Jordan and I had a grand return to our roots in early 2026. Instead of going to Sri Lanka as planned, we decided (extremely last minute) to go to the British Virgin Islands to do some dog-sitting like the good old days in the UK in a plan masterminded by my parents.
Here’s how it happened: one of their friends who lives in Tortola was getting foot surgery and needed someone to walk her dogs for five weeks. My parents, in their infinite wisdom (they wanted a place to stay but weren’t too keen on walking the dogs for five weeks), decided that Jordan and I were the perfect candidates. Never mind that we were on the literal opposite side of the world in Thailand.
It was all very convenient for them, actually. Maybe too convenient.
They were supposed to come visit us in Sri Lanka over my dad’s birthday to go to the Cricket World Cup finals, which, funnily enough, Zimbabwe was playing in. And yet somehow, they convinced us to fly halfway across the world on a 60-hour travel day from Thailand to the Virgin Islands, while they had a measly six-hour flight to come see us.
Again, pretty convenient for them.
Although I can’t complain too much, because spending time with my family after so much time abroad is extremely important to me. And instead of seeing them for a brief seven days in Sri Lanka, Jordan and I got to see my dad for two and a half weeks (thanks to a snowstorm that delayed his return flight by four days) and my mom for eight days (thanks to a massive 14-inch snowstorm a week later that delayed her departure by three days). I even got to see my baby brother as a bonus!
The dog-sitting itself was relatively easy. One hour-long walk in the morning through the steep hills and sticky humidity of the Virgin Islands, and then another shorter 15-minute walk in the evening.
Although “easy” might be generous, because it actually took about two hours total. The owner of the dogs insisted we drive half an hour each way to a nicer part of the island to walk them. And to be fair, it was a much nicer walk: shaded, with better views, and not quite as steep as the hills below her house. On occasion, when we were short on time, we did just walk the dogs below her house because it was easier. And boy, did we get fit on those walks. The first couple of times we were huffing and puffing, but near the end of our stay it seemed more doable.
But maybe the hardest part wasn’t the walks, it was the drives.
The dogs were so full of beans, so excited to go for a walk, that they barked at anything that moved. Bikers, other animals, shadows, the wind. They were so loud, literally going ballistic, jumping over each other and causing a ruckus in the back of the car. It was incredibly distracting, and I’m honestly surprised we made it there and back every day without incident.
The owner was actually there the whole time, just in her house “resting.” Except she was way more mobile than anyone recovering from foot surgery should have been. But she was very nice, and pretty stubborn too, so we didn’t question it.
While we were there, we ate plenty of good food. After being in Thailand hotels for so long without proper kitchens, it was incredible to finally cook again! We made big breakfasts, cooked actual dinners, had fresh fruit in the fridge. The simple pleasure of having a kitchen cannot be overstated when you’ve been eating out for months.
I also did three days of scuba diving in the BVI, which was incredible. I dove the Willy T, the Rhone three times, and Angelfish Reef and Thumb Rock for anyone familiar with BVI dive sites. My best sightings were a nurse shark, a flounder, a barracuda that came a little too close for comfort, a few lobsters that were half the size of me, and a handful of reef sharks.
The fish in the BVI are so beautiful. I especially loved the parrotfish, super vibrant, rainbow-colored fish. I even saw an octopus while snorkeling, which was a first for me.
I also learned all the French words for these animals because I took a lot of French lessons with my new tutor while I was in the BVI. So now I can tell you all about le requin-nourrice (nurse shark) and le poulpe (octopus) and l’homard (lobster). Très utile.
But the diving and the dogs and the walks weren’t really the point of this trip.
The point was getting to see my parents after a year and a half of being on the other side of the world. And I can’t even put into words how amazing that was.
There’s something about being away from home for that long that makes you realize how much you miss the small things. Not just the big moments, but the mundane, everyday stuff. Making breakfast together. Sitting on the couch and not really talking, just existing in the same space. Telling stories about your day and having someone who actually knows all the people and places you’re referencing.
We spent two and a half weeks together, thanks to those perfectly timed snowstorms. We cooked meals, went to the beach, watched the sunset, talked about everything and nothing. My dad and I talked about groceries what we were going to cook. My mom fussed over Jordan and I. My brother and I played a gnarly game of Dutch Blitz.
It was perfect.
And not bad scenery to do it in, either. The British Virgin Islands are stunning. Turquoise water, white sand beaches, lush green hills. It’s the kind of place that looks like a postcard, except you’re actually there, walking dogs up steep hills in 90-degree humidity, and it’s real. The house was pretty nice too, I definitely was cosplaying a rich person on vacation with those views.
So yes, my parents orchestrated an elaborate scheme to get Jordan and me to fly across the world to dog-sit for their friend. And yes, it was suspiciously convenient for them that we ended up doing all the traveling while they had a short flight from the East Coast.
But I’m glad they did.
Because I got two and a half weeks with my dad, eight days with my mom, quality time with my brother, and a reminder that sometimes plans get changed at the last minute and sometimes its for the best.
xx abby
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Love you my darling girlie, and so grateful we got to be with you. So lucky.
Best start to a year for a long time.
Fun to be back with my girlie!