The Real Deal.

THIS is Coconut Wah’ta:

Not this:

Ok, I understand you may not be able to pull off the side of the road (into the KFart parking lot) and have someone hack the top off a coconut so that you can enjoy the extremely nutritious wah’ta’ that fills the inside.  But, if you ever get the chance, you should.

Coconut Water is not an island fad like it may be in your home town.  We have no health food stores proclaiming the benefits the heavenly liquid has to offer {We have a health food store, and a great one actually; it just does not promote the benefits of coconut wah’ta.  They just assume everyone already knows it.}  What we have to offer is a longtime population who has been living off what the island has to offer and SURPRISE!  It’s good for you!  Critics claim coconut water makes you strong like bull, increases your libido, cleanses your system, aids in weight loss, helps with bloating, gives you a beautiful healthy glow and a bounty of other totally wanted side effects; but above all, it puts hair on your chest.    I’ll admit, the raw taste is something I had to acquire, and am still not one to have it with my supper, but I do like to indulge on occasion.  Besides, its fun! 

If you want fresh coconut water while you are visiting St. Croix you won’t have to look far.  You’ll see many a truck on the side of the road filled with coconuts, machete in hand ready to go.  The Country Smoothie Shack in the rain forest, Jump Up (this Friday Night!), Parking lot of KFart East, parking lot of Pueblo in Golden Rock, produce / lobster stand across from Federal Building, The Sand Bar in Frederiksted…just to name a few.  And seriously, there are some great, organic, preservative-free brands on the shelves in the grocery stores in America.  Lucky duck.

Know of any more regular coconut watering holes you want to share with my readers?  Bring it on.  And if a strange, smelly rasta guy approaches you in a parking lot, don’t freak out.  He’s selling viles of coconut oil that you’ll wish you had when you get sunburned.  Works better than aloe!

And guess what?  I am gonna share a few links so you can learn why you should be drinking coconut water (and use the oil on your skin, me’son)

Huffington Post Article

ForeverLookingGood  (who doesn’t want that?)

From Our Friends Down Under

The Seven Year Itch.

We’ve got it!  The Fisherman & I will celebrate 7 years of living on St. Croix November 4th.  Seven years ago we decided to take a chance.  It was easy back then.  No kids.  No “real jobs” (although my employer at the time might argue against that).  Nothing to tie a couple of twenty-somethings down.  We packed 4 bags total (mine had curtains in them), loaded up the Rodeo, drove to Florida with a 3lb Yorkie

(may she rest in peace), put the car on a ship and got on a plane (with a 3lb Yorkie). 

And never looked back.  I don’t think I could do that now.  It was our age.

Regardless, we said we would give it a year.  A year came and went…and so did two…and three…and so on.  We partied hard those years before kids.  This was OUR island.  Now, raising a family on our tropical land mass, we are experiencing a new St. Croix that we love just as much.  And we still find time to party.

All that mushy lovey stuff being said, YES!  I miss Texas.  YES!  It is harder than hell to live here.  YES!  I miss my family.  YES!  I miss all the convenience that comes with living stateside.  YES!  I miss the seasons.  YES!  I miss Target.  YES! I miss central A/C.  But would I give up what I have here  and move back???  Well, that all depends on the circumstance.  The Fisherman and I discuss it quite often, actually.  Its kind of hard for him to fish in Central Texas.  And fishing outfits are a dime a dozen in Florida.  He’d be a little fish in a big pond. Oh, and not sure where we would get the million dollars to buy a boat to compete on the banks of Florida.  And, I am quite certain that if (or when) we move back to the states, I would find just as much stuff to bitch about and miss living the good live in STX.

Here are a few honest truths I have learned about living on St. Croix…for the past seven, SEVEN years.  Remember, these pertain to MY (The Holley Household) lifestyle on STX; if you are currently a resident you may agree, disagree and have your own set of realities.  In no particular order, Here Goes:

• Conserve water, food and electricity.  Only flush after #2.  Turn off the fans and lights if you are not in a room.  WAPA will eat you out of house & home.  Food costs are high and the quality is low.  Make every bite count.
• Everything costs more (see above).
• Roaches & rats live in paradise, too.
• Always greet people with Good Morning (MOOR’ NIN), Good Afternoon (or AFTA’ NOON), and Good Night (as a greeting, not something you say when you leave, Texans).  And you don’t even have to be particulary cheerful about it.
• Never go grocery shopping on the 1st or 15th of the month.
• Plan on visiting 2-3 grocery stores to complete your grocery list.
• Enjoy every minue at the beach.  Most people dream of “this lifestyle”.
• You can have an open container (of an adult beverage) in your vehicle AND even be drinking it, but you MUST, I repeat, YOU MUST have your seatbelt on. (and not be talking on the phone).
• Centipedes are a f’in way of life.
• Plan on at least a full  8 hour day when dealing with a government office. Drivers license, registering your car, business license, taxes…
• Mongoose like to fight with iguanas.
• Coconut wata’ does not taste good.
• Bananas from my yard at the best!
• Never sleep under a coconut tree.
• Forcast for the past seven years has been Sunny, 88 degrees with a 10% chance of rain.

On my St. Croix, Today is the same as yesterday, and tomorrow will be the same as today.

The days are long, but the years are short.  Seven years have flown by.

Let’s give it another year.

footnote:  Thought you would enjoy this flier my M.I.L helped me put together for our “scouting trip” to STX.  We thought were so cool.  Can’t wait for our kids to see this a appreciate it: