Everyone has a story
A Beaconite was sitting in her car the other day when a complete stranger stopped by and struck up a conversation. Chatting about the weather gradually turned into reflections on the current hurricane season and, of course, to the 2017 hurricanes. It may be five years since the storms hit the territory and changed life forever, but the memories are still fresh in the minds of everyone who endured them. One person the reporter was recently interviewing described the catharsis that eventually came from sharing her story, and having those conversations has seemed to help the community heal. The Beaconite is grateful any time her friends feel comfortable enough to share their story with her and hopes the healing continues.
On the road again
When a Beaconite was travelling recently, she didn’t have to present a negative Covid-19 test nor her vaccination card to leave the Virgin Islands and enter the United States VI. She was not required to wear a mask in any restaurant or hotel in the USVI, where she spent some time before heading to the airport to catch a flight. When her flight was delayed for more than eight hours and she missed her connecting flight in San Juan, she was forced to stay overnight in Puerto Rico. Thankfully, the airline gave her some travel credit, put her in a hotel room in the airport, paid for her lunch, dinner and breakfast the next day, and placed her on the next flight home with preferred seating, all free of charge. She was able to enjoy the amenities of the hotel while awaiting her flight, including a state-of-the-art gym and comfy beds, and she experienced no difficulties while travelling through the San Juan airport. At the airport, however, she noticed most people wearing face masks and decided to follow suit. However, she didn’t wear a mask on the plane since she didn’t have to. Travelling in a way akin to pre-pandemic times didn’t feel foreign: She welcomes the return to normalcy.
Back to school
The beginning of a new school year is quickly approaching, and a Beaconite would like to send well wishes to the instructors getting ready for it. Teaching is a challenging profession, as demonstrated by hiring shortages worldwide. It has undoubtedly become even harder in recent years as students deal with the challenges of having missed out on in-person instruction for long periods of time. Missing out on those experiences can affect not only their formal learning of educational material, but also the development of key social skills. The reporter gives credit to the instructors who continue to face those challenges head-on and is taking time this week to remember all the teachers who helped her get to where she is today. The Beaconite hopes readers take the opportunity to give the teachers in their lives a little extra encouragement, and she wishes students a successful year of growth.