip. As soon we got to the beach it was all about enjoying one another’s company. We swam, took TONS of pictures and soaked up the Caribbean sun! St. John was SO beautiful. B took us on a trail that gave us an amazing view of the island right before getting to the beach. The beach was dreamy and we also got to celebrate Nikki’s birthday on the beach with all the babes. Seriously, each one of the girls I got to meet and speak with, were beautiful BOTH inside and out. ;)                    Lindquist Beach (my more relaxing day) I decided to divide my time with all my girlfriends and each day I got to catch up with each one of them and enjoy their company. Saturday morning I woke up to get ready to soak up the sun at Lindquist beach with B. Britt met us at the beach where we napped on the sand for one of my more relaxing days. Once we got up after our nap, we took a walk to the beach where the view was simply amazing.  Saturday night I stayed at Lauren’s place. We went to grab dinner at Iggies and of course I had to take pictures like a tourist. Captain mike was lookin’ mighty cute! ;)                                   Driving around St. Thomas next to Lauren was just perfect. Something so simple made me smile so much. St. Thomas at night is beautiful…the lights that light up the islands make you feel like you’re staring at a sky full of stars.Water Island Sunday morning L Boogie decided we’d go to Water Island with the family and we went on her Uncle’s boat. The excitement of jumping off the boat to reach the sand was so incredible. The boat ride was quick and our day was spent eating food and enjoying the water. It was perfect.                   Shopping + Paradise Point Now y’all know that no trip is complete without allocating a day to shopping! So, on Monday we decided that would be a day to take on different shops and play tourist. For lunch we went to Paradise Point and the view I got of St. Thomas was breathtaking!!!! We took a tramway (similar to a ski-lift) to the restaurant which, while I am scared of heights, I absolutely loved! (Britt, as adventurous as this gal is, didn’t look down once, but I was moving and taking pics like it was my job!)Beach Hopping + many adventures to end my stay On my last full day in paradise, we decided to enjoy our day by beach hopping. We took lots of pictures, as well as many pit stops along the way to different beaches. Everything was perfect, the weather the beaches, the company, it was perfect. (I’ve realized how many times I’ve used the word “perfect” but honestly, if you were there with, you would use the same word.) My good-bye BBQ (all good things must come to an “end”)At the end of my trip Britt’s family had a barbecue for me and I got to eat all the wonderful food that was grilled to perfection. Honestly, anything and everything I ate in the Virgin Islands was beyond scrumptious. From the Chicken to the Fish to the Johnny cakes…I was in Food Heaven! Being able to share a night with Britt’s family was incredible. To me, family is super important. It’s what God has given us and what we must cherish every single day. My friends have truly become part of my family and on this trip, their families became mine. Whether on St. Croix or on St. Thomas, I got to create bonds with such amazing people that made me feel like I was a part of their family. That was my biggest take away from this trip. Yes, I adored the beaches and the views, but most importantly I got to share it with people that mean the world to me.I want to conclude my part two blog post on my trip with a THANK YOU. Thanks to everyone I met and interacted with in the VI. From the friends that were introduced to me through my old friends (you darlings know who you are), to all the family members I met of those I love, you made my trip unforgettable. I keep looking through all my pictures and although I REALLY wish I hadn’t left, I can’t wait to begin planning my next trip back. The Virgin Islands has something special that you have to experience for yourself, aside from the beautiful beaches and views. To me, that magic was the soul and beauty of the beautiful people that live there.Jah bless.-Hippie Gal