Traveling Amid the Pandemic: Am I Really Dreaming of More People?

 I dream of a dream, within a dream.

I always dreamt of having one of the world's top rated beaches to myself. Trunk Bay lies on a Caribbean island, and it’s something like out of a magazine -- come to find out, those pictures don’t lie. While I copped the most natural high I’ve ever had, it was quickly broken with the panic of snorkeling into a cloud of tiny clear jellyfish, with no one there to save me, had they been harmful.

An empty Trunk Bay from the road above. Rated one of the top ten best beaches in the world! St. John, U.S.V.I. (Photo by Dakota Gange).

My mother is in stage four of kidney failure, but you would never guess looking at her. She’s a powerhouse woman, a work-a-holic, and someone who deeply loves to travel. Amid the 2020 pandemic, and scared her life would be ending soon, she brought the family to the U.S. Virgin Islands; St. Thomas and St. John, last August.

As we flew over the Bahamas along the way, you could see the light turquoise Carribean Sea rings around the islands from hundreds of miles up in the air, and the rings only intensified as we approached our destination. 

We arrived just three days after another government official shut down; to-go services only, and strict afternoon beach closures on the weekends -- I dream of returning to the beach on a Sunday where my sister and I won’t be escorted out of the water by local police. 

Sisterly love ❤️ 

 Any tourists arriving just one day after us would be turned away from these U.S. territories - knowing we all stayed healthy on this trip, we were lucky. 

Our hotel was quaint and somewhat empty, but every room had an ocean view. And not just any ocean view, I mean an ocean view so close that as high tides came in, the waves lapped at the balcony just below ours. I wish to return without guilt of being there in the first place.

View from our balcony. St. Thomas.

Many lone-locals were much friendlier than I expected. With their thick, dark, and luscious dreadlocked hair, heavy broken-english based accents and maskless faces, they did not hesitate to strike up a conversation as one strolled along on the white sand beaches. Many even offered to share a doobie. I dream of returning to have a less than Covid fear stricken conversation with them, where we can share that doobie without hesitation.  

The beaches. Oh the beaches! I have never seen lands more vivacious than the islands. The sand is nothing short of glowing white, and the water so clear and such a perfect turquoise blue that even a nightly swim is inviting, without fear of the ocean creatures. As dream-esc as it was to have these places almost to ourselves, I dream of returning on a hot sunny Saturday, where I can watch the smiles of children as they play and laugh in the Caribbean waveless waters, and watch happy people as they walk hand in hand, or hunt for seashells. 

        As we drove around the islands in our bright blue tourist screaming Jeep, I yearned for the days where we were not the only ones. I wished for busy booths, fruit stands, and stores along the very old cobblestone side streets of Charlotte Amalie. 

             Snorkeling the empty beaches of St.Thomas and St.John. 

Streets are empty in the old town of Charlotte Amalie, St.Thomas. 

     

       The food was good, but I found myself wishing to return to open restaurants, where you could enjoy your meal at a table rather than in your car or on the (yes really as we came to find out) island mob-ran beach where they boldly broke the government closures, serving you beach-chair-side on the weekends. This was a fine experience, until the fear that set in when I was pad-locked into a bathroom, and then forcefully grabbed by the wrist and pulled behind the building where I was introduced to “The Boss, Mikey,” who sat among his beach chair throne. Luckily, that’s really all there is to this rather silly encounter, but I dream of returning to this gorgeous beach where tourists' eyes and ears are prevalent. 

FRESH Snapper from the island mob-ran beach.

        It’s easy to take for granted the people you pass along a hiking trail, ooo-ing and aweing over the sights you’re about to see. 

I yearn to return to this place when charter boats are available for some of the best exploration and snorkeling. 

As a large portion of the population becomes vaccinated, I am seeing the world around me become slightly more ‘normal’. Mask mandates are being loosened, and even at my own work in the restaurant industry, we aren’t requiring masks as long as you have proof of that magical little card.

It’s true that on Trunk Bay I felt like a million air who privately rented out one of the world's top 10 rated beaches, and that’s the dream, right?  

However, in our new Covid accepted state of the world, I dream of returning to these islands. I want to see beaches strung out with smiles, boats along the marina, happy hikers, and booths with fruit and shells sold by the locals. I miss the days of the music filled the streets, and can only imagine the further glow of the island amid happy times. Am I really dreaming of more people? 

Perhaps once abuzz with tourists, Black Beards old castle sits empty in Charlotte Amalie, St.Thomas. (Built in 1671!).

At A Glance:

Who: Feature Writing Student and Editor

Where: U.S. Virgin Islands - St.Thomas and St.John: Trunk Bay (Voted one of the top ten

beaches in the world) and various other beaches/places, such as the old town of Charlotte Amalie.

When: August 2020

Travel Rating: 5 Stars!

"Midsommar" Review: Sun-drenched Bleak Moments Speckled with a Little Blood.

