Breakfast at Ocean Beach Club

Breakfast at Ocean Beach Club

When we all arrived on the island of St. Martin sixteen months ago, the stress of relocation, of being jobless, of being in a strange place, and of med school all made it a challenge to really feel like this island was “home”.  After the last two months Tanner and I spent down there, however, my feelings for this place have changed completely.

I love this island.  I wish I was still there, and I hope I get to go back again before Carina is done in August.  I’m also a little sad it took me so long to feel this way about it.  I’m not saying I didn’t like the island at first… I guess I’m saying that it just took a while to be able to honestly say, “I LOVE it here!”

In an attempt to share a sense of what life is like down there, I’m going to let this post be almost entirely photos.  (The photos here represents a collection taken by me, Michelle, Trisha Wright, Andi, and a few others as well.)

We’ll start things off with a morning we enjoyed eating breakfast at one of the local (and many) outdoor restaurants.  Just down the road from Rainbow Beach is Ocean Beach Club, a restaurant owned by a jovial Canadian couple who have become fun acquaintances.  They serve breakfast as well, and one morning we decided to walk down to their place and try it out.  I’m glad we did…

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The restaurants on this island are endless and full of variety.  One of the girl’s favorite is Karakter, which isn’t much more than a few tables, umbrellas, an old bus, and makeshift kitchen on the beach.

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Tanner and I were glad to be on the island to celebrate Piper’s third birthday. We kept it pretty low key… no big parties.  But Andi did find a Lorax cake on Pinterest that she wanted to make.

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Speaking of Piper, lately she has developed a disdain for clothing, especially when chillin’ around the condo…

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Recently, Andi took a school field trip to an island farm.  All of these pics of the farm and her friends were taken by her, and I gotta say, I am impressed with her budding photography skills…

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Easter: Normally I would say that time, in general, goes quickly.  But when I think back to Easter a year ago when we were still brand new on the island, it seems like a really long time ago.  So MUCH has transpired between then and now.  This year, like last year, the Mormons gathered for a BBQ on the beach…

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(Piper tells Trisha how old she is)

Alecia Frank’s husband is the head of security at AUC, and they live across the street from us in Trade Winds.  She organized an Easter egg hunt for the little kids…

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After the hunt, Piper wanted to play with her “boy friend” Quinn, so we invited him over…

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Enjoying the loot…

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For the two months Tanner and I were on the island this last trip, we hired two tutors to help him with his school work: Allegra Brodie (who just went back home to have a baby), and Trisha Wright.  I borrowed these photos of Tanner and Trisha from her Facebook photos…

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For the duration of our stay on the island, Church has been an important and integral part of of life.  Our friendship with the other Mormons on the island, both the long-term residents and the other medical students, has been invaluable…

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Of all our entourage, there is no doubt that Michelle and Piper have seen the most of the island and been able to enjoy the fun it has to offer.  These two have become such the little duo, and their love for each other is obvious…

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A vital part of the AUC community is the Spouse’s Organization, an official group of spouses who have organized themselves into a support group for spouses and families.  By “official” I mean that each semester they elect officers, they conduct regular fundraising events, and they sponsor all kinds of activities.  From day one, Michelle and Piper have been active participants. This is a small collection of photos taken while those two have been on Spouse’s Org outings…

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(Ashley Attebury’s son was born in the hospital on the French side and is now a dual citizen of France and the U.S.  Ashley helped us tutor Andi and Tanner last year.  Her husband is a semester behind Carina, they also live in Rainbow, and are also LDS.)

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The butterfly farm is a favorite Spouse’s Org destination…

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Matt and Cecily Lew have been our stalwart and constant friends since we first arrived on the island. Matt was a semester ahead of Carina and offered an endless stream of advice on how to make it through her classes and exams.  Matt held a leadership position in our Mormon church congregation, and Cecily taught Andi at church and helped us home school both Andi and Tanner last year.  They also provided Carina moral support and a shoulder to cry on when Andi’s medical issues began and I wasn’t on the island. Just before Tanner and I left the island, we threw the Lew’s a going-away party, and then Michelle and Trisha drove them to the airport.

Bon voyage Matt and Cecily!  You will be missed…

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Robert and Trisha Wright, also Mormons, arrived on the island a day before us and have been with us all the way.
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Robert is in the same class as Carina.  They are both professional opera singers, both play the piano, and Trisha teaches voice and piano to a handful of students, including Andi and Michelle…
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(Trisha on the far right, and her students beside her just before a recital.  You know Andi and Michelle. Cecily and Matt are between Michelle and Trisha.  And Noah is in front.  Noah is the son of Jason (a med student) and Kristen La Vigne, who have been our neighbors and friends since we arrived.)
Trisha has used her free time on the island to develop a new hobby: Photography.  Having hardly ever touched a camera before St. Martin, she has mastered both landscape and portrait photography in the sixteen months since.  The following is a collection of photos I “borrowed” from her Facebook albums that show the beautiful and fun side of the island…
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(the private beach just below where we live)
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And this is a small collection of candid shots by Trisha…
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(Michelle and Cecily)
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And, we’ll end this marathon photography blog post with two more photos by Trisha, both of our family…
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THANK YOU to all of our family and friends (and to our friends who have become family) who have helped us all along this adventure.  We love you, and we thank you for all you have done for us.

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COMMENTS
    Haley McMurray commented

    Hi Crookston family!

    My husband has been accepted into AUC for this coming fall semester, and we’ve been following your blog for the last several months. You have a beautiful family, and you’ve been in our thoughts and prayers as we’ve read about your adventures on and off the island, and Andi’s health diagnosis. Happy birthday to little Piper, and we’re very excited for Carina as she is finishing up her time on the island. Though we’ve never met, we feel like we know your family and have enjoyed all your blog posts.

    We area also LDS, and we live in Gainesville, FL, but are originally from Pocatello, Idaho. Although we’re excited for your family to be moving on to the next step off of the island, we’re sad for us, because we were hoping to get to meet you in person! We have lots of questions about life on the island and the local branch. If you would be willing to provide us with some advice and tips about traveling to and from the island, as well as life on St. Maarten, we would be so grateful.

    Congrats to Carina and your whole family on her amazing accomplishment. Best of luck in her future career, and hopefully we can correspond soon. My email address is hmcmurray25@gmail.com, and our family blog is andrewandhaleymcmurray.blogspot.com. I can send you an invite if I have your email address.

    Thanks!

    Haley

    Reply
    May 17, 2013 at 4:45 am
      Casey Crookston commented

      Hey Haley, I just saw this comment! It’s been too long since I’ve checked in on the blog… just didn’t want you to think I was ignoring you. By now, of course, we’ve connected on Facebook and have been conversing for a while. Thanks for reaching out to us, and I’m glad this blog was able to provide you with some insight. I look forward to following your blog as you begin your own island adventure next semester!

      Reply
      May 28, 2013 at 2:11 pm

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