3:15 am is a pretty early alarm. But when you are super excited, its amazing how quick you can jump out of bed. We loaded up the truck and were on the road by 3:45a - good thing too because the snow had left some slippery roads.
We met the Wielhouwers at the Delta ticketing desk at 4:15a and moved through checkin and security fairly quickly. Made a stop at Starbucks for breakfast and then headed up to the gate. Didn’t even wait 30 mins before it was time to board.
We had a smooth flight to Atlanta and enjoyed an incredible sunrise. Then we headed to the next gate where we met Roger and Gretchen. We held up traffic in the hall as we stopped for hugs and a warm greeting, then grabbed snacks for our next flight which boarded within 20 mins of our arrival.
Another smooth flight. The trip over to St Thomas was a little longer at 3 hours and 30 mins. It definitely left enough time for catching some short (and not so short) naps. The ride coming in was beautiful as we looked out over water with the Virgin Islands in view.
The weather felt amazing… we picked up our bags then headed outside where our van was waiting literally steps outside the main exit. “Sammy & Friends” loaded up with "Big Love" and we were on the way.
We all had a bit of a surprise as we headed out of the parking lot. Although St Thomas is a US Territiory, they do drive on the opposite side of the road. We all had a good laugh.
It wasn’t even 10 mins before we arrived at the hotel. Its a large place just across the road from the ocean. Only one of our three rooms were ready, so we dropped off all of our luggage and took a walk into town.
We literally wandered up and down the streets and stopped at one of the many jewelry stores that a friend from church had recommended. It was fun to see. We stopped for supper and had an incredible meal. Then walked back to the hotel.
Sammy and Mary took a dip in the pool. The hotel is arranged in a square with rooms on the outside and a restaurant and pool / courtyard in the interior. By the end, we were all lounging around resting and soaking up the wonderful evening breeze.
Now its time for bed. Its only 7:00 pm here (6:00 at home) but we’ve been up for 16 hours and are all dog-tired.
We’ve been in contact with Captain Nick and are all so excited for what tomorrow brings. So grateful for the chance to travel with friends and learn more about a new place in the world.
