All You Need is Love...

Though Blackpoint Settlement was not one of the cays where there was much to offer in terms of good snorkelling or even fishing, we thoroughly enjoyed spending time here.  With a small population of less than 250 people, it was surely interesting to speak with some of the locals and get a sense of what being a part of the community is really like.  People here were extremely affable and always welcoming us with a smile and some small talk.  You could get a clear sense of the love the community showed one another and I found it to be very comforting to be a part of it.  Realizing that this is the way humans are meant to live, in a small communal society where happiness seems effortless and you could trust that you would have support when you needed it. This basic idea that happiness is found in simple things...friendship, love, health, family is something I'm learning over and over again in different ways throughout this experience.  

Even my relationship with Ashley has taught me lessons in closeness as our friendship has grown exponentially from living in our own little community.  It's an interesting viewpoint as it's not often that you spend innumerous amounts of time with anyone, even your spouse.  Time on a boat seems warped, as she's only been here for about 2 months now and it's felt like a lifetime.  I've learned from spending so much time alone with just the 3 of us, the invaluable lesson of communication.  In life, so many things are misunderstood and lost because we don't know how to communicate with one another, whether it's feelings of annoyance over something that person did that day, or simply expressing love and gratitude.  Communicating openly with the people around us is something we don't do as often as we all should.  Perhaps it's because doing this requires a little vulnerability, or perhaps it's because we are afraid to offend the other, but I'm learning through all of this just how important it is to say how you feel and not waste time with pleasantries with people who mean something to you.  If we all lived in this honest, open way, imagine how much easier life would be? It can be trying at times to share such a small space with someone and at other times, it can be incredibly rewarding as you develop a bond that not many people will ever have the privilege of understanding.