joeyguastaferro

Think Happy

joeyguastaferro — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:33:45 +0000

My mentor Stephanie shared with me an old quote that I long forgotten. I’ve taken the liberty to copy and paste it for you:

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
- John Lennon

Stephanie didn’t realize it, but by showing me this quote, it lit the spark to inspire change on my part. For me, it’s been a long five years. But what a busy and progressive five years it’s been! There have been a myriad of ups and downs over the last couple of years, but definitively more ups. After nearly transferring three times and stumbling into the Maritime business, I decided to stick to my strengths. Looking back, with nearly one month left in academia that spanned all the way back to preschool at Antilles on St. Thomas over 20 years ago, I can confidently say I made the right choices along the way. Because of those choices, May 13th will highlight a remarkable milestone in my life: A college graduate.

Five years, two degrees, and endless opportunities right? It can be. I did some searching these last couple of months because isn’t that what soon-to-be college graduates do? The big questions became: What’s next? Where should I go? What should I do with my life? As I contemplated these questions I noticed that below my exterior calm there was some internal strife going on.

It turns out, I knew what I wanted all this time. I wanted happiness to be my guide in life — the driver in my decisions. And what truly makes me happy? Livin’ as close to the equator as possible and doing work that I find to be meaningful and fulfilling every single day.

It amazes me what time and perception can do to individuals. After leaving St. John behind at the ripe age of 17, I constantly found myself wanting the Caribbean back in my life.

At least a bit of it.

After nearly two decades between St. Thomas and St. John, it is simply the only life I know. And, after five years away from the moonlit skinny dips, the football games played on the beach, and the bon fires besides old slave plantations — I knew I simply must get it back! Why? Because all those things represent what I consider to be happiness. So what did I do? I decided to work hard towards that goal.

And for anyone that is a believer in The Secret – if you want it, it will happen:

In the purest form, this statement suggests something simple, yet profound:

There is no ultimate secret to life: be happy.

It’s amazing how long it takes people to realize that they’re going down a path they do not want nor desire. There are older and wiser individuals who tell me to do this, to do that. Should we really do everything our parents say, do what they want us to do?

Maybe (hang in there Mom).

Why is it that overwhelmingly people on their deathbed consider this their single biggest regret ( I attached this excerpt from LifeHacks’ article on The top 5 regret people have on their deathbed):

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

What a beautiful statement, beautiful in its simplicity. But also because it makes sense.

How many people do you know work — and work very hard — just to end up merely working so they can consume material, superficial things that they think makes them happy. Or how about those who work all their lives, just to enjoy the last 20 years of it? This isn’t living, it’s surviving — merely existing. I am not advocating laziness, nor that we should suddenly become underachievers. Rather, I am suggesting a new way of thinking:

Make sure happiness is at the core of every decision you make in life. You’ll be rewarded all the more because of it. I’ll end this with a quote from a man that spent his life chasing his happiness:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

- Steve Jobs

Tagged: Caribbean, Happiness, John Lennon

Home for the Holidays? Sure, if you can afford it.

joeyguastaferro — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 01:52:20 +0000

Who doesn’t loves going home for the holidays? It’s that time of year where magic is in the air. The food smells a little better, the snow looks a little whiter — even the grouchy people act a little more cheery. It’s also that time of year when school weary college kids want nothing more than to go home to Mom’s home-made food, to their favorite couch in the living room and plop down, forever.

The Problem: Greed

For the average college kid, the college semester can be challenging; filled with deadlines, projects, presentations, late night group sessions, and piles upon piles of school work that never seemed to shrink. Every college kid deserves — if they’ve respectively earned their good grades — a month of home.

Except this kid.

This kid goes to school in snowy Buffalo, New York. Home is nearly 2,000 miles away on a small spec of rock called St. John. So am I going home for the holidays? Sure, if I can cough up the $1,000+ for the airfare.

I realize that I put this situation upon myself, deciding to go to college as far away as I did. I also realize that this time of year is considered the “high season” in the Caribbean – everything from airfare to food goes up. Way up. However, is it fair to the locals who want to come home for the holidays just like everyone else, but can’t because they’re stuck paying the high-season tourist prices for fares that can go anywhere from $900 to $1,500 round trip? No it isn’t. Airline companies could care less for me, a poor college kid, who wants to go home when they can get a rich tourist to pay premium for the same seat. Who cares about the “giving” Christmas spirit when you have a cash cow that big.

