Tag Archives: family

4 Reasons Why Le Galion Beach Should Be Your Caribbean Favorite

October 8, 2016American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Nature, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Spouses Organization, Third Culture Kids, Uncategorizedadventures, American University of the Caribbean, AUC, beach, Caribbean, cultural, culture, Expat, family, International, Island, kids, medical school, nature, ocean, overseas, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, sports, st martin, St. Maarten, st. martin, surfing, SXM, TCK, travel, vacationbreanamjohnson@gmail.com

It’s a mystery to me that Le Galion Bay Beach, Saint Martin isn’t more popular. It really has everything you could ask for in a beach, minus the gigantic hotels and resorts that have commercialized so many of Saint Martin’s other nice beaches. Come with me and my friends to learn why Le Galion Beach should be your favorite!

1. It’s family friendly. Yesterday, I took four boys of varying ages to Le Galion Beach. We met up with several of our friends (some intentional meetings, others a happy happenstance), and everyone was happy and had a great time. I wasn’t the least bit concerned to watch a four-year-old in the water– it’s so shallow for so far that you can’t possibly get in over your head very fast. There’s a lot of clean, white sand that is perfect for building sand castles, too.

2. There’s no better place for water sports on the entire island. “But, wait,” you island veterans cry, “What about Orient Bay?” Well, maybe, if you want to spend a bajillion dollars for rentals. Orient Bay, just down the road from Le Galion, has dozens of vendors, while Galion only has two. However, Galion’s are far cheaper. Tropical Wave offers a larger variety of rentals (including beach chairs and umbrellas for those whose favorite water sport is napping on the beach), but SXM Surf Club (AKA Windy Reef) has better options for surfers and also offers a boat ride to the waves. Both are good options, it just depends what you want to do.

There are a lot of good options at Le Galion, including a swimming pool right in the ocean and a dive platform. We usually opt for surfing. The waves break pretty far from shore, which is nice because that means the beach is always calm. The paddle out to the waves is about 20 minutes, but you can catch the boat from SXM Surf Club that leaves twice a day. It’s only $5 per person, and board rentals aren’t too much, either. I think you can rent a board for the afternoon for about $10. Correct me if I’m wrong. We always take our own boards.

St Martin Supsquatch Surfing at Le Galion Beach – $59.00
from: Viator

You can also rent a stand-up paddleboard from Tropical Wave. A few months ago at Orient, I paid about $20 for a half hour. That’s a little on the expensive side even for Orient, but contrast that with the $20 I paid to rent two paddleboards for an hour at Le Galion. The older kids and teens got their fill of paddling around the bay. Again, I wasn’t worried about them because the water is so shallow. Even if they were prone to panic in deep water, they would be fine at Le Galion.

St Martin Stand-Up Paddleboard Lesson – $49.99
from: Viator

Kite surfing and windsurfing are both available, too. I believe the windsurfing is available from SXM Surf Club. I can’t remember the name of the man who runs the kite surfing, but I do know his wife has a little art gallery on Old Street in Philipsburg. I doubt that is helpful to you, but if you’re desperate to try it, you can go grab a business card from the gallery and give him a call. It’s probably cheaper than the cost of doing it through Viator, but I’ll include a like here in case you would rather go to a website to book than wander through downtown.

St Martin Kitesurfing Lesson – $168.19
from: Viator

There’s also a thing called canoe surfing that you can do at Le Galion. I’m not sure if you can just show up and do it, or if you have to book ahead on Viator. Obviously, I haven’t done it yet, but it looks like fun!

St Martin Canoe Surfing at Le Galion Beach – $69.99
from: Viator

Like I said, I just rented a couple of paddle boards. I managed to entertain seven people with them. Paddleboarding is probably my favorite thing to do on the water. The kids like it, too! These two little ones thought it was a pirate ship.

Ray and the Kings had a great time paddling around the bay. They took turns with the boards and a couple of snorkel masks that I brought along. Stashing a few snorkel masks is always a good idea in Saint Martin, especially with older kids and teens!

3. Cool Wildlife. When I asked Big King if he saw anything interesting while snorkeling, he replied, “girls.” Of course girls are more interesting than fish to a 14-year-year-old boy, but fortunately the kids saw some pretty cool animals, too. They even saw a sting ray! The bay is carpeted by both sand and sea grass, so there are plenty of underwater animals to observe. The birds and land animals are cool, too. Head down the beach away from all the people, and you’ll find an untamed stretch of sand and bush that is home to many species of birds, lizards, and anything else you can imagine.

4. The People. I’m not just saying this because I went to Le Galion with a bunch of people I like and ran into a bunch of other people I like. The social atmosphere of Le Galion Beach is pretty chill and friendly. It tends to be filled with local families rather than tourists or expats, so you get a whole different vibe that is pretty nice. The kids in our group made friends with kid from other groups, which was lots of fun for them. Also people generally have more clothes on here than they do at other beaches on the French side– always a plus.