Travel, rainbows, bright flowers, and scenes so beautifully colored one might get confused on what kind of movie they’re watching. 2019 brought “Midsommar” with it, where director Ari Aster and actress Florence Pugh take you on an entertaining emotionally confused journey that stirs up uncomfortable feelings and sun-drenched bleak moments that are hard to erase from memory. 

Aster’s movie stars Pugh as Dani, a young woman who has suffered a severe family tragedy, who seeks comfort from her already-checked-out boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor).

What starts off as a trip for a few anthropologists (and girlfriend Dani) working on their thesis who travel deep in the mountains of Sweden to study a small culture/commune, turns sour as their trip unexpectedly backfires, as they become part of a 90-year “Midsommar” ritual that the commune celebrates to give back to nature. 

There are feasts, psychedelic times, and a sacred tradition I’m sure you’ve already heard of - the dance of the Maypole. What begins as a fun-filled adventurous retreat quickly devolves into a string of bizarre traditions at the hands of a pagan cult. I don’t want to give it away, but you will surely not be disappointed with the ending, with a smiley new May Queen. 

Filled with unexpected twists and turns, “Midsommar” will leave you feeling a bit, well … twisty, and maybe a little shook up inside, but in an inquisitively satisfying way. Aster and cast bring forth a unique and new take on drama/folk horror unlike anything before it. 

You can find this film streaming on Amazon Prime, Youtube, Apple TV, Vudu, and Google Play Movies. 

If you’re a Rotten Tomatoes fan, know that this movie scored an 83%!

Perhaps you're familiar with Aster's work already, such as his well-known film “Hereditary.” However, unlike this previous film, one does not leave this movie afraid of the monsters under the bed, the shadows in the dark, or worried of things beyond our human grasp. Rather, you walk away with a taste of bittersweet cloudy curiosity in your mouth, and completely unafraid of what might be lurking about in the dark when you go to bed. 

In comparison, where “Hereditary” was filled with a vibe-conveying darkness, shadows, and the unknown, “Midsommar” is filled with some of the most beautiful sunshiney, green, fluorescent scenery that is filled with the sounds of flutes and birds, with a splash of dark paganism culture. 

Created in 2019, this movie is one of my top five favorites. It’s compelling and completely opposite vibes of what is actually happening makes it a gamechanger in the horror industry. If you watch this movie from an anthropological point of view, it is absolutely fascinating. Histories of various cultures throughout the world have been known for their sacrificial ceremonies, to give back to “nature gods” or “demigods.” Based off the rather harmless European “Midsommer” festival, Aster brings forth a new possibility for this ceremony. 

This film it is nothing less than that -- an ancient ceremony. If you like learning about other cultures and their history, regardless of their realism, this movie surely will not disappoint. However largely less gruesome than the majority of drama/folk horror labels films, there are just a couple gruesome scenes. But never fear, if you get queasy out at the strict sign of blood, you’ll only be bothered by two scenes. 

In an interview with Makado Murphy and published by the New York Times, Aster said,

“These people speak a language of empathy, which is something that is missing in Dani’s life. There are several scenes that could be read as just horrific. Or they could also be read as therapeutic for the character, where she is encouraged to face the unfaceable.” 

The question-and-answer story continued,

"You have called “Midsommar” a breakup movie, although this one has a bit more brutality and sacrifice than, say, “The Way We Were.”

“I’m a big lover of melodrama. And one tradition of melodrama is having the scope of a story match whatever the characters are feeling. So I wanted to make a breakup movie that felt as big as breakups tend to feel, which is cataclysmic, because a big part of your world is now gone. So I wanted to make this big operatic, apocalyptic breakup film.” 

A review by the New York Times said, “It’s fun, at first, partly because something feels distinctly off, like milk that’s just gone bad. (You don’t know how bad until you taste it.) Christian’s Swedish friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) doesn’t offer any clues. So Christian, Mark and their not-brainy enough pal Josh (William Jackson Harper) scope out the scene and the locals. The women are friendly, and numerous. And while their dances look picturesque there’s an undercurrent of intensity and purpose that starts chipping away at the peaceful vibe.”

Drama/Folk Horror has never been a favorite category of mine. In fact in comparison, my number one favorite movie is “Land of Lost” starring comedy-driven Will Ferrell. If you know anything about this movie, it’s completely harmless and fills the room with laughter. 

But “Midsommar” brings forth my love for and curiosity of anthropology, decorated with some of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever watched. I say it’s a must-see for anyone who can stomach a little movie-esque sacrifice in exchange for curiosity. 

At a Glance:

Midsommar

Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, and William Jackson Harper. 

Summary: Couple and friends travel to Sweden to observe their infamous “Midsommar” festival. 

Rated: Rating: R (drug use|disturbing ritual violence|strong sexual content|graphic nudity|grisly images|language) 

Genre: Mystery and thriller, horror, drama. 

Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Youtube, Apple TV, Vudu, and Google Play Movies. 

Distributor: A24 (USA), Nordisk Film (Sweden)

Rating: *****