The Solution: Be Santa Clause, Not Scrooge

I’m not alone in my frustration in that going home for the holidays has a ridiculously high price tag on it. Airline companies need to see beyond the bottom line and have a heart. Help college kids like me go home without having to blow the bank, sell an organ, or whatever drastic measure I can dream up. Here is my solution, my two-part solution:My first solution is to set aside a certain amount of seats dedicated for the “locals” who live in popular holiday destinations where snow birds flock and — if an individual can show proof of local residency — allow that person to buy a seat with a “local discount.”

My second solution is to dedicate an entire plane — one at the beginning of the holiday season and one after at a discounted price just for the locals.

Everyone deserves to go home for the holidays and not have to break the bank. Airlines might argue that discounted seats for locals is considered financial suicide. Why give up a seat for only $400 when you can get a rich tourist to pay $1,500?

Guess what Mr. Big Airlines, your seat isn’t worth THAT MUCH. With the airline industry’s approval ratings nearly as low as our current Congress in Washington, I think airlines that can offer discounted seats for locals would begin to make themselves look a lot more human. If nothing else it will be a wonderful PR piece. The entire industry could use it. It is the season of giving after all isn’t it?

Tagged: Caribbean, Travel

Project Béisbol: Helping Kids in Latin America Play the Game They Love

joeyguastaferro — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:04:19 +0000

Project Béisbol is a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering donated baseball and softball supplies to children in underprivileged communities in Latin America. The Project works with coaches and community leaders in South Florida to carry out this mission, taking appropriate measures to ensure the credibility of recipient baseball and softball programs and the intended use of the supplies. All operations are made possible by donations from generous individuals, teams, organizations and corporations.

Since its inception three years ago, Project Béisbol has functioned as a 100

A youth team of Nicaraguan players posing with donated baseball equipment from Project Béisbol last spring.

percent volunteered, nonprofit organization that has linked the youths of South Florida and Latin America through the game of baseball. Project Béisbol’s volunteer base is made up of eager, hardworking young volunteers looking to make a difference for their counterparts in underprivileged Latin American communities. Project Béisbol’s young volunteers come from all walks of life, different ages, different ideas, but they all work together in their passion to helping those less fortunate than they are.

The Bases of Project Béisbol:

Baseball/Softball

Supporting youth teams in communities of economic need is the heart of our mission, which opens the door to international community collaboration and cultural exchange.

Project Beisbol volunteers in Nicargua this past spring to distribute baseball supplies: (left) President Justin Halladay, Daniela Chaparro, Josh Pincus, Ryan Feller and Daniela Moreno.

Community

International collaboration with local community leaders and coaches enables Project Béisbol to effectively carry out its mission and participate in the building of stronger communities in the region.

Education

Project Béisbol proudly offers volunteer and internship opportunities – enabling cultural exchange and collaboration among the youth of the USA/Canada and Latin American countries.

Opportunity

Through sport, international community collaboration and education, Project Béisbol is creating life changing opportunities for children and young adults.

Vision:

Project Beisbol volunteers at one of our fundraising events this summer (I'm on the bottom right).

To be a catalyst for positive change on the local level in Latin America through baseball, educational and cultural exchange between the youth of the USA and Latin American countries.

Personal Note:

My past five months with this organization has been a tremendous blessing. Through Project Béisbol have met a lot of really great, like-minded people who, like me, are inspired by what Project Béisbol is doing through the vision of its Founder/President Justin Halladay. All in all, this is one the best organizations I’ve ever joined and it’s the people in it that have made it so. Love you guys!

Tagged: Baseball, Caribbean, Latin America, Non-profit organization, Twitter

Virgin Islands Scholars: Building a Pipeline for Future Leadership

joeyguastaferro — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 22:13:40 +0000

“It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

Personification of Selflessness

If you want to imagine a person that personifies selflessness and giving back, look no further than to one of my best friends: Lincoln Liburd – Executive Director of VI Scholars, an organization he founded that focuses on empowering today’s Virgin Island youth into tomorrow’s leaders.

