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Island Life
By Kelly Meinhart
t isn't every day that you have the chance to live a totally different
lifestyle. But I recently spent the week in the US Virgin Islands
on the island of St. John, and it was my first experience at island
life.
 irst
and foremost I found driving on the left hand side of the road a bit
scary — considering that St. John is a very mountainous island,
so the roads are narrow and steep with switchbacks that had me keeping
my eyes shut and hoping for the best!
 t.
John is an amazing place to visit if you are a naturalist. It's one
of the smallest and most protected islands in the chain, and 2/3 of
the land will remain that way - because it has been designated as
a national park.
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The Island Life Gallery 1 ]
 he
island is only 28 square miles but it has an amazing variety of beaches
— ranging from white sandy to rocky cliffs. It seems as though
each bay has its own attitude, on the western end of the island you'll
find that Cruz Bay is the place to be if you want to have a bit of
'night life' or take a ferry to St. Thomas. The northern end of the
island is known for amazing snorkeling, and outrageous views. The
eastern end is the most remote, and the southern end has the wonderful
trade winds, hiking trails, and snorkeling along the rocky shorelines.
he
north end also hosts the famous snorkeling trail in Trunk Bay. It's
literally an underwater trail that guides you to life underwater,
the fragility of the coral reef, and to the types of fish you might
encounter. This was my first adventure at snorkeling in the Caribbean,
so I was a little nervous at first. But once I began getting the feel
for breathing underwater — I was on my way. It was amazing!
I found myself swimming with Loggerhead turtles, squid, rays, a variety
of tropical fish that made you feel like you were in an aquarium —
and the final thrill - a barracuda. Seeing the teeth was enough to
make me head back toward shore though.
 s
I swam among a school of small silver fish, I felt them glide past
my skin and felt like I was one of them. It was very calming, yet
odd, for it seemed like the shiny silver sea was endless. It was at
that point that I asked myself, "What bigger fish lies at the end
of the school of little fish" — so I decided not to find out.
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The Island Life Gallery 2 ]
t.
John is not only known for its snorkeling, but for its views. It's
definitely an island that needs a four-wheel drive Jeep to get around
— and everyone 'has a Jeep man" (said 'mon'). While there we
traversed the island and found ourselves in some very remote areas
with views that took your breath away. The eastern end of the island
boasts the most untouched areas — and I was amazed at some of
the creatures we found there. Giant millipedes, spiders, hermit crabs,
and more.
 ut
the thing that I found simply amazing about the island was the lifestyle
of those who live there. St. John doesn't have its own source of fresh
water, and so every drop is cherished because it comes naturally.
St. John survives on rainwater that is collected and used for showering,
cooking, and all the daily essentials. So water is truly a cherished
resource there. It's the first thing you learn upon arrival to the
island — "Conserve water" "Shower only when necessary" "Don't
flush, unless you must" etc. etc. I noticed that many of the vacation
villas offered small swimming pools — encouraging you to "take
a dunk" rather than a shower. You could tell that the islanders truly
respected their water resources, and didn't take it for granted. That
was refreshing!
could go on for pages about the beauty of St. John, but I'd become
a travel guide of sorts — so I will leave you with the encouragement
to check it out for yourself if you have the chance. Klein Bay was
the area I called home for one week, and I can't wait to get back
home.
For more information about St. John, check out the following websites:
 St.
John Island Map
The-Virgin-Islands.com
St.
John Times
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