Saying good-bye
A Beaconite is soon leaving the territory and will be working as a reporter in the Cayman Islands. She is incredibly excited at the prospect of getting to tell new stories in a beautiful fellow British overseas territory, and it will certainly be an enlightening and inspiring experience. Still, saying farewell to the dearly loved friends she’s made over the past four years is tough. She’s heartened to know though that she’ll be back to visit plenty. A lot has come to pass in the past four years, both for the territory and for her personally (notably meeting her wonderful boyfriend of 1.5 years). One of her first social events when moving here was participating in Wednesday night trivia at Bamboushay Restaurant and Lounge, and it was a delightful bookend when her team won the Christmas trivia contest last week. The reporter has appreciated reporting on the community, but also getting involved through story times with her book club, fostering dogs, patronising her favourite beach bars, volunteering in coastal cleanups, exploring the sister islands, and enough other ways to fill the rest of the newspaper. Even through tough times, it has been an absolute privilege to serve the community, and she hopes her work has helped inform, entertain and empower residents.
On any Sunday
There is a special kind of thrill to commuting on a motorcycle. Every day, you risk your neck, no matter where you go. On weekends, however (especially Sunday), the decision to save a few grand by riding on half as many wheels is reaffirmed, despite suffering those traffic jams without the luxury of a roof during the week. On Sunday, a Beaconite reconquered the gravel road between West End and Smugglers Cove. This time, he was atop a different sort of Yamaha compared to the one last featured in the Reporter’s Notebook section. The wheels are bigger on this model, the tyres knobbier. The increased ride height made it so easy, in fact, that the riding reporter once again felt the need to get purposefully lost, this time on the east side of Tortola. He bounced along the northeast coast, putting more than 80 kilometres on the trip meter and trying to find a patch of coral off the beaten path (see story on page one). Coral, as it turns out, is normally underwater and cannot be reached by motorbike, thus requiring the Beaconite to don swimwear and swim out past the breakers. Mother Nature seemed to come alive for the reporter as he floated around slippery rocks and avoided the caress of bleaching fire coral. All in all, it was a good day.
In the spirit
A Beaconite wishes everyone a very happy holiday season. This time of year is a particularly special time for her since her birthday falls around the holidays. This year, she will spend time with her family in the United States. But that doesn’t mean she won’t miss local events like the Anegada Lobster Festival, which she attended last year along with a heart-warming dinner she shared with close friends on Tortola and other events. The holidays are a special time in the Virgin Islands, and the reporter is sure that everyone is feeling the festive spirit.