Island Hopping in the Virgin Islands + My Thoughts on Slowing Down

I feel as though me expressing my need for vacations has become a recurring theme in my blog posts. However, I cannot stress enough how desperately in need of a break I was this December. Finding yourself with only 10 vacation days a year can be a particular challenge when you’re young and want to see the world. However, I’ve been able to find little ways to combine my time off with holidays or weekends to maximize my ability to travel.

All that to say, I saved half of my vacation days from the entire year for this specific trip and they could not have been more worth it. Leaving the cold, icy DC weather behind, I boarded a private yacht in St. Thomas to begin a week of sailing around the Virgin Islands, snorkeling, adventuring and relaxing in the sun. It truly could not have come at a better time.

The yacht, while small, was such a unique and exciting way to explore the islands. It provided us with the flexibility to change our itinerary at a moment’s notice as well as maneuver into smaller harbors that would not have been accessible in a large cruise ship. We also ended up being able to go to so many more isolated islands where we had the beach to ourselves and didn’t have to fight the crowds for a spot on the sand. If we wanted to stay longer, we just told the captain that we wanted more time. If we were finished, we could simply ask to move on.

I think my favorite beach that we visited along the way was Guana Island. The white sandy beach and crystal blue water were some of the best that I have ever seen in my life. We caught a perfect sunset and were able to capture some beautiful photos and just take in the surreal beauty of it all.

We also stopped at The Baths, a collection of pools and caves located within massive rock formations. There was also a beautiful cove nestled in the rocks where we were able to swim after exploring the caverns. While this tends to be a popular tourist destination among the cruise ships, our captain was able to get us there on an off-day so we avoided the crowds. Afterwards, we climbed to the top of the overlook to enjoy some drinks by the freshwater pool and enjoy the scenic view.

At almost every stop along our journey, there were ample places to scuba and snorkel. We saw everything from sea turtles to barracudas to schools of beautiful fish. When we got tired of swimming, we took out the paddleboards or kayaks to get a beautiful view of the ocean or explore the rocky caves on the side of the islands. In the evenings, after everyone had gone to bed, I found myself climbing up to the deck to lay out and watch the stars. It was absolutely magical. Crazy how the fast-paced city life keeps you from doing simple things like stargazing and the city lights dull their brightness. Out in the middle of the ocean you can see for miles and the stars illuminate the night sky in a way that is truly breathtaking. As the waves rocked the boat and a shooting star streaked across the crystal clear night sky, I made a wish that I would remember to slow down and appreciate little things like this more.

As I arrive back into DC with a suitcase full of sand and my head filled with memories and dreams and ideas, I think that this trip was just what I needed to reset. It can become so easy to immerse ourselves in distractions to avoid facing issues in our lives that we forget about the little moments that make life worthwhile. I think I particularly realized that I have the tendency to throw myself into achieving goals and dreaming up new projects, that I sometimes fail to take the time to truly process through things. Instead, I run from problems that may be an inconvenience to work through and seek the next new high from accomplishing some goal.

I think this trip served as a reminder that life is best lived doing things you enjoy with people that you love. While having a prestigious corporate job and a bank account overflowing with money is certainly nice, those are not the things that we look back on and savor as time passes. I am particularly challenged to intentionally create and make a mental note of meaningful moments on my life so I can always look back on them and think “now those were moments well-lived.”

WATCH MY HIGHLIGHT VIDEO HERE: