I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

After a ferry ride, a taxi ride, and two lengthy flights that left my bum quite sore, I successfully made it back to SeaTac last night...and we arrived almost an hour ahead of schedule! Minus the little sh*t that was kicking my seat and being completely obnoxious during the flight from St. Thomas to JFK

Leavin' on a jet plane.

(normally I'm very understanding about kiddos on flights. However, this kid was old enough to know better AND his parents were doing nothing about his poor behaviour. I had to give him the stink eye and the Stern Adult Voice a few times. Darn whippersnappers.) my flights were easy peasy. Also, I was drugged. That might have helped. Through it all I was operating on about 2 hours of sleep and very frazzled nerves, but once I saw my sister waiting for me at baggage claim I knew that everything was going to be alright. Yes, I cried. I'm super emotional right now, ok?!

I'm currently bundled up on my parent's couch and watching a glorious sunrise, as my body thinks it is 3 hours earlier than it is here in Spanaway. In the nearly 6 months I've been on Tortola I have definitely become an island girl. I was shivering and my teeth were chattering when I stepped off the plane last night, and I slept in a tshirt, hooded sweatshirt, yoga pants, and thick pink fuzzy socks (borrowed from Mom) under 2 comforters. IT'S EFFING COLD, GUYS. Holy moly.

I get lots of compliments on my button.

The past two weeks have been rough. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally. For a variety of reasons. This trip off the rock could not have come at a better time. In no way am I unhappy being in Tortola. If anything, living there is what is helping me to keep my sanity. I'm just...dealing with some crap on a few different levels and I needed a break to recharge a bit. I'm so lucky to have such supportive friends who will lift me up and help to remind me of what a flipping awesome person I am, even when I don't
feel one iota of awesomeness. I love that I can send out a text late on a Thursday night when I've had my heart broken and get instant rallying of the troops. Or that my boss can just look at me and know I'm not alright, and insist on doing work on me (that was so, SO incredibly helpful!). Or that when one of my dearest girlfriends asks me how my day was I can honestly respond with, "Well, I came home from work, got in the shower and cried, then got straight in bed and cried for two hours until I passed out," without fear of judgement. Or that my guy friends constantly remind me how great I am and how I deserve nothing but the best.  Between my friends and being with my family this weekend, I think I'll arrive back home on Tortola feeling about 1000 times better. At least I hope. I'm putting on my big girl panties, squaring my shoulders, and not letting anyone or anything piss in my Cheerios.

Today's agenda, once my sister wakes up, is to hit the mall (OMG THE MALL!) so I can begin my massive shopping spree and then we have an appointment to pick up my sister's wedding dress this afternoon!

It's A Party In The USA!

I'm heading back to the States on Good Friday for my first trip back since moving here nearly 6 months ago. It will be a very short trip, as I get in late Friday night and leave again on a red-eye the following Tuesday night, but it's necessary for little sister's wedding prep and planning and I get to celebrate Easter with the fam. Not to mention, I need to get off the rock for a few days and recharge!

Things I Am Looking Forward To When I Go Back To The States Over Easter

• My family.
• SISTER TIME. Holy Jesus, I miss her so much.
• Easter! It's my favorite. Hopefully going to my home church, dying eggs, celebrating the Resurrection and what it means to me...I love it!
• Beester. Kids have eggs hidden for Easter, adults have beer hidden for Beester. That's how we roll.
• Costco. Tampons, deodorant, razor blades, contact solution, bandages, a giant tub of ketchup if I want it! 
• TARGET. I just want to wander through the aisles because I can.
• Trader Joe's. Need to stock up on more of their shave cream. It's my faaaaavorite and I'm almost through the last of my supply. 
• Starbucks iced soy chai. 
• Clothes shopping. Honest to God, I have not a single bra that fits properly (and finding one on island has proven to be a challenge), my underwear are all falling off my ass, my jeans are too big, my tops are getting too big, everything is getting worn down, my bathing suits are falling apart or are too big...sense a theme? I need more shorts and tops, I need more dresses, I need more of my goofy toe Injinji running socks. Now that I've been here awhile I have a better idea of what my wardrobe should look like.  I'm planning a MAJOR shopping spree while I have multiple venues to choose from!
• Snuggling all the pets. I miss having one terribly. :(
• Seeing Jenni.
• Seeing Jenni and having breakfast at the Sunbreak Cafe with her, where I will indulge in the best banana bread on the planet. My mouth waters just thinking about it. Mmm.
• Stopping by my old spa, seeing my girls, and stocking up on fantastic product. I'm such a girl.
• Picking up my sister's wedding dress with her. Oh, there will be more tears shed.
• Trying on the bridesmaids dress that I ordered. 
• Wedding planning in general!
• My mom's cooking. Hoo boy. Pot roast, meatloaf, Ma's deviled eggs, aebleskiver, whatever feast we're going to have at Easter. All of it. She and my sister are amazing. My talents lie in other arenas.
• Dick's burgers (yes, it's a legit place in Seattle. Get your mind out of the gutter)!
• Being able to be outside without being eaten alive by mozzies. This is said as I'm sitting in the Most Comfortable Lounge Chair EVER on my patio, smacking myself like a meth head. 
• Mount Rainier.
• Legendary Donuts. Bill Cosby! Auburn/Tacoma peeps, you know what I mean. 
• Self service gas stations.
• Having a week to rest my hands.
• Showing off my island tan and my changing island body. 
• 4 days of completely hectic insanity with the most important people in my life. 

Things I Am NOT Looking Forward To When I Go Back To The States Over Easter:

• The airport pat-down and rigamarole. 
• Freeways.
• Multilane traffic.
• Driving on the right again. My poor confused brain!
• Not having Ed, our beloved cat who passed at New Year's Eve, to snuggle. :(
• Gray, cold, drizzly, miserable, depressing, awful rain. You can tell how I really feel about Washington weather. 
• Billboards and aggressive marketing all up in my face all the time.
• American media. I'm really only subjected to it here when I'm in line at the bank. 
• Having to wear shoes. It's been nearly 6 months, but my sister will murder me if I try to wear my flip-flops the whole time I'm there.
• Speaking of...I don't even HAVE a pair of proper Seattle-appropriate shoes to wear! Crap...
• Having to wear sweaters and coats. 
• Being cold. 
• Potentially gaining like 10lbs due to the outrageous food consumption. I'm going to have to be careful and get my ass on the treadmill or hit the pavement as much as possible. 
• Overstimulation. My life here is much more laid back, and I like that. 
• Having to switch back out of "island time". 
• Time zone changes and how zonked I'm going to be because of them.
• Bra shopping. As much as I NEED them, I'd rather have a root canal sans anesthetic than bra shop. Fo sho.
• Missing the important people in my life here on the island.
• Not having enough time to see all the people I want to see. 
• Saying goodbye when it's time to head back to Tortola. 

Just one more week! 

Happy Friday from sunny Tortola!

A little inspiration to start the weekend off right. Oh, except that I work on Saturdays. :) Well, TGIF for the rest of you!