A Very Verdant Christmas

It was important for us to have our kids help us celebrate our first Christmas on the boat, so they joined us in the US Virgin Islands. Tristan and Jenn flew into St. Thomas and Mike picked them up with the dinghy on the beach beside the airport, then we sailed to St. John, USVI. A few days later, Lauren flew in and took the ferry from St. Thomas to St. John, and together we moved to the beautiful Francis Bay.

Since much of St. John is a US National Park, we had many wonderful options of things to do while we were there. We enjoyed snorkeling, turtle watching, hiking, and learning about the history of the islands. We also took part in our usual Meador family gathering activities of playing board games, cooking (and eating) yummy meals, and just generally hanging out. We even sang some Christmas carols while we sat out in the cockpit under the stars!

As we put the kids on their respective flights to make their way home, I was a little blue, but the celebration left me with the sense that CAYUGA now really feels like home. It was a reminder that we don’t always need all the usual trappings to experience the holidays. It’s the joy of being together that really matters most.