Onshore & Unplugged

In a normal year, Sam and I would be spending a significant part of our summer in the British Virgin Islands. Like most people, Covid changed a lot for us. I'll spare you the nitty gritty, but neither one of us are going to the islands this summer which is super strange for our entire family. 

​When heading back to the islands, I would look forward to waking up with the sun shining and falling asleep to the sound of water hitting the side of the boat. I am always so excited to "unplug" from our fast-paced culture and move to the simple life at sea. It's a chance to step back to enjoy your natural surroundings without the constant social buzz surrounding you. It’s a chance to connect with students and staff from all over the world and get to know each person for who they are. It's a chance to experience the magic of living alongside the marine life and connect with nature. It’s a very fulfilling experience that is hard to describe. We have absolutely loved spending every summer in this way since 2008 and will miss our time in the islands this year. These experiences have shaped us into who we are as people and as parents, today.

Living in remote places for a lot of our life has changed our perspective on raising our kids. So much so, that we are a no-screen family. We disconnect whenever we can. *Our kids ARE allowed to watch pre-downloaded movies or shows but only when we travel. We DO have the occasional fun movie night as a family or let them watch a show on very rare occasions.* Are we doing our kids disservice? I personally don't really think so. One thing I do know is that we are doing our best as parents and that our kids are happy. 

Anyway, we try to bring the remote life to shore, simply because we love it. And this is the exact topic of the next children's book I wrote. I wrote it from an "unplugged" child's perspective, inspired by the life of my own children. I can't wait to start querying this particular story next week! 

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