There will be a lot more stories for there are currently too many to tell at once. So for those of you who have been keeping up – I’m back. Actually we’re back – 100% of NRGS is now on the mainland for the foreseeable future.
I used to have a traveling bug. It died. It’s back. In all of the traveling I do – I try to never be a tourist. It happens. You inadvertently say something or do something and you turn into the person that doesn’t quite fit. I do that enough now – I don’t want to do it all the time though.
So for all of the travels as of late I’m always left out the one place where I stayed. It was here: 
Technically this is the “porch” – but it did serve as the office for many a day. At the absolute worst moment – I could come up here and hang out. Wireless reached this one spot very well. So it was me – a laptop – and a nalgene bottle full of water sitting here on some days. I’m sitting there working and then the tourists would show up. “We’re here for a week…” to which I could respond “I’ve been here two months”
This place is the Crystal Palace . As a semi permanent resident for those months it grew on me. I also ran the gambit of emotions during my time in the islands:
- 1st Month was culture shock
- 2nd Month was slight disbelief anyone would want to live on an island.
- 3rd Month I was shopping at the store, roaming the streets, giving directions, and actually picking out a place where I could live if the opportunity arose.
If you are heading to Charlotte Amalie on St Thomas – stay here. Track this place down and go sit on top of Crystal Gade. Play with the two dogs. Eat a Banana. Acquire some Mangos. Drink some rum and enjoy. Sit on the deck (not on the chair in the left corner) and talk to Ronnie Lockhart – he’s the guy that owns the place. By week 1 he was calling me “Randy the road fu*ker upper” since we were addressing and having to name some streets. By month 2 I was calling him Dad much to his annoyance. The conversations we’ve had sitting up there. It was quite the 3 month roller coaster ride.
You won’t have a better time if you stay at a resort – you just can’t. Yeah the food might be better – but the conversation, atmosphere, and fun can’t be beat. Trust the Crystal Palace Mango South Street Addressing Team on this one.