So there you have it. That’s why Le Galion should be your favorite Saint Martin beach. If this article doesn’t convince you, surely a trip to the beach can! If you want to go with me, I’m always up for chilling at Le Galion. Just make sure we bring a few kids along to make it that much more fun.

Central Park Zoo in New York City

October 2, 2016International Travel, New York, Uncategorized, United Statesadventures, animals, bear, birds, central park, Central Park Zoo, city, countries, culture, family, International, lemur, monkeys, nature, New York, NYC, Seal, travel, zoobreanamjohnson@gmail.com

When Central Park was conceived in 1858, it was designed to be filled with all sorts of interesting amusements for everyone. This spirit lives on in the Central Park Zoo, a small animal park filled with creatures you’d never expect to find in New York City.

During my trip to New York City last summer with my family, my parents and I had a single day left in the big city once my sister left town. We could pick one thing to do in the afternoon, so after careful thought, we chose the Central Park Zoo!

We actually got there only an hour before closing time, but we thought it was still a good idea to look around. The tickets were $12 each, which was totally worth it for the hour.

The first thing we saw was this seal. I’m going to wear my emotions on my sleeve here for a bit and tell you that I’m really really sad about how this picture turned out. I had the camera on the wrong setting and forgot to change it back to auto. If it was on the right setting, you would have seen the seal on the rock and the NYC skyline behind him. I tried and waited for another chance at the shot, but the seal got all excited about being watched and decided to swim all over the place instead. As a brief caveat, if any of my readers know how to fix this photo, I would be eternally grateful.

This bear was the star of the zoo. He was an old, mellow bear, and he came right up the the window where all these little kids were pressing their little faces against the glass. One little boy had his hands on the window. The bear lifted his big paw and placed it directly on the little palm on the other side of the glass. It was the most precious moment.

At the center of the Central Park Zoo is a pond surrounding an island. The island is home to snow monkeys, which were cute but less than polite.

The Tropic Zone is the best part of the Central Park Zoo. It’s like a huge tropical enclosed aviary! There are even two floors to it, and an aquarium. It feels so real, like you actually stepped into a jungle or a rain forest. I think that if I lived in New York City, i’d visit the zoo all the time in the winter just so I could get warm and balmy here.

It also has a lot of cool animals, like a iridescent blue poison dart frog and this ring-tailed lemur.

Our hour at the zoo ended much too soon. It’s a pretty small zoo, but we could have entertained ourselves there for hours. If you’re in New York City, be sure to check it out! It’s a nice, inexpensive NYC experience for the whole family.

P.S. Did you see that I added Pinterest buttons to my photos? Be sure to pin a couple of your favorite images before you head out!

The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway

August 1, 2016Expats and TCKs, International Travel, New York, United Statesbroadway, city, family, Majestic Theater, musical, New York, NYC, Phantom, Phantom of the Opera, play, PTO, Show, Theater, Theatrebreanamjohnson@gmail.com

“There is a terrible mystery around us…a mystery much more to be feared than any number of ghosts or genii!”
― Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera

One of the most magical and mystical stories I know is that of the Phantom of the Opera. I have always loved stories of elusive figures, like Peter Pan, Edmond Dantes and Percy Blakeney, but the Phantom of the Opera holds a special fascination for me. Perhaps it is because it has become one of Broadway’s most iconic hits. I especially love shows with a soundtrack is as classic as the original book.

For years, it has been a dream of mine to see Phantom on Broadway. My mom and sister have also dreamed of seeing a great musical on Broadway. My dad isn’t exactly a Broadway buff, but he has always encouraged our artsy habits and enjoys seeing a good show now and then. So when my sister and I realized we were going to be in New York City on the same weekend, my whole family decided to make a trip of it and cross “Broadway show” off our bucket list. The choice between Les Miserables, Wicked, and Phantom was quickly resolved. You just can’t pass up the Phantom of the Opera.

To be honest, I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that this really happened. We went to see PHANTOM on BROADWAY, and we got to build a whole New York City trip around it. I’ve been drooling over these shows and these soundtracks for years, and I actually got to see one in real life with my family.

When we saw Phantom of the Opera, it was playing in Majestic Theater. This was appropriate, because the theater is pretty old yet well maintained, so it has the right look for a play that takes place in an old Parisian opera house. My dad went all out and got us the best seats in the house: front row balcony seats, right in the middle. Even beats Box 5, if you ask me!

Of course, the show was fantastic. Broadway is the apex of American theater, and it certainly did justice to itself, to expectations, and even to the great show Phantom of the Opera. It was appropriately eerie, and the use of stunt doubles, secret entrances, and unexpected staging played with our senses. We could feel the heat of the flames that shot from the stage floor. The singing was phenomenal! It was absolute perfection in every note.

