The Roatan Dream

March 17^th 2007, St. Patrick's day. The islands green hills towered above us as we waited to get off the ship. To me, it was just another stop on our cruise, but I would learn much later that this island, not the four other places we would visit on that trip, was the whole reason we were on that cruise in the first place. My dad told my mom one day that we needed to go to Roatan. And that was why we were on that ship. Roatan was on my parents, and now all of our hearts, but we didn’t know why yet. Not on that day. Now, ten years later, we do. St. Patrick’s day 2007 will now be remembered as the day the Runaway Pineapple Lodge first became a possibility, a fleeting feeling, but it would be another ten years before it truly came into existence.

My family has always loved to travel. Trips all across the northeast for family reunions, road trips to Florida nearly every winter, and that cruise would be the first of three. So finding ourselves falling in love with this little island in the Caribbean wasn't overly surprising. It was, however, a bit terrifying. We had been there twice on cruises before making the jump to staying there for two weeks. It would be just about seven years after we first stepped foot on the island. But we weren't just staying for a couple weeks of vacation, no, we were looking at property. We were starting to realize what the true plan was. The plan that was seven years in the making.

We looked at a few houses, planning on vacationing there and renting it out when we weren't there, but none of them worked. It just wasn't right. They weren't... us... they weren’t home. Finally we went and looked at a piece of property. A view of the ocean, jungle surrounding us, a walk to the beach. But there was nothing on it. Just land. But we all knew it would be our land. It was meant to be. It took us a long time to admit it to ourselves and to each other however. It didn't make sense to buy land, it would be too complicated. But we all knew it was what we were supposed to do. So eventually, we did.

April 1^st 2014, we got the call saying we officially own the property. The passing feeling had become a passing thought, the thought turned into a dream, and that dream was becoming a reality. We owned property in Roatan Honduras. So what were we going to do with it? Well, in the time between finding the property and owning it, our little dream of owning a vacation house quickly blossomed into owning a bed and breakfast. Our plans changed multiple times but eventually we had a design. A two story octagon house with a loft and a cupola. The house would be mostly deck since, when you're on the island, you spend most of your time outside anyway. A communal outdoor kitchen, a couple hotel rooms downstairs, eventually a few tent platforms scattered throughout the property for some glamping tents. But would it ever get built?

It took a lot longer to get it built than we thought, or rather, than we were hoping it would. We switched builder's, changed our plans around, impatiently waiting for our dream to become a reality. Then, March 11^th 2016, we broke ground. A few long months later we had the main structure. July 2016 my parents would take a trip to the island to do as much building as they could on their own. It still didn't seem possible. So much work still to do...

December 18^th 2016 we embarked on a three week trip down to the island. We worked most of the time. So many things needed to be finished before we could rent it out. The Runaway Pineapple Lodge had a name, a location, it was finally becoming an actual destination. From a fleeting feeling to a reality. Almost.

Now, exactly ten years after I first laid eyes on the rolling green hills of the beautiful island of Roatan Honduras, I am proud to say the Runaway Pineapple Lodge is open for business! Looking back at ten years of memories, I see it took a long time, a lot of faith, endless trust, and much perseverance to get where we are. There were so many reasons to quit, so many times we should've given up and let the dream be just that, a dream. But we didn't, we kept going. Even when it didn't make any sense. Because this place, this place to call home so far from home, was meant to be. Meant to be built. Meant to become a reality. And every step we take, I'm so glad we let it become a reality instead of giving up on the dream. Don’t give up on your dreams, especially the ones God puts on your heart. They will come true in the end. They just might take a little longer than you would like them too.

 

If you would like to stay at the Runaway Pineapple Lodge, or would like more information, contact us on Facebook or go to our website

 

Puzzle

Last week I was doing a puzzle with a two year old. Yes, a disaster waiting to happen right? Well as I watched him try to fit the pieces in where they didn't belong, not paying any attention to the box or the rest of the puzzle to see where it really fits, I realized how hard it is to do a puzzle without the picture on the box. And I realized, that's life.

Life is like a puzzle. There are all these little pieces that, when put together, create the big picture, God’s Plan for our lives. But the difference between the puzzle of life and the actual puzzle is that we don't get to see the picture on the box. Only God knows what that picture looks like and we just have to trust that he will show us where the pieces go.

When I do a puzzle I like to know exactly where a piece fits in before I try it anywhere. I look at the colors, the shape, and I compare it to the picture on the box. I want to know exactly where it goes before I go ahead and put it in. The other day I realized that I do this with life too. I have all these pieces. A random place, a person, a potential job, countless ideas, but I don’t know how they all fit together yet, so I don’t move on any of them. I don’t try to fit them in because I can’t quite see where they go yet. I've realized that's both good and bad. Good because it forces me to be patient and not try to force pieces in where they don't belong. Bad because if I never try it I'll never know if it fits or not. It's a balance I'm currently working on.

This past month some of those pieces started to fall right into place. The picture kept making more sense. A place, a job, a plan. I felt like God was showing me what my picture was going to look like. So I started fitting all the pieces in. Getting ahead of myself. Not realizing that, perhaps, I was cramming pieces in before they were supposed to go there. Then it was like the two year old I was doing the puzzle with last week swept all the pieces onto the floor (which he actually did by the way).

The job fell through, moving no longer possible, my plan was in pieces. My life no longer made any sense. The pieces were scattered on the floor and, honestly, I was in absolutely no hurry to try to pick them up again. For days I just stared at them in shock, wishing they could go from scattered on the floor back onto the table all by themselves. But I know that isn't how it works. I knew I should start picking them up and start putting the puzzle back together again. But at the time, I was perfectly content just leaving them right where they were. Until yesterday.