Since our high school days, I knew Lincoln to be one of the biggest advocates for social progress, especially on his home island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Those that are close to Lincoln know there is a lot to like about him: He’s smart, driven and believes in himself. When he told me he was launching the VI Scholars this past summer I was thrilled.

Faulty Public School System

For far too long the Virgin Island’s government has ignored its obligation to its children, to their futures. The Virgin Islands is notorious for its high crime and poverty rates and, at times, the local government has been rattled by many high-profile corruption cases. Among the host of issues currently facing the Virgin Islands, the most glaring and dangerous is their faulty public school system. The public schools are severely understaffed and underfunded. They lacks the basic necessities a school needs in order to create a clean, safe and fun learning environment for kids. Lincoln, like all of us who grew up on St. John saw this, but it was Lincoln who decided to take a stand. A big one.

VI Scholars Wordle

Privileged, But Not Sheltered

Lincoln and I both had the privilege of attending a private school system that was created as a response, in part, to the lack of a high-quality public school system on St. John. Now a senior at the prestigious Stanford University, Lincoln could have easily turned his back on his hometown after he graduates and go out and make a boat load of money and take over the world. Instead he decided he couldn’t wait any longer for the slow, unwilling, bureaucratic Virgin Island government to change their ways.

Enough Was Enough

Lincoln created VI Scholars with a group of his colleagues at Stanford to begin the long and trying task of building leaders out of our kids instead of letting them succumb to gang violence and poverty that is prevalent not just in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but everywhere in the Caribbean. VI Scholars’ vision is to build a pipeline for leadership within the U.S. Virgin Islands that strengthens the territory’s infrastructure, emboldens the importance of education and community. By doing all this and more, Lincoln and his team are hoping to increase the quality of life for all Virgin Islanders.

A Bright Future

Presently, it looks like the VI Scholars are well on their way to transforming today’s VI youth into tomorrow’s leaders. I’m very proud of what Lincoln and the rest of his staff at VI Scholars have accomplished this summer and excited for the future as they try reverse decades of negligence.

I can say that I speak for all of us that live in the Virgin Islands and abroad: Thank you VI Scholars, keep fighting the good fight!

Click to learn more about this fantastic organization:

VI Scholars launched its first three-week program this past summer

VI Scholars — ‘We identify, develop, and support future Virgin Islands leaders, empowering them to effectuate positive change within their community.’

Tagged: Caribbean, Stanford University, Travel and Tourism, United States Virgin Islands, US Virgin islands

U.S.V.I’s ‘You, Unscripted’ Campaign

joeyguastaferro — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:06:25 +0000

‘You, Unscripted’ was a national advertisement campaign rolled out by the U.S.V.I’s Department of Tourism back in 2010. I know this may seem a bit late, but when I finally saw it, I was head-over-heels. This campaign was nothing short of brilliant. It features a new creative direction from the Department by integrating a new Mocko Jumbie logo (picture to your left) together with the ‘You, Unscripted’ campaign — stunning scenery, cultural and historical icons and activities that highlight the beauty and diversity of a vacation experience in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

”You, Unscripted’ touched on the theme of travelers (tourists) who have “lost” their everyday identity and “found” a new one through their vacation experience. Across the three islands are featured iconic images and scenery special to each particular island. The advertisements were to communicate the idea that visitors can “script” their own interpretation of exploration, adventure, romance and more in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The $6 million dollar campaign consisted of 30-second TV spots, magazines, newspaper and internet advertising. The advertisements shown in: Bridal and Romance, African American, Dive, Culture & Heritage, Sailing & Yachting and Meetings & Incentives and more.

My favorite aspect of the campaign were the images on the advertisements shown below. Each one is visually stunning, simplistic, and most importantly, evokes powerful emotions. The Department of Tourism’s adverting agency, JWT, did a fantastic job working with the local vendors on all three islands to produce these beautiful images. The ads were shot on all three islands and they featured actual residents of the Virgin Islands. In addition, the soundtrack for the radio and TV ads was recorded by the Rising Stars Steel Orchestra. How cool is this? This entire campaign was made in the V.I., giving people jobs and pumping money into the local economy. But more importantly — it was authentic.

