So, some backstory and history:
Ryan and I had been saving for a "honeymoon" since before we got married. We decided to go for it this year - to my first choice of location: Saint Lucia. Why I really wanted to go there I can't really say. I'm not totally sure. I know that it looked fantastic on the Bachelor (Jake's season and one of only 2 seasons I watched, so don't judge me too harshly). Also, when I googled "cheaper version of Tahiti" Saint Lucia popped up as first. I'm sure there were other things that factored in... such as the coffee and cocoa plantations (2 of my very favorite things), the strong history of rum creation, and the hundreds of delicious tropical fruits. Not to mention the active volcano, multiple waterfalls, natural hot springs and jungles. Literally everything I've thought looked fun on vacation is all found somewhere on this tiny island. I was sold.
Plans were made, flights booked and a resort chosen. Off we go on the honeymoon of my dreams.
True to our vacation history, we wasted zero time jumping into the culture and exploring everything we could, and we made a ton of friends - not with other visitors, but the locals.
Here is where the life changing begins.
I have never heard such devastating stories of slavery and senseless brutality like those I heard on this island. I was heartbroken for these amazing people who greeted us with smiles whenever we walked out of our room and anticipated our every want and need meeting them both quickly with generosity and friendliness. With every reason to be bitter and resentful, this nation of people are loving and accepting.
We spent one morning jungle biking with Jovan, one of the guys who worked at the resort. He showed us around the old plantation and where to get on different trails. He told us stories of the history as well as his own situation. In total gratitude for his job, he talked about the difficulties of travel on the island and the poverty as well as the illnesses the islanders were experiencing. Later, as we were biking it started pouring with rain, when we mentioned something about biking in the rain, he gave the most profound response:
"My people, we used to be angry during the dry season that it was so hot, and angry during the rainy season that it was so wet. Now, we just thank God for the blessings of sun and water to make our plants grow."
Wow.
Again, here's the perspective. The island recently lost a contract with Chiquita - their only plantations (and work) are related to banana production. There are no longer real options for selling those bananas. An already poor country is now thrown into devastation of relying solely on the unstable industry of tourism. Yet, the attitude is that all things are a blessing. This was not something we saw just in Jovan, this was the general attitude of the entire island. It's truly amazing.
Later, in a conversation, this was said to me:
"Naomi, the only natural state of our being is joy and thankfulness. Everything else, we do to ourselves. No one can steal our joy unless we let them. No circumstance that we are put in can cause us to be ungrateful. We allow people and the situations we are put in to cause us grief, anger, frustration and sadness. We can always be joyful and thankful."
This has stuck with me so strongly since getting home. I pray that I can have half the grace, acceptance and joy as the people I met in Saint Lucia. While the jungle zip lining, sulfur baths, plantations and mountain hikes were even more incredible than I had hoped, it was truly the conversations with the amazing people that made our honeymoon a life-changing experience.
Ryan and I had been saving for a "honeymoon" since before we got married. We decided to go for it this year - to my first choice of location: Saint Lucia. Why I really wanted to go there I can't really say. I'm not totally sure. I know that it looked fantastic on the Bachelor (Jake's season and one of only 2 seasons I watched, so don't judge me too harshly). Also, when I googled "cheaper version of Tahiti" Saint Lucia popped up as first. I'm sure there were other things that factored in... such as the coffee and cocoa plantations (2 of my very favorite things), the strong history of rum creation, and the hundreds of delicious tropical fruits. Not to mention the active volcano, multiple waterfalls, natural hot springs and jungles. Literally everything I've thought looked fun on vacation is all found somewhere on this tiny island. I was sold.
Plans were made, flights booked and a resort chosen. Off we go on the honeymoon of my dreams.
True to our vacation history, we wasted zero time jumping into the culture and exploring everything we could, and we made a ton of friends - not with other visitors, but the locals.
Here is where the life changing begins.
I have never heard such devastating stories of slavery and senseless brutality like those I heard on this island. I was heartbroken for these amazing people who greeted us with smiles whenever we walked out of our room and anticipated our every want and need meeting them both quickly with generosity and friendliness. With every reason to be bitter and resentful, this nation of people are loving and accepting.
We spent one morning jungle biking with Jovan, one of the guys who worked at the resort. He showed us around the old plantation and where to get on different trails. He told us stories of the history as well as his own situation. In total gratitude for his job, he talked about the difficulties of travel on the island and the poverty as well as the illnesses the islanders were experiencing. Later, as we were biking it started pouring with rain, when we mentioned something about biking in the rain, he gave the most profound response:
"My people, we used to be angry during the dry season that it was so hot, and angry during the rainy season that it was so wet. Now, we just thank God for the blessings of sun and water to make our plants grow."Wow.
Again, here's the perspective. The island recently lost a contract with Chiquita - their only plantations (and work) are related to banana production. There are no longer real options for selling those bananas. An already poor country is now thrown into devastation of relying solely on the unstable industry of tourism. Yet, the attitude is that all things are a blessing. This was not something we saw just in Jovan, this was the general attitude of the entire island. It's truly amazing.
Later, in a conversation, this was said to me:
This has stuck with me so strongly since getting home. I pray that I can have half the grace, acceptance and joy as the people I met in Saint Lucia. While the jungle zip lining, sulfur baths, plantations and mountain hikes were even more incredible than I had hoped, it was truly the conversations with the amazing people that made our honeymoon a life-changing experience.
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