Sitting on the rooftop Sky Lounge, as dusk descended, I was at the center of a semi-circle with St. Croix a shadow on the horizon to my left, the majesty of St. Thomas straight ahead, and Puerto Rico peaking out of the deepening darkness to my right.
Above me was only sky. a dome flecked with stars blinking their way into view. Below me, lights shimmering like crystals of spilled salt brightened the nooks and crannies of Cruz Bay, Great Cruz Bay, Chocolate Hole, and beyond.
All this met my eyes as I sat on the rooftop, but it was only an appetizer for the wonder of "Just For Two." The inside of the villa was unexpected. It is a Legacy of Love. The two rooms were not furnished in typical Rooms To Go vacation chic. Instead, every piece of furniture was an heirloom carrying stories of families past, travels across the ocean, and a resting place on Sunset Ridge.
The owner and her husband came to St. John in 1984 and began building. This was not for the faint of heart. There's Island Time, and there's St. John's Time. But the couple's dreams slowly took shape. When her husband died not long after the turn of the last century, Jacqueline took a fistful of blueprints, and with the persistence of the trade winds, she cajoled, insisted, and burnished the dream she and her husband had shared.
Then came two Category Five hurricanes, rebuilding, and 14 months of a pandemic. All those stories -- and many more -- are part of what makes this place unique. It's one thing to come to St. John and enjoy a vacation. But you can do that almost anywhere on the island.
But in this place, if you're open to the stories that surround you, it's possible to do more than vacation here. You will be able -- in a small way -- to become part of this island, its tangled history, its tragedies, and its triumphs.
So, as you sit atop the Sky Louge, imagine the stories, listen for the voices, and celebrate much more than meets your eyes.