Some of you may have read my first post about some of the negatives of the island, number one being island time! Yes, it's still a thing and it will always be a thing.
BUT...
It's not always the worst thing in the world. In fact this island can take the most impatient people in the world and well change them. I am an example of that..
Ask anyone who knows me and they can confirm I am so impatient. Like I don't even let the microwave beep when my food is ready because by the time it gets down to 1 second the food is already in my hands, that's how impatient I am. This lesson, you know this whole patience is a virtue thing, took a LONG time to learn.. actually it took a whole year.
On May 9th last year something that happened that started a snowball effect of my learning of patience. I missed my flight. I remember the date because it was my one year anniversary and I was moving to the virgin islands.
I missed my connecting flight.. meaning I would spend 12 hours in the Miami airport. If you have ever been stuck in the Miami airport you would know... they don't offer free wifi.. well, they do.. but only for the first 30 minutes! Just enough time for you to get wrapped up in a Criminal Minds episode and right when sexy Morgan is about to save the day BAM $6.99 for another 30 minutes... so lame.
I had just stayed up all night being stuck in the middle of two large men on a red eye flight from SLC to Miami, I was tired, took a nap on the floor and woke up in gum.. my patience was shot...
BUT lets rewind.. to about 5 minutes before I had missed my connecting flight. We ran to our connecting gate only to watch the gate agent shut the door and as she was shutting the door she pointed to customer service so we could be put on a different flight.. the local who was waiting to go home to St. Thomas looked at me and said "sweet now we don't have to go to work tomorrow"
I was so confused, instead of being upset or aggravated (like me) she was relaxed, calm, cool, and collected. I guess she could tell by my confused look because she laughed and said "sweetie, it happened there aint nothing we can do about it, might as well just relax"
That's when it all started.
Being on island time for a year has changed me. Nobody on this island is in a hurry so why should you be? and if you are why? Whatever is meant to get done will get done, and time doesn't exist here so ya might as well not stress over it.
If you ever come to the Caribbean don't try to rush the locals, you can't change the culture.. and quite frankly you should take home some of the island vibe with you. If something happens to screw up your schedule RELAX. Be patient. There is nothing you can do to change it so why spend time complaining about it?
If the people around you aren't in a hurry.. then why should you be? Just think.. Will it change anything to worry or complain or yell at the person who made you late? What would the Caribbean locals do??
So next time you schedule gets messed up and you get stuck somewhere... enjoy it. Relax and take some time to enjoy alone time with yourself or enjoy the company of those around you because "Sweetie it happened there aint nothing we can do about it, might as well just relax."
