Remember when I said this blog would be about yoga “and beyond”? Here’s a case of beyond.
I recently returned from a week in the beautiful island of St. Kitts and now I have the travel bug and just want to drop everything and become a traveling yogi/freelance writer and visit beautiful islands with my best friend.
BUT, for now, bear with me as I gush over what a wonderful time I had and give you a quick history lesson.
St. Kitts, -- otherwise known as Saint Christopher’s, its formal name – and Nevis, its sister island, were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Long story short, he and several Englishmen founded the colony, the French came soon after, and the two parties brought in a ton of African slaves to expand the sugarcane and tobacco production on the island – all 69 square miles of it.
Fast forward a few hundred years to 1983: The sugarcane and tobacco industries on the island are dying, slavery is (obviously) long gone, and the Brits decide St. Kitts is a grown-up and can be its own country, so they grant the island its independence. This all happens among apparent government corruption.
Now, their main industry is tourism, and they are still learning how to be their own country, so there are some struggles.
I learned all this partly through Googling and partly through my exploration of the island and conversation with locals while Erin – my beautiful, talented, intelligent, hardworking best friend of nearly 10 years who lives on the island and attends Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine – was in class.
On one of my ventures out (after I got lost, which is apparently really hard to do on the tiny island) I met Damali, a South Carolina native who moved to St. Kitts 20 years ago because “Just because you’re from one place doesn’t mean you have to stay there forever.” Amen, sista.
Damali sells jewelry, herbal tea and other island knickknacks four days a week at the Marriott. Thanks to a grant from the government, her and her husband, a Rastafarian with dreads down to his feet, own a greenhouse and grow food and tea plants at their home. Her Rasta husband also plays reggae music and is an artist, of course.
As she set up her jewelry table (a task that took two hours, but would have taken me 15 minutes – as they say on the island, “Rush Slowly”) we began chatting – about the island, the corrupt government, the death of the sugarcane industry, the impact of tourism and higher education on the island, travel and her herbal teas, which she packages herself.
Naturally, I bought like 10 packets, and I’m pleased to say the tea is DELICIOUS. And great news, she ships to the U.S. – you can get your own by emailing her your order to [email protected].
Other than chatting up locals and pestering them with questions, the week was spent sunbathing, exploring, being thoroughly confused in Erin’s class lectures (science is confusing) snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding, sweating (it’s SO HOT ALL THE TIME) dancing and having the most incredible time meeting Erin’s friends and classmates, who are all lovely.
And now I’m dying to travel again. Any suggestions on where to go next?
I recently returned from a week in the beautiful island of St. Kitts and now I have the travel bug and just want to drop everything and become a traveling yogi/freelance writer and visit beautiful islands with my best friend.
BUT, for now, bear with me as I gush over what a wonderful time I had and give you a quick history lesson.
St. Kitts, -- otherwise known as Saint Christopher’s, its formal name – and Nevis, its sister island, were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Long story short, he and several Englishmen founded the colony, the French came soon after, and the two parties brought in a ton of African slaves to expand the sugarcane and tobacco production on the island – all 69 square miles of it.
Fast forward a few hundred years to 1983: The sugarcane and tobacco industries on the island are dying, slavery is (obviously) long gone, and the Brits decide St. Kitts is a grown-up and can be its own country, so they grant the island its independence. This all happens among apparent government corruption.
Now, their main industry is tourism, and they are still learning how to be their own country, so there are some struggles.
I learned all this partly through Googling and partly through my exploration of the island and conversation with locals while Erin – my beautiful, talented, intelligent, hardworking best friend of nearly 10 years who lives on the island and attends Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine – was in class.
On one of my ventures out (after I got lost, which is apparently really hard to do on the tiny island) I met Damali, a South Carolina native who moved to St. Kitts 20 years ago because “Just because you’re from one place doesn’t mean you have to stay there forever.” Amen, sista.
Damali sells jewelry, herbal tea and other island knickknacks four days a week at the Marriott. Thanks to a grant from the government, her and her husband, a Rastafarian with dreads down to his feet, own a greenhouse and grow food and tea plants at their home. Her Rasta husband also plays reggae music and is an artist, of course.
As she set up her jewelry table (a task that took two hours, but would have taken me 15 minutes – as they say on the island, “Rush Slowly”) we began chatting – about the island, the corrupt government, the death of the sugarcane industry, the impact of tourism and higher education on the island, travel and her herbal teas, which she packages herself.
Naturally, I bought like 10 packets, and I’m pleased to say the tea is DELICIOUS. And great news, she ships to the U.S. – you can get your own by emailing her your order to [email protected].
Other than chatting up locals and pestering them with questions, the week was spent sunbathing, exploring, being thoroughly confused in Erin’s class lectures (science is confusing) snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding, sweating (it’s SO HOT ALL THE TIME) dancing and having the most incredible time meeting Erin’s friends and classmates, who are all lovely.
And now I’m dying to travel again. Any suggestions on where to go next?