Here is a sample of the advertisements used in the ‘You, Unscripted’ campaign:

The last advertisement was my personal favorite. The shot was taken on St. John at the Annaburg Plantation, site of my high school graduation.

If you want to learn more about this campaign, check it out here.

What do you guys think of this campaign? Let me know.

Tagged: Caribbean, Department of Tourism, Saint Croix U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Travel and Tourism, United States Virgin Islands, Unscripted, US Virgin islands, Virgin Islands

U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism Launches Smartphone App

joeyguastaferro — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:28:09 +0000

I found out that the U.S. Virgin Island’s Department of Tourism created an application for your smartphone. And it’s pretty cool! I’ve been playing it for no more than ten minutes and I am already blown away by how simple and interactive it is! You can easily navigate between all three of the islands and do everything from reading beach reviews, bookmark areas of interest, plan trips in advanced and access up-to-date information.

It’s nice to see the U.S. Virgin Island’s Department of Tourism create something savvy like a smartphone app, but it’s even cooler that they got it right. It’s rich with content, interactive, colorful and most importantly: useful. Anyone that comes to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands should come armed with this app.

Read more about the smartphone app and other exciting new marketing endeavors on their USVI Times bimonthly publication.

Tagged: British Virgin Islands, Caribbean, smartphone, Travel and Tourism, Travel Guides, United States, United States Virgin Islands, US Virgin islands

Caribbean Fire Sauces

joeyguastaferro — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:00:51 +0000

I take my hot sauces seriously. Forget what you know about hot sauce — Tabasco, Frank’s RedHot, whatever. These are generic, bland and boring. I’m going to kick it up a notch, bring on the heat, and give you my top Caribbean hot sauces.

Tabasco (last resort ONLY)

As far as generic, boring hot sauces go Tabasco is the best of the best. It’s everywhere. Its worth mentioning that toe-to-toe, Tabasco wouldn’t stand up to any Caribbean hot sauces. Obviously. I’ll give it to Tabasco –it does have the brand following and manages to be on nearly every table, everywhere. Whenever I’m in the states for instance, and I go to a local eatery, I always ask the waiter for hot sauce — hoping it won’t be Tabasco, but rather a local variety. Nine times out of ten its always Tabasco, much to my dismay. Long story short, as a hot sauce fanatic I MUST have hot sauce with my meal, even if it means Tabasco. Hot sauce is a vital part of my dining landscape as much as a fork and a knife.

Jerome’s Hot Sauce

This hot sauce is the only one on my list I’ve had the least interaction with. We (Jerome and I) probably crossed paths before: either on a fish dish or pork chops. However, Jerome’s hot sauce has quite a local following in the Virgin Islands. In fact, in 2008, Jerome’s hot sauce came in first place in the St. John Sun Times “Best Of the Island’s”. Since then, Jerome’s sauce skyrocketed in popularity and he hasn’t looked back since.

Miss Anna’s Hot Sauce

I love Miss Anna’s hot sauces on fish. It’s the perfect combination of flavor, heat and attention to detail. With the family’s recipe being handed down through generation to generation; after 100 years of giving fishermen and fish lovers the perfect sauce for their daily fish meals, it’s no wonder it tastes so good.

Blind Betty’s Hot Sauce

One of my favorite Caribbean sauces, period. It’s virtually tied with Trinidad Charlie as my favorite hot sauce. Blind Betty has a special place in my heart because her sauce is local, made in the great island of St. John. How could I not root for my hometown sauce? Blind Betty’s sauce may have a small following, but has a big follower in me. Like most great Caribbean sauces, Blind Betty’s is made with a whole lotta fresh organic ingredients in the Caribbean. Nuff said.

Trinidad Charlie’s Hot Sauce

My favorite sauce. I can’t even begin to describe it on this blog post well enough to serve it justice. Just trust me on this, it’s phenomenal. The man behind the sauce is real too, in fact, he’s quite the celebrity. Trinidad Charlie’s hot sauce is unique because its made in small-batches. The secret ingriedient: love. I use this hot sauce on literally everything I eat. Sometimes it can gross people out, but who cares? It’s the best hot sauce in the world. I’m usually conservative about my sauce choices and tend to go with the original flavors, but all three of Trinidad Charlie sauces are just too good to settle for one. Maybe Trinidad Charlie will see me screaming unabashed praise on this blog post over his sauce that he’ll send me life-time supply .

