A Life that feels like an Adventure: Working remotely in the U.S. Virgin Islands

I have always wanted to live a life that feels like an adventure. So when I was presented with the opportunity to move my life down to the Virgin Islands for 2 months, I thought, why not?

For over 10 years, I pursued a career working with kids, primarily in nonprofit. I loved the work, but towards the end I began to feel worn down by the level of sacrifice required to maintain this career. Even as a Program Director, I made very little money and couldn’t travel as much as I wanted. My main priority was the kids.

At the end of last summer, I realized it was time to move on. I left to pursue a graduate program in Health and Wellness Management and then shortly after began my own business, both of which were online. Suddenly, I was no longer tied to a traditional schedule and began to see the life I’ve always wanted open up. If I wanted to hike in the Adirondacks or go paddle board camping during the middle of the week, I simply did.

I first came to the U.S. Virgin Islands in January for vacation because The National Park on St. John enticed me and flights were cheap. I then found out about an opportunity to do trail work as a volunteer in exchange for camping, and everything simply fell into place. Leaving right before the New Year, I was ready for a new adventure.

My time on St. John was a dream. It was like time was in slow motion and also flew by. I made incredible friendships with my fellow volunteers and learned so much about the island through the trail work from edible and poisonous plants to the history of slavery. I soaked up the sun, leaned into the connection of community, and experienced so much beautiful nature.

And then, I came home to Vermont where it was negative temperatures (Fahrenheit) with another spurt of isolation from a covid surge. As the months progressed, I sunk into my regular seasonal depression from the dark and cold and could not stop dreaming of St. John. I felt as if I had only touched the surface of the island, and was longing to return to dive deeper.

With a life online, I thought, why not? Why not return to St. John? I would probably be happier, as no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t shake the weight of the depression.

As soon as they had available slots, I signed up to volunteer again. But this time, I would be volunteering for 5 weeks with an additional few weeks on my own to explore. I knew that since I was going to be working and finishing up my semester, I would be frustrated if I only had a week or two as I would have to miss out on so much. With more time, I could really experience the island and be okay with working my way through it.

And so began the next chapter: A Life that feels like an Adventure.

Returning to St. John was a whirlwind. With my mental health in such rough shape, it took about a week to start feeling like myself again. I slowly felt the anxiety and depression leave my body and invited adventure and joy back in. The sun, nature, and beautiful community helped ground me back into myself.

It was honestly surreal. I knew that my environment wasn’t supporting my mental health but I really had no idea how much I needed to be there.

The first week volunteering, working, and doing homework for grad school felt like a huge accomplishment. I successfully did the trail work, supported my clients, and completed my assignments. I kept saying, “I’m doing it!”. I felt like I had cheated the system.

Because who says that you have to be tied to a desk, to something that makes logical sense? Why not take advantage of my digital life? It would have been silly to continue to suffer in Vermont when I was able to up and replant my life in a warmer spot with nothing but my computer.

And so life continued. I went on boat trips, scuba dived for the first time, and kayaked the entire north shore of the island all while taking care of my responsibilities. I developed close friendships, sang at Open Mic Night, and experienced such incredible kindness. Truly, words are not adequate to express my gratitude for the generous nature of the people here. And the immense beauty of nature always shook me to my core with such awe.

This past year I’ve been able to become really clear on the type of life I want to live. While there are many more elements, a life of adventure has been one consistent theme. And with a life online, why not?