As a Phantom nerd, I’ve done a lot of research about the story’s creator, the background of the setting, and the history of the musical. Be sure to check back soon for a “Did You Know” post about the Phantom of the Opera! For example, did you know that the Phantom has a name? Subscribe to this blog to get an email when the next post arrives! I always appreciate it when you like, share, and pin. See you back next time!

It’s Always Goodbye

July 30, 2016Expats, Expats and TCKs, Third Culture Kids, UncategorizedExpat, family, good bye, hope, in-laws, kids, missionaries, missionary, missionary kid, nephews, nieces, sadness, TCK, third culture, third culture kids, travelbreanamjohnson@gmail.com

Marrying into a missionary family is hard. It’s the most wonderful thing in almost every way, but it is so hard to always have to say goodbye. For third culture kids, who grew up in another culture and lived a life of transition and change, goodbyes have always been a part of life. Ben and his family are all third culture kids, with the exception of myself and two other in-laws. They’re so used to this goodbye thing, and they’re so good at it. They know how to leave with grace and meet up again and start right where they left off. I’m not good at good byes. They are the hardest thing in the world for me.

This last Johnson family reunion has been particularly hard, because each family left one-by-one, and I was the last to go. Every time someone left, I’d say my goodbyes and then find somewhere to be alone and cry.

The hardest people to say goodbye to are the kids, especially the littlest ones. We adults are okay at all staying in touch, despite lack of good internet. We video chat with them, and we write to them, and everybody’s on Facebook and email, but none of the nieces and nephews are old enough for that yet. We only get to see them when we actually see them. Since the Johnson family lives in six different countries, we see them only every couple of years. There’s a lot of growing up that happens during those years, and I’m missing it. I’ll meet a baby who’s crawling around on the floor, and the next time I see her, she’s running around the house and telling me all about her favorite princesses. I’m missing the little tea parties, I’m missing the end-of-school-year ice creams, I’m missing lazy Saturdays at the beach and dinners together. With every turn of the calendar is another two or three birthdays come and gone, and I wasn’t there.

It stinks that I have to spend the first day or so of every family reunion getting to know the kids all over again. I have to gently let them warm up to me, and I have to re-introduce myself to the littlest ones for the second or third time. They have no idea that I think about them and miss them every day of their lives. And then when I finally get to see them, it’s for just a few days and then we’re all off to our own corners of the world again. How am I supposed to form close relationships like this? How am I supposed to be a significant part of their lives in I can’t even see them but once every two or three years? Even when we do move to Africa, we’ll only live near one or two families at a time. And by the time we get there, the oldest ones will be in high school. Sometimes I wonder, will that be too late? Will I have missed out entirely by then? It’s not fair to love someone so much and to be so far away. I have to let my heart break over them again and again.

In my perfect world, Ben’s whole family and my whole family would all live in the same place as us. We’re so lucky that everyone on both sides gets along and genuinely likes each other, and I just wish we could take advantage of that all the time! We’d have big family dinners every week. We’d share all the holidays. I’d get one-on-one time with every kid. I’d get to hang out all the time with our parents, my sister and Ben’s siblings. And nobody would have to say goodbye.

I’ve learned something important about goodbyes from my TCK family: goodbyes are never forever. Even if my dream of being close geographically will never come true while we’re alive, Jesus’ death and resurrection has made it possible for us all to live that way forever in Heaven. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop crying about goodbyes, but focusing on eternity rather than this temporary situation will help me to cope with this ever-transient lifestyle we live. Furthermore, it will keep my eyes on Jesus and on the end goal of glorifying the Lord and enjoying him forever. When that day comes, I’ll spend all eternity worshipping the Lord with my family—and never have to say goodbye again. What a beautiful hope.

Bonfire

July 29, 2016Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, New York, Third Culture Kids, United Statesbonfire, campfire, family, farm, fire, marshmallows, New York, rehearsal dinner, smores, summer, weddingbreanamjohnson@gmail.com

Crackling flames, melting chocolate, and campfire songs. All the sounds and smells of summer are wrapped up in a bonfire under the stars. When the Johnson and Brown /Wilson families got together for Stevie and Kirsten’s wedding, we all gathered on the lawn of the farmhouse for a bonfire before the big day.

Both families love to spend time together singing Gospel songs, reading the Bible, and praying. On the Johnson side, this time of family devotions is a nightly tradition that is being passed down through generations. We love to sing family classics that Ben’s mom wrote down years ago for his dad as a wedding gift. We also sing songs that Ben’s brother, Jesse, wrote, as well as French, Swahili, and Kirundi songs. With so many people from around the world present, we were able to sing some of the hymns in multiple languages, including American Sign Language, Spanish, and Arabic. Several of the family and friends present took turns leading worship songs to thank God for the good things He has done in our lives and praise Him for who He is.