The Caribbean is a region known for its heat. The Sun sure, but also for their legendary hot pepper sauces. Way back when the Carib Indians roamed the region, they were known to add spices and peppers to give their food for some kick. Much of that traditional indian cooking is alive and well-practiced all over the Caribbean region today.

Tagged: Caribbean, Virgin Islands

Top Five Caribbean Beaches You Must Visit Before You Die

joeyguastaferro — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:27:23 +0000

I like to think myself as an expert on beaches; I practically lived on them during my childhood. A beach bum like myself would tell you that being on a beach is quiet unlike anything else in the world. If you’ve been on a beach, even just once, you appreciate what I’m saying.

Necessities that a beach bum like me can’t live without:

Two beach towels, one big one to lie on, another to rest my dome
Sunscreen — SPF 45 minimum
Huge Sunhat, particularly this one from Quiksilver. It’s cheap, looks good, and gets the job done.
A snazzy pair of boardshorts
A comfortable pair of flip flops
Cooler filled with refreshments
Ipod with speaker attachment
Frisbee/volleyball
Last, but not certainly not least, fellow beach bums

THE TOP FIVE CARIBBEAN BEACHES:

Note: I haven’t been around the Caribbean enough to say that I can personally identify the top five beaches in the Caribbean. I found this great site: www.touropia.com that compiles travel lists and I’m using their list of top five Caribbean beaches. Feel free to follow them on Twitter at @touropia.

Another reason I am using this particular list is because two of the listed five I’ve conquered — by conquering I mean: I slept, swam, frolicked and played on the beach. Consider this as much as a learning experience for you as it is for me. Enjoy!

Number 5: Grand Anse

This beautiful beach is called Grand Anse located in Grenada. I haven’t been to this one, but I’m certainly going to by the looks of it. Source: Photo courtesy of: flickr/scaglifr

Number 4: Pink Sand Beach

If you like the color pink, try this twist from the traditional white-sand beaches. Located at Harbour Island, Bahamas — Pink Sand Beach is known for its three and a half miles of, well, pink sand. Source: Photo courtesy of: flickr/mweber

Number 3: The Baths

One of my all time personal favorite. This should be a must-visit on anyone’s bucket list. What is so fascinating about this beach is the exotic pools and grottos that are formed by giant boulders scattered across the beach. I’ve been here many times and it never gets old. Located in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands. Source: Photo courtesy of: flickr/super-structure

Number 2: Englishman’s Bay

I’ve been to Tobago, but I didn’t stop at this secluded beach. Though not know to draw large crowds, this forgotten piece of landscape is among the most beautifully, natural beaches in the entire Caribbean. A must visit. Located on the island of Tobago. Source: Photo courtesy of: Tripadvisor

Number 1: Trunk Bay

You have no idea how happy this makes me: it’s the pride of having my playground featured as the number one beach in the Caribbean. I’ve been to this beach at least hundreds, if not thousands of times. Is it worthy of number one? It really is. Trunk Bay is a literally one of the most beautiful/scenic pieces of landscape I’ve ever laid my eyes on. But don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself. Located: St. John, United States Virgin Islands. Source: Photo courtesy of: flickr/zeandroid

What’s your beach bum personality?

What do you guys think? If you had to bring only three essentials to one of these beaches for the entire day, what would you bring to survive?

Or another question: What do you guys like to do on a beach? Do you like to lay in the sun? Read? Socialize with fellow beachgoers? Freak out if people stand in the way of your precious sunlight? Give me an idea of your beach bum personality.

Tagged: Bahamas, Beach, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean, Central America, Quiksilver, St. John, Travel and Tourism, Trunk Bay, Virgin Gorda

Paradise: UNCENSORED

joeyguastaferro — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:44:00 +0000

Living in paradise is a lot like living in a snow globe: it’s pretty to look at, but after a while it becomes claustrophobic.

