“Love City” is the best motto for St John, USVI. The moment we stepped foot off the ferry we were treated to taste of local rum (don’t mind if I do!)
This is a great place where you can find great respite (more on this later) and, if you’re like us, a place to support rebuilding communities, you can find that too.
The rewarding work: All Hands & Hearts
We volunteered with All Hands & Hearts a non-profit love-child project of David Campbell and Petra Nemcova. They arrived to St. John after hurricane Maria and Irma, even before FEMA. They’re often “first ones in, last ones out”. They wanted to give back to the communities of the world. The current phase consists of deconstructing unsafe houses and clearing debris. So we rocked that out for 4 days. Others have been on site for weeks- months. We met the home owner, who was so grateful to the work we did.
Our last day with team G-Unit!
The Play time: Snorkeling your 💕 out
After a long day working in the field and a home cooked meal from Mrs. Colleen (below) we were able to enjoy the sites.
Here’s some great things to do in St. John
Though the community continues to rebuild from the storms, they were so welcoming to us. Often honking, waving, and shaking our hands with thanks. “The people and land are resilient”, said Cathy whose husband owns the non-profit My Brother’s Workshop. St John is mostly comprised of the St John National park. This is one of the most beautiful islands for adventures like these:
– Snorkeling: Swimming along the rocks and corral (well what’s left from the storm) of Maho Bay or Honey Moon Beach, you’ll find the most vibrant marine animals. (sea cumbers, sting rays, sea urchins).
– Hiking: Racing against the setting sun, we went on several hikes at Maho Bay. On our way to the bay we found ruins and we met this sweet couple of wild donkeys. (Below is the beautiful Courtney, who took us under her wing in the field and on adventures).
We could go on and on about this humanitarian trip to St. John, USVI. We are grateful to this life-changing experience and to those who assisted us in fundraising to make this possible. We worked hard and connected to amazing people at All Hands & Hearts.
Thank you and happy adventures
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