When things fall apart it's ok to have some time to just stare at the mess on the floor and process what happened. As long as you know you do need to clean up the mess eventually. So today I started gathering together those pieces. Admittedly soaking them in some salty tears, but I started. And that is what is important.

And as I go I am reevaluating some of the pieces I had put aside. Wondering if perhaps it's one of those goals I need to be pursuing right now. I’ve talked before about how there is a reason for everything. Each thing is a piece of the puzzle, we just don’t necessarily know where it fits until much later in our lives. Or, sometimes, we can see where it goes right away. Either way, you need all the pieces to finish the puzzle. Even the ones that look like they don’t fit. I have quite a few pieces that don't seem to fit right now. But maybe these are the ones I should be looking at.

My plan, what I wanted my picture to look like, just wasn't what it was supposed to be right now. Maybe in the future, but not right this minute. I realize that now, but I wish I had realized that before the pieces got swept off the table. But I am picking up the pieces and I'm attempting to put them back together. And I'm going to try to not be like that two year old and try to fit pieces where they don't belong. I'm going to trust that God, the artist of the picture on the puzzle, will show me where the pieces go when the time is right.

The Power Of A Hug

Last night I was lucky enough to see a friend I hadn't seen in a while. She had moved away and came back for an unexpected visit. This friend has an amazing talent, she gives some of the best hugs I have ever received. Her love just pulses through whoever she hugs. It may sound silly, but I crave her hugs when she's gone. It’s like when I get a hug from her some of her optimism transfers over to me and gives me the strength to make it through this crazy life.

About a week ago my family came home from vacation and were happy to see our "little sister" after three long weeks. She's not our sister by blood or marriage or any program, but she is very much our sister. And she gives hugs like no other. The kind where she holds on and won't let go. They're special and lasting. And when we saw her after three weeks away and she gave me one of her special hugs I was certainly not surprised, but very thankful. I hadn't realized how much I had missed them.

About three years ago today I received a hug I will never forget. I was in Roatan Honduras on vacation with my family and in the two weeks we were there we met and became quite close to someone there. Meeting him changed my whole outlook on life, but what I remember most about him was the way he hugged me goodbye. He's a very outgoing person. The kind of guy who loves everyone and isn't afraid to show it. And that kind of love just radiates off of him. And when he hugged me that time it radiated right through me. It was something I had never felt before. And it made me realize how powerful a hug can really be.

There are many different kinds of hugs. There's the casual, nice to see you hug. The big, I haven't seen you in far too long and I missed you hug. There's the overjoyed hug. The I love you so much hug. The shoulder to cry on hug. The I'll see you tomorrow hug. And the I wish we didn't have to say goodbye hug. Big strong hugs like the ones my uncle gives where his strength just makes you feel safe. Or clingy hugs like when my sister hugs me and won't let go and they make you feel missed and wanted. Or ones like my two friends where they literally give you a boost of energy and optimism. There are countless categories. Countless kinds of hugs and countless reasons for a hug.

Of course, that's coming from someone who's always looking for a reason for a hug. As you have probably gathered, I'm a very cuddly person. I'll take any chance I get to give a hug or snuggle with my family. But recently I've realized that the true, real hugs are few and far between. And I think it's something that really needs to be fixed. I realize not everyone is a “hugger”, I know a few people who only hug when absolutely necessary. But whether you consider yourself a "hugger" or not, it's no secret, a hug is a powerful thing and needs to be shared.

We thrive on human connection. There is healing that can be felt when two people hug long enough to let the warmth flow between them. I still crave hugs like the big strong ones my uncle gives, or the clingy ones like my sister gives, or warm ones like my friend gave me last night, or like my other friend gave me that day three years ago. I don’t know when I will see any of these people again, but I will always remember their hugs.

This life is hard, we get hurt, but every one of these hugs healed me a little. Made me feel needed, safe, loved, or more optimistic about life. Hugs are powerful and we should never miss an opportunity to hug someone. And always make it mean something. Because a hug is powerful, and all it takes is a little love.

Neither of these lovely ladies were specifically mentioned in this post, but they too are pretty awesome huggers!

Friends In Far Places

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” ~ Tim Cahill

My family has always liked to travel. Camping trips, driving to Florida, family reunions, cruising, and most recently trips to Roatan Honduras. We just got home from a three week trip to Roatan where my family is building an Eco Lodge called The Runaway Pineapple. We love to travel and love to meet new people wherever we go. But the problem with meeting new people on vacation is that, chances are, you live nowhere near each other once you’re back home again.

So what do you do? The people we meet on vacation are the people who make our vacations amazing, but will we just never see them again? Three years ago we were on the island and met many awesome people. They made our time there unforgettable. A few of them we haven’t heard from since, and a few we still talk to and have even seen since then. This most recent trip is the same story. We met some awesome people, but will we ever see them again?

So if, chances are, we won’t see the people we meet on vacation again, does that mean we should keep them at a distance? Not get too close because we’ll probably never see each other again? These people are the difference between just another trip and an amazing vacation. Don’t treat those vacation friends just as that, people you will only see on vacation. Treat them as friends. If they’re people you think you really want to keep in your life when the vacations over, then don’t be afraid to keep the relationship going! Keep in touch!

I know how hard a long distance friendship can be. I have some good friends who have moved away and we struggle to keep in touch. I also met some really good friends on vacation and, even though it's really hard to stay friends due to the long distance between us, I honestly can say I wouln't be who I am without having met them and I am so glad we've managed to stay friends after the vacation was over.

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” ~ Tim Cahill. Those vacation friends are the reason the vacation was amazing, so why let them disappear when the trip comes to an end? Don’t let those vacation friends slip away!

Do you have a story about someone you met on vacation? I would love to hear it!

 

Thank you Delta's napkin for the inspiration