I'm a mom... but I can still be spontaneous!

After enduring a few years of, in many ways (except financial, phew!) a life of single motherhood, as Bill traveled back and forth from his Puerto Rican baby (the hotel he was building) - we decided to pick up our family and move there for the duration of the project. The decision came on Saturday - and we were to leave a week later. This blog tracked our experiences as we left our home in CT, withdrew our kids from school, left our puppy in the care of a trusted dog-lover, left the snow and the rat race and the routine... for a beautiful, rather remote island. I hoped to allow my friends & family to track our progress (or lack thereof?) as we lugged our stuff to one of the few remaining places that does not have a Starbucks, the kids and I embarked on our first ever homeschooling experience (I'd always thought homeschoolers were aliens), and I happily moved my triathlon training from the pool, trainer & dreadmill to what basically amounts to paradise. Most of all, I hoped my blogging will push others to step out of their comfort zone and try something they always swore "NEVER!" to do. (Of course, hopefully it's not something destructive).

So now, we are back in CT after our 3 surreal months in Vieques. In no time whatsoever my day became jam-packed with activities and tasks, but somehow it feels "right" in the way that the nothingness of Vieques felt "right." I suppose that's how you know you're following your bliss - and where you do it becomes irrelevant.

Thanks for visiting!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

my last post from Vieques... for now

After 3 months here, we're flying back to CT tomorrow - back to reality. The kids are excited to see their friends & their puppy, though Jackie is definitely sad to say goodbye to her friends here. Me? There will be so many things and people that I will miss. The simple, easy lifestyle; the way in which my island friends and I are constantly getting together, at the drop of a hat, since no one has to drive to soccer practice, piano lessons, or a PTO meeting. The luxury of living in a beautiful villa on the W grounds, with a world class resort and all its amenities - and interesting guests - a few meters away. The quirkiness of a tiny island that relies on ferries for everything from gas to pickles, whose currency is the US dollar but its infrastructure is in many ways that of a third world country. Teaching yoga on a patch of grass under palm trees, surrounded by water on three sides!

What I have noticed over these 3 months, by observing friends back in the US, friends here in Vieques, and guests at the hotel - is that where you are geographically is pretty irrelevant. If you are a mom to young children, it doesn't matter if you're in the middle of a winter in the Northeast, or on a beautiful island in the Caribbean - life is challenging. If you're a complainer and like to pick up on people's - and life's - shortcomings, even a beautiful resort where you can lounge around and do nothing but feel the breeze and listen to the waves will give you something to gripe about.

I'm not naive enough to think that I can continue this tranquil, simple existence back in CT. The day after we get back the kids are already auditioning for a show. And I have to get my butt in gear for upcoming races, and for the Achieve triathlon summer camp we're starting up in June. But I'm going to keep this blog, because although I'll be in Southbury I hope I'll continue to smilepace.



our good-bye party (they found a magician, and he was great!!)


our back yard





the island's only - & famous - cows


back to Black Sand beach for one last time!




















Nicholas took this of his wife, Alison



slumber party (last hurrah)



very dangerous centipede


Willo's tooth fell out during his into to scuba diving class (never to be found)

turtle nested her eggs on the W beach so the kids made signs telling people not to enter

dessert at the W...

view of the back of our house

our view of the W





one of Sarah's pots, selling at the W



although Honey/Evie found a home, we dogsit her


our favorite pizza place (Lazy Jack's)



the wild horses are great - but they poop a lot & no one picks it up

the kitties opened their eyes on Tuesday!



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