BVI Vacations - Editor's Corner

I moved to the British Virgin Islands from Toronto in 1993, with expectations of an idyllic lifestyle which would never again include such hateful tasks as shoveling snow, commuting to work, winterizing the boat and the pool or closing the cottage for the winter.

Winter inevitably brought on great feelings of despair and depression which, as I got a little older, only increased in intensity. I hated winter ... and in Canada, there was no escaping it. My morning routine consisted of dragging myself out of my warm bed, and getting ready for work. I would head out the door, warm up the car, scrape the snow and ice off the windshield and join the hordes of commuters in bumper to bumper traffic, angrily muttering to ourselves.

I would arrive at work in a somewhat grumpy mood, desperately seeking my morning coffee. By 9:30 or 10:00 AM, the "she wolf" persona would be replaced by something more human, complete with a sense of humour! All was good with the world ... during the day that is. Around 4:00 p.m., the sun would begin its rapid decent into night. By the time I left the office, it was dusk and by the time I got home it would be dark again. One day it occurred to me that because I rarely left the house except to go to work (during the winter months) ... I never saw my home in the daylight for nearly 6 months per year!

I have heard that deprivation of sunlight can bring on depression and can have all kinds of psychological and physiological effects on some people. If this is true, I should have been the poster child for whatever syndrome or malady this might be. My family called it the "winter werewolf syndrome". As long as the sun was up, all the villagers were safe, but when the sun went down ... !

In 1991, I decided there was no reason to continue to subject myself to the long Canadian winters and I began to contemplate moving to a friendlier environment which would better suit my sunny personality. In my daydreams, I envisioned a view from my simple Caribbean home, so beautiful as to take your breath away and I planned to go to the beach every morning for my early morning swim and play with my beloved dog, Pip. The plan was to leave behind the frenetic pace of every day life in the real world, escape to the Caribbean and embark upon a new, happier and more relaxed lifestyle ... without snow.

In all fairness, I don't think my dreams were too far fetched or even the least bit peculiar. In fact, I would be willing to bet that many of you have indulged in similar daydreams from time to time. The fact remains that few people actually act upon their desires for a simpler life. They may think about it a lot ... but they don't actually go out, quit their job, sell all their earthly possessions and move to the Caribbean just like that! After all, if everyone acted upon their impulses of escapism ... I imagine the islands would sink into the Caribbean Sea under the strain.

The British Virgin Islands have become my adopted home and I truly love love it here. When the odd bout of "what have I done?" rears its ugly head, I simply brew a pot of coffee, throw open my door, sit out on the porch and contemplate the spectacular view of Little Apple Bay and Jost Van Dyke. I then ask myself what I miss so much that I would be willing to go back to the frozen north. The answer is inevitably the same. Nothing!

There are draw backs to any society and all lifestyles, but for me, the British Virgin Islands are the answer to to my dreams. Although I love my country of birth, I really can't envision myself ever living there again. I may occasionally get upset with the potholes, speed mountains and all too frequent flat tires ... or I might get annoyed when I see things which might otherwise be done more efficiently, but all in all ... I have very few complaints. More important than any of that is the fact that I no longer suffer from any winter blues and I have already forgotten what 20 degrees below zero feels like!

I am an independent yacht charter broker for Bareboats BVI, living in the West end of Tortola. I represent several charter companies based in the BVI. In the course of doing business, I repeatedly answer the same questions. As a time saving device, I began compiling standard answers to many inquiries several years ago. This web site is the cumulative result of those inquiries.

I hope you are able to find whatever information you seek here, but in the event I have missed something, please feel free to write me at the e:mail address below ... there's always room for improvement! Come and discover "Nature's Little Secrets" in the BVI, I know you will enjoy these fabulous Islands as much as I!

Kind regards,
Liane Le Tendre

If there are any topics not already addressed in this tourist guide ... or should you have information to add, please feel free to send us your suggestions at: bvivacations@surfbvi.com

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