“The most beautiful beaches in the world.” If I’d have ever seen another beach, I might argue, but since this is my first time, I’d say they fit the bill.
My first week of my time with the EARTH Service Learning Program in the U.S. Virgin Islands has come to a close. I’ll only be down here for five more weeks! I have most definitely been living in paradise, but there is so much more beneath the surface.
Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the Caribbean Islands and other areas last fall. It was a devastating time for all, but I have gotten the sense that it hit this community harder than we initially realized. Before embarking on my trip, I had gone through a sort of orientation program, as well as met with past EARTH students, all to discuss what to expect and what has changed since the hurricanes. I thought, of course they would have damage. But I didn’t really expect to see such harsh ruins. Houses are either half standing, or completely demolished. Many trees still don't have any growth, and many have fallen down. Doc (program coordinator) said our cottage and surrounding areas on St. John went without power for 100 days. That’s over half a school year (not counting weekends, of course). The island is still recovering. It seems like half the people still don’t have access to internet. Water is running low and cisterns are becoming dry. The program had to buy water for only the second time in the nearly ten years it’s been alive. We only finally got WiFi at our cottage this afternoon! While all that is definitely depressing, there are still so many bright spots in my life on St. John.
I experienced my first ever plane ride last Monday morning at 5:45 a.m. Early, right!? From Des Moines, I flew to Atlanta for my connecting flight to St. Thomas, with only about an hour to get from one gate to the other. Let me tell you, I was fast-walking the heck out of that airport. My flight landed at Gate B26, and my next flight left from Gate E15, so I had to quickly make my way downstairs and take the tran, though it stopped working, so I then had to hurry to my destination. All was well though! I met up with the other two girls, Nene and Olivia, and boarded the plane. This second flight even had free movies to watch. Who knew? While I have been fairly terrified of flying my whole life - ever watched Flight 29 Down? - I found I enjoyed being high in the sky. Once we landed in St. Thomas, the three of us met up with Doc and Lillian, a grad student doing research on food safety in the Virgin Islands this summer. Everyone was so excited to begin our journey!
After we grabbed a quick meal on St. Thomas, we went for groceries, then boarded the cargo ferry to make the trip over to St. John where the program is based. The cottage is adorable! Pastels and neutrals, with plenty of shiplap covering the walls and ceiling. I think Joanna Gaines would approve. Olivia and Nene are rooming together, and I room with Deslyn, the student from the University of the Virgin Islands. This first week, we have mostly become acclimated to the island, but we have still experienced some great adventures!
On Tuesday, we travelled around the island, driving past nearly each bay/beach area the island has. We live closest to Cruz Bay, the most populated area. Immediately, I fell in love. The water is beyond gorgeous, and all the buildings are so bright and colorful. Toward the end of the day, we stopped at Francis Bay to take a dip. Y'all, this was my first time swimming in the ocean (technically the Caribbean Sea), but dang, is it amazing! There were angel fish swimming around us the whole time, since they eat the little organisms our feet kick up in the sand. They kept touching me, so I decided I am one with nature. We also visited the Annaberg ruins, where a sugar cane mill used to run back in the day.
We began working in the community throughout the week, with some helping at the school for a short while, some helping haul mulch, and some putting in hours at Feed the Hungry Soup Kitchen. This was me and Olivia, by the way. The ladies working there are so kind, and the financially insecure and homeless community really appreciates all they are given. Our other big projects we will do while here include helping out at the Senior Center by building them plant benches, as well as spread mulch at the library and create an outdoor space for children to sit and read. The girls and I have a few more ideas in mind, but stay tuned for that.
This weekend we had the opportunity to travel to St. Croix, which is about 45 miles from St. John. While on St. Croix, we attended the Agricultural and Food Fair, which could probably resemble a typical Iowa county fair. Olivia and I tried new foods, such as Johnny cakes and pumpkin fritters, both delicious! The group and I also met with many professors from UVI and learned of their different departments in the college. They were so happy to meet us, and are looking to create a deeper relationship with ISU.
The plot twist of staying in St. Croix for the weekend is that we slept in a rainforest. A literal rainforest, far from civilization, with no phone service and solar power electricity during the day and none at night. We stayed at Ridge to Reef Farm, which was actually really cool. The whole vibe was very earthy and yes, hippie, but I was digging it! They are 100% organic and open their grounds for visitors. There was a main hub acting as a kitchen and community center, with communal bathrooms down the path. We stayed in cabanas with screen walls, so we were surrounded by nature entirely. The music of the night was great, but I was slightly terrified a lizard was going to crawl on me in my sleep. None did! Olivia and I bunked with one of the GHS students, named Folksy, who is only 13, so you can imagine the type of behavior and jokes we endured. She was a hoot! We thought our cabana was hilarious, as we had a sink right outside our door with a "mirror" hanging above. There was no mirror though, it was just a frame! We felt like it drew some sort of "love yourself" or "enjoy nature" aesthetic.
On Sunday, we drove around St. Croix the entire day, which was pretty creepy as the two main towns don't have much socialization, so it felt like we were driving through ghost towns all day. We travelled to the eastern-most point of the U.S. and any of it's territories, which was so vast and breathtaking. We had also stopped at Fort Christiansvaern, which was basically a waterfront fort where they would also hold prisoners.
When we had all decided we were finally hungry enough for dinner, we stopped at Rhythms at Rainbow Beach, which was most definitely where the party was at. The beach was hopping! Everyone in town must have been there for the night, which we heard was the traditional Sunday thing to do. They had live music and an open atmosphere, with the beach just down the steps. I spotted "The Pink Flamingo" for my Ames friends :)
Now we are back in St. John, living the glorious island life. No air conditioning, but it's something I can live with for the next five weeks. Moonlight hike on schedule for tomorrow. Cue the spookiness!
Signing off,
Amanda :)