On March 1st, 2010, Barbara and I were married 35 years. Wow! Who would have thought it? So, now you know that if I told you my age was 29 going on 30, I lied! It's been a lot of fun. In the early years, we visited Aruba, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Mexico, and the Bahamas once or twice. We have also been to Europe approximately three dozen times annually visiting our favorite countries; so, I guess you could say that we enjoy traveling and have seen a good part of the Western world.

So, then, what makes St. Maarten/St. Martin so special that we have come back so often several times each year? Although the beaches are pristine and inviting, it's not the most beautiful place in the world. It doesn't have great churches or ruins dating back thousands of years. There are no snow capped mountains to take your breath away. You cannot visit buildings or monuments where the history of the world was established or view cities that have seen the creation of the world's great religions. So, what is it that has attracted us to this little island these many years.

As you may have already read in our book or a previous article, Barbara and I have been visiting St. Maarten/St. Martin since 1978. We guesstimate that we have been there 60 or 70 times over the years. We also guess that we know about 300 people on island and since there are only 70,000 people on the island, that's probably more than average considering that we weren't born there and do not have family on the island. So, what's the attraction?

For one thing, just looking at the magnificent sunrises and incredible sunsets on the horizon are mystifying. Every day, they seem to rise from and fall into the waters of the Caribbean. Each is beautiful, each is unique and each is breathtaking. Take a thousand pictures of each sunrise and sunset and no two will be identical. Then again, if you live in a city, you may not have seen a sunrise or a sunset in years, but there is other beauty. 

In a climate whose average temperature is 80+ degrees every day, the flowers and plants are constantly in bloom and the different colored pedals of the bougainvillea, hibiscus and other flowers are always pleasant to see and smell. When was the last time that you cut down a coconut from a palm tree, broke it open, drank the milk and ate the coconut? Barbara and I did it several years ago. It took me 40 minutes to tear the protective skin off the coconut and to crack open the shell. I haven't worked that hard in years and we had a bunch of laughs doing it. Later, I found out from a local friend that there is a right way to break open a coconut; and, of course, I did it the wrong way. By the way, it's the only time we have ever cut down a coconut whose trees are plentiful around the island.

Lying on the beach reading a book as the waves tickle your toes is therapeutic. Watching the waves can lull you to sleep and watching the Pelicans in the sky forage the waters for their meal is an education. The wonderful island sun not only warms your body, but it also warms your soul. It satisfies your brain; and, within a few moments, the business worries, job stress, family concerns or other headaches from home seem to disappear. Your brain, like the great computer that it is, begins to relax and goes into vacation mode. Thinking about island activities, the fun, the laughs with friends, the great meals that lie ahead or the challenges that await you at the casinos can be euphoric.

Sitting in a restaurant on the lagoon having lunch, while three foot long Tarpons (fish) casually glide through the shallow waters only two feet below, is fascinating. Much smaller fish swim along side with them and they all seem to get along just fine. Occasionally one of the large silvery Tarpons jumps out of the water creating lots of attention. Was he swimming away from a larger rival seeking his lunch or was he just saying, "Hey, look at me!"

One of the strongest assets of St. Maarten/St. Martin is its people. They are friendly to everyone! Even strangers will usually smile and say, "Hello." Island friends usually offer hugs and kisses, and people that we've met many times at businesses will usually say, "Welcome home!" Bartenders at our favorite casinos, bars and restaurants will have our favorite drinks ready as soon as they see us enter. World politics and the problems of the world are never discussed, but the local people do have strong opinions about their own government as people generally do in most cities, towns or countries of the world.

Smile at people on St. Maarten/St. Martin and they smile back. It's infectious! Visit the island several times and they'll treat you not as a tourist, but as someone who belongs; and, little by little, it will become your second home. Then, you'll know why we love StMaarten/StMartin!