As I mentioned in my last post, this past September my husband & I traveled to St. Thomas to visit his parents while they were living on the island. Soon after our trip was over, Hurricane Irma devastated the Caribbean, so I decided to hold off on publishing my stories from our vacation. Months have passed and the islands are rallying to come back better than ever, so I thought it was an opportune time to finally share. I’ve always been a die-hard island lover, but after hearing the stories of my in-laws having to ride out the storm, lose their condo to wind & rain damage, and ultimately relocate back to the contiguous U.S., my heart breaks for these little pieces of paradise. Not to get on my soapbox here, but it seems like after a storm blows over, it’s easy for people to forget that there is still a long recovery process ahead before businesses & families can return to normalcy. Like most islands, tourism is the heartbeat of their economy and they need our support. If you’re planning a trip for the upcoming spring or summer months, it’s my hope that these shots will encourage you to consider St. Thomas or St. John as your next vacation destination! If traveling isn’t on your to-do list right now, then no worries—I hope you enjoy this little peek into my getaway & appreciate the natural beauty that is the Virgin Islands.
As always, sending lots of tropical vibes your way!
Xx – Rachael
Blackbeard’s Castle
![H A P P Y E A R T H D A Y ☼ the only thing crazier than my hair is the amount of trash we picked up on a seemingly “clean” beach. i gotta give lots of claps to miami beach in general, because we do keep our beaches beautiful BUT it was the TINNYYY minuscule pieces of plastic in the wrack line [seaweed] & in the crevices of these rocks, that blew my mind. there were so many dime sized shards of plastic that they somehow looked like they belonged there, wtffffff. my mother is an avid cleaner of beaches, she’s holding down the fort on cape cod, so i’m never shocked to see big trash but it’s the small pieces that you barely notice that are doing tons of damage as well. if you don’t care enough to pick up for the planet, then do it for selfish reasons = these tiny trash particles are RUINING YOUR SPICY TUNA ROLL, SISTER. super warm n cozy thank you to the @palmshotelmiami for putting together this awesome event & thanks to @samba.sol for protecting my feet with their eco-friendly flops, while climbed all over these rocks. also, we found a crab, also if you read all of this, you’re my favorite... yes, you. xx](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/vp/a49b4cb88e47002787ba3ec3c7073f11/5D51AD08/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/p640x640/57446609_131201728026381_8426543274681579225_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com "H A P P Y E A R T H D A Y ☼ the only thing crazier than my hair is the amount of trash we picked up on a seemingly “clean” beach. i gotta give lots of claps to miami beach in general, because we do keep our beaches beautiful BUT it was the TINNYYY minuscule pieces of plastic in the wrack line [seaweed] & in the crevices of these rocks, that blew my mind. there were so many dime sized shards of plastic that they somehow looked like they belonged there, wtffffff. my mother is an avid cleaner of beaches, she’s holding down the fort on cape cod, so i’m never shocked to see big trash but it’s the small pieces that you barely notice that are doing tons of damage as well. if you don’t care enough to pick up for the planet, then do it for selfish reasons = these tiny trash particles are RUINING YOUR SPICY TUNA ROLL, SISTER. super warm n cozy thank you to the @palmshotelmiami for putting together this awesome event & thanks to @samba.sol for protecting my feet with their eco-friendly flops, while climbed all over these rocks. also, we found a crab, also if you read all of this, you’re my favorite... yes, you. xx")
LOVE all your photos! St. Thomas is my favorite place and you went to all the best spots!
Love this story and what a way to promote tourism to the islands again- they need it bad! My heart is in the Caribbean, as I’ve grown up traveling to a few islands time and time again (I found my first love as a teenager on an island in the Bahamas that my family annually traveled to, a mecca to Puerto Rico to surf every year for the past 10 years, I learned to paint in St. John, etc.) It feels like my whole life really “started” in the islands although I was never a resident. My heart is there, and I relate to your love and heartbreak for the people there. Sending positive vibes + hope! – Sydney Pope Long, BARRACUDA MOON JEWELRY, IG: @barracudamoonjewelry, http://www.barracudamoon.com
Thank you so much for sharing your love for the islands & sweet words, Sydney! I hope to inspire more people to visit the Caribbean so they too can feel the magic & fall in love as well. The islands have given me so many amazing memories & I can’t wait to visit again very soon. Xx
Incredible photos, girl! I’m so glad you’re bringing attention to this sad reality. Hopefully the tourists will return and bring the islands back to all their beauty. Love your perspective 😉