OhThePlacesKiWillGo

Hey, y’all! 

I know, I know…where have I been? Chile, surviving. Also, a lot has changed during the pandemic. Here are two life updates: 

1. I’m married! 
2. I’m a mother! 

I was married on October 10, 2020 during a small and intimate ceremony with our closest loved ones present. A year later on our anniversary we had our wedding reception, which is what led to this blog. I had a “delayed retirement” celebration (bachelorette) with ten of my girls and we had a ball in St. Maarten! 

I asked my well-traveled friend for girls trip suggestions and he immediately answered St. Maarten. Known as “The Friendly Island,” St. Maarten offers excellent cuisine, beaches and nightlife. 

My favorite part about our trip was our villa. We stayed at the Villa Oyster Pearl and it was absolutely perfect. With over six bedrooms, a pool, hot tub and direct access to the beach, we definitely experienced luxury and convenience. Our host, David, was a gem. He provided plenty of referrals for everything from taxi service to a chef and even assisted us with our COVID drama that almost prevented us from entering the country (more on this later). The girl talk, comradery, games and laughs shared at the villa were priceless. For our first evening we simply enjoyed each other and a meal prepared by our personal chef. 

Day One

What’s a bachelorette trip without a photoshoot? 

Saturday morning we had a photoshoot with Souleyman. It was so much fun! In line with the “retirement” theme and me being out the game, we each wore jerseys featuring my nicknames for each of the girls and the number of years I’ve known them. What a time! 

We ended the day at Roxxy Beach Club and spent hours there. Roxxy is a very trendy and cute place, but because we were there during their opening weekend we experienced a few hiccups. After speaking with the management they made it right the next day. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food and the drinks were tasty. I had the sushi and it was scrumptious! 

We also ran into Tasha Smith and she is a sweetie! She offered to take the below picture and was extremely friendly. 

Day Two

Saturday was my favorite day because if you’ve been following my blog, you know catamarans are usually my favorite part of any trip. We sailed with St. Maarten Charters and had an incredible day. The team was very courteous and helpful; they even attempted to retrieve my veil that blew away! We enjoyed a delectable BBQ lunch including ribs, kabobs and salad, unlimited drinks, snorkeling, views, and the option to play our own music. 

Final Day 🙁

After enjoying more time at the villa that evening, we stopped by Maho Beach the morning after before heading home. It is one of the more touristy things to do, but a cool experience. We were directly under incoming flights and captured the most incredible footage. Highly recommend you experience this if you ever visit St. Maarten. 

All in all, I had the most incredible time in St. Maarten and would concur with the notion that it’s a great girls trip option! An even better bachelorette option!

Know Before You Go: 

1. CORONAVIRUSSSSSS *Cardi voice*: so there’s stress associated with travel, then there’s COVID travel stress! Remembering to get a COVID test, uploading vaccination cards, bringing your Lysol, etc., etc., etc…it can all be so very overwhelming. St. Maarten requires the purchase of travel insurance and a negative COVID test within 72 hours of departure. You have to upload your documents to the travel portal and have an approval prior to boarding your flight. For whatever reason my approval, along with 3 others in our group never arrived! David, our amazing travel host, connected us with someone at 5 in the morning when we were distraught in the airport and we were able to check-in our flights with two minutes to spare. Literally! 
2. Cash: USD is widely accepted in St. Maarten. Most places take credit cards like restaurants and businesses, but it was convenient to have our cash on hand because there were few vendors that only accepted cash. 
3. Which Side is the Best Side? St. Maarten is really two islands in one! If you are looking for nightlife or casinos, the Dutch side is for you. The French side is equally amazing with high-end shopping and is more welcoming to those that seek nude beaches! 

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