Check out the guitar Luke is playing. Jesse had it made out of an old hand-carved guitar neck and heavy-duty can.

When the prayers had been said and the singing died away into the night, the smell of melted chocolate and roasted marshmallows began to permeate the air.

It was time for the time of day that the kids looked forward to most! Okay, I’ll be real– I was probably more excited about the marshmallows than the kids were. But I was good and I didn’t sneak more marshmallows than I was entitled to.

One by one, the chairs emptied. The fire died down to embers, and a lone guitar played soft tunes in the fading light. Ben poured water over the glowing embers, and they extinguished with a slow hiss. All around me, the fireflies flickered silently in the night. Inside the barn, the horse stomped his feet in the damp hay. I looked up and sighed with awe. Above me, a billion points of light pierced the velvety black of the night sky. It had been a long time since I’d seen the stars so clearly, and I could hardly look away. Even that night, as I lay in bed in the farmhouse, I kept my drooping eyelids open long enough to drink in the sight of the big dipper shining on me through the open window.

Cousins Camp at the Farm

July 29, 2016Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, New York, Third Culture Kids, United Statesadventures, animals, boating, camp, country, cousins, cow, explroe, family, fields, friends, fun, hammock, horses, New York, pont, rural, swing, tire swingbreanamjohnson@gmail.com

IT WAS A PLAIN TWO STORY FARM HOUSE
I WISH TIME DID NOT GO BY SO FAST,
OH, THE MEMORIES OF THOSE YEARS LONG AGO
JUST TREASURES OF MY CHILDHOOD LONG PAST.

-Adine Cathey

Every other year, the Brown grandkids come to the farm in New York to spend a week or so at “Cousin Camp.” This year, the Johnson kids were fortunate enough to be a part of this tradition! We were all staying on the Brown farm for my brother-in-law Stevie’s wedding to Kirsten, one of the Browns’ granddaughters.

One of the Cousin Camp activities is decorating t-shirts for the event. The kids loved this, of course! Each shirt was unique and creative, and all of them said “Cousins Camp 2016” on the back to commemorate the occasion.

The Brown side of the family stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Brown’s farmhouse, and the Johnson family got to stay at Jeff and Lindsay’s house down the street. The new house wasn’t quite finished, so we got to help a bit in the process of building the house, which they are building themselves from scratch. I came later than most people, so all I did was sand a couple of window frames, but it was still cool to be a small part of the process! It was so generous of Jeff and Lindsay to let us stay in the house– they had 19 Johnsons staying there for almost an entire week! They had even left us things like shampoo and a coffee maker. What I loved most about the house was the little girl’s room. It looks out into a field with grazing horses. I could imagine her waking up ever day and looking outside on the wildflowers and horses– so wonderful!

I loved the rural neighborhood. It is so quintessentially rural American, with sprawling lawns, bales of hay on the fields, and signs for fresh milk and eggs at the end of long dirt driveways. If I didn’t want to live overseas, this would be my dream. Naturally, I took full advantage of the time in the country, and so did everyone else. It was a great place to run, and it is safe, which is a nice change from home.

The kids, of course, were most thrilled by all the water activities of Cousins Camp. They loved fishing in the pond (as you can see by Zach’s enthusiastic fist-pumping) and splashing each other in the pool.

The farm is a fantastic summer getaway. There is so much to do there, and none of it includes screens or electronics. In fact, I didn’t have internet or much cell service the entire time I was there! And guess what? I hardly missed it. It was refreshing to my soul to have to unplug for a week.

Every day, there was something new to discover. I snapped peas, fed a calf, got a new bread recipe… even hanging laundry on an outdoor line for the first time in a decade was fun and fresh to me.

I guess I’m sort of a city slicker now, but I remember a time from my childhood when we lived in the country and could spend our days gathering wildflowers in the field and chasing cottontail bunnies. Oh, to be little and in the country! It was so nice to be able to relive some of those memories with my nieces and nephews.

One of the most wonderful parts of the whole experience was the sense of belonging that permeated the entire week. The Brown side of the family treated us Johnsons just like their own side of the family. We got the same welcome and the kids got the same treatment. I had to stay a couple of extra days after the rest of the Johnsons left, and the Brown/ Wilson family invited me to stay in their house and made me a part of their family. I’m not even their in-law (does that make me their out-law?), and I still got a family welcome. Even the kids accepted me like family and invited me to do this or that with them.

I got a whole new branch of extended family. It’s a picture of how Jesus has made us all one family, despite our last names or bloodlines.

The whole week was so much fun. You can see by all the smiles that everyone had a great time! What kid (or kid at heart) doesn’t love being barefoot and berry-stained?

Breana's Blog

A writer's adventures around the world