Rock fever (also called island fever) — Look it up, it’s real. I suffered from it. No, it isn’t the medical disease, nor is it the rock band. Urban dictionary does an adequate attempt at explaining it. I’m cutting through the smoke and mirrors and show what paradise is really like through eyes of a local.

LET ME BE CLEAR: I’m not here to bash my hometown or scare people away from island living. In fact, I truly loved growing up on an island and I wouldn’t change a thing about my childhood. By sharing my personal journey that spans over 19 years on two small islands, I hope to give a brief insight on what it is like in paradise from one local’s perspective.

The Government’s Agenda

Governments all over the Caribbean dole out millions of dollars a year putting together aggressive, glossy marketing campaigns that paints a rosy, but sometimes artificial depiction of their respective islands. Feel free to look at some of the U.S. Virgin Island’s latest marketing endeavors. They’re impressive, seriously. I find myself doing a double take of glamour shots on their magazine covers of places I’ve been hundreds of times.

St. John, VI Aerial Shot

It’s not a bad thing, in fact, because tourism is the primary engine driving the economy, not just in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but everywhere in the Caribbean. The U.S. Virgin Island tourism industry along brings in a whopping 70% of its total GDP and is responsible for more than 70% of employment. If you live in the Caribbean; you either work in the tourism industry, married to someone who work in it, or know of someone in the industry. The bottom line, whether we locals want to admit or not, is that tourism is part of the very fabric of our society.

‘Paradise’ from this local’s perspective (I’ll limit it to three points for length’s sake):

Cut off from society – Not literally of course, don’t start shouting at me. Yes, I

have an airport and yes I am quite capable of traveling stateside or wherever else that tickles my fancy. What I meant is that geographically speaking, I live in one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, yet I still find myself cut off from the rest of society. I understand that, especially on my quiet island of St. John, a large part of its appeal to tourists is to “escape reality,” and “unwind.” But as a restless teenager who’s run out of things to do, the last thing I want to do is unwind, to escape reality. So I did what teenagers do best: complain a lot.

Claustrophobic – Islands are typically small by nature. Sometimes very small. Small enough that I felt claustrophobic. I’ve never actually been diagnosed with claustrophobia nor do I intend to find out. When you’ve lived on an island for nearly two decades you tend to do a lot of the same things, know the same people, etc. As a local, the island felt claustrophobic mentally and physically. Mentally, I was so worn out doing the same things over and over to no end. There simple wasn’t enough choices: I had no movie theater, no mall, no clubs, you get the point. Physically, it was claustrophobic obviously because the land mass was tiny. Nine miles long, five miles wide.

Where are all the girls?! – A common, frustrated, but hilariously true statement blurted out many times by my fellow island boys.I don’t mean to offend any of the ladies, but I merely bring this up to illustrate another glaring reality of paradise: small population. St. John consists of a very small community of several thousand people. Predominately, among the folks whose families have lived in the Caribbean for generations, it’s seems everyone is somehow related (creepy). Almost. To end off this last point, I graduated with less than ten people. Ten! I can proudly say I was in the top 5 percent of my class. It’s indisputable.

Conclusion — So what is really paradise? The million dollar marketing campaign will tell you it’s filled with pina coladas, palm trees and feet in the sand. I’m apparently telling you that paradise is filled with anti-social, claustrophobic men who have no idea how to interact with a women. The reality of it is, paradise is both: it’s a bunch of socially backwards men running like hell from small spaces who happen to play beach volleyball on Sundays until happy hour at various waterholes. I’m kidding! Sort of.

The real personality of paradise lies not with the expensive, photo-shopped images splashed across travel and leisure magazines, but within the locals. The true essence of what makes my hometown, my ‘paradise’ is the people who lived on the rock with me. Sure, the weather is great all year around, I can go to the beach everyday after school, or legally drink at the ripe age of 18. But what made paradise, paradise for me was the people with whom I shared my experiences with.

Challenge:

I challenge the people who are reading my blog to share a brief statement about where their paradise (home) is and state something interesting about it that only you, the local would know.

Cheers!

Tagged: Caribbean, Claustrophobia, locals, Marketing, paradise, St. John, Tourism, United States Virgin Islands, US Virgin islands