Times of the Islands Summer 2020

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Life and freedom are precious Story & Photos By Kelly Currington I am sitting on the sofa at my best friend’s house, looking out the window at