Paradise

I lived on a tropical island--most would say I've lived in Paradise. Well, Grenada was great, but I've had better.

I'm feel a little nostalgic for the warm weather as today heats up to 72 degrees in NY for presumably the last time for months, but also for the great family vacation I was so happy to enjoy in May. Just check out these photos and you'll wish you were right there with us, too!

We hopped on a little 8-seater plane and flew right above the main island of Grenada to a smaller sister island: Carriacou. 

We boarded a boat and set sail for Union Island.

We arrived to untouched, unparalleled beauty that surpassed any and all expectations. 

We spent our first night in Chatham Bay, flying a kite, picking up sea glass and just being in awe of our surroundings.

The next day, we headed up to Tobago Cays, a bit more touristy than the previous day but still a world apart from anywhere else we've been.

Our shaded part of the boat.

Family picture (minus my husband, who stayed home to study)

On shore...my sister chasing away the seagulls

View from on top of the tiny island. 

Beautiful little quirks everywhere. Here's a cute little shell affixed to an otherwise ordinary rock.

Random moments of fun at every turn. 

My parents making a splash! (with the help of some splashers)

Underwater cameras come in handy when you're snorkeling with turtles!!

Snorkels are hot.

I would love to recommend the Timshel and Footloose company! I meal planned for the trip (they have other options), and we ate on shore on one of the islands, so it came out to be quite a cost effective trip!

Introducing you to my favorite place on planet Earth. I hope to see the rest of the world, but I'd still be content if this remained my favorite. Introducing Mayreau (pronounced Myroo, or by me, Myra Island), and this is Salt Whistle Bay. Beyond the strip of island is the fierce (exaggerated) waves of the Atlantic Ocean, and inside the bay is a calm and peaceful oasis. The perfect place to dock for the night, to hike up the main part of the island and to set up my hammock forever.

My gorgeous sister!

From atop of Mayreau with my mom and sister. 

Our seemingly private island proved to be not quite so as evidenced by these four-legged footprints!

And this, my friends, is Paradise. 

...especially when you get to share it with the greatest people!

I wasn't kidding about my hammock. Also, check out my sister climbing a tree and my dad about to just sit in the shallow bay.

Bliss. Although, I do wish my husband was able to join. And even without that, bliss.

Even storm clouds are pretty! Unobstructed views make everything look incredible.

My family trying to be normal as we come ashore to Petite Martinique, the third named and smallest island of Grenada. It is our captain's home island and a perfect place to spend our last night to complete the ultimate Grenada and Grenadine adventure. 

My family, a little more realistically.

While we all looked great in the gorgeous golden-hour glow, my sister looked particularly amazing with her blue eyes and bright pink headband she purchased across the bay on Petite St. Vincent. 

The sunset did not disappoint. We sailed all the way home the next day. As we disembarked, and for the next several days, the ground seemed to have some extra motion underneath us, like our minds subconsciously wished we were still rocking at sea.

Back on the mainland--err, main island of Grenada, rejoined with my husband. 

Ready for the next family vacation, wherever that may be! 

...and one day, I will return to Myra Island with my husband and my hammock and bask yet again in Paradise. 

Big, Big World. Meet Little Ol' Me

Originally posted 26 Oct 2012 18:50 by Myra Mills Tschirhart on a previous blog from living in Grenada.

I often get frustrated by others' unwillingness to believe they can in fact change the world.  Because if they write off that they can do it, they probably have little faith that I can.  I do not come from wealth, I do not have famous parents (though my dad had VP Dick Chaney's hard drive lurking in his office shortly after he was elected...that's almost famous), I don't have a law degree from Harvard <yet>, but I do believe that somehow, I will make a difference.  Yes, it would be wonderful if it was as the first woman President.  But if not, as long as I am affecting the masses with positive change, I will call it a win.  My hope is that I can achieve this big, lofty fulfillment through legislation writing or lobbying for change in public education, its perceptions and the inclusiveness and importance placed on Fine Arts.  And that, though very far off, could happen. Yesterday, I took part in a lovely excursion to the neighboring Glover Island.  And when I say neighboring, I mean almost a stone's throw.  It's not really much.  More than a comfortable swim, but not big enough to qualify as a separate island.  However, I see this beautiful piece of land from campus quite often; I have longed to take the short hop to get to it.  When the opportunity came up with the orientation staff, I was super excited!  We I arrived at 9am (Grenadian time...), and it took four trips to get our team there.  I was in the pioneering group (the first four of us to go), and when we left "the jetty" from the safety and familiarity of campus, I was amazed at how much further away that island was!  A relatively unexciting 5 minutes later (thank God--that boat was small and fragile as it was) we were close enough to dock on the island, assuming we could find a place where the waves weren't going to destroy the boat against the rocks.  10 minutes later, when we found that spot, then the real test began.  Getting off the boat.   Luckily, there are no horror stories to tell from this trip, so I won't build up the anticipation.  But what I had always seen as the tiny island of Glover's took me 45+ minutes to circumnavigate (would have probably taken less had I been able to put the camera away!).  And you know what, it was bigger than I ever thought possible.  I left my comfort zone as one of the brave pioneers, I flung myself from a shabby boat on to the opposite shore full of rocks, and I conquered an island that I had stared at so many times before.  For some reason, this little island, overshadowed by much larger little islands, has given me hope.   Little 'ol me, we're gonna be alright.  How do I know this?  Because every person and every place is special once you truly discover it.  Never forget this.  Once discovered, the little appearance you may have had carries so much more impact--and suddenly, being little means so much less because being uniquely you is so much grander.   You can often measure a person by the size of his dream.  -Robert H. Schuller The Caribbean Grenada and her sister isles The south part of Grenada and a little speck called Glover Island The Jetty The view of campus along the ride Our driver and a close-up of the boat

Ben & Jess

Unique and fun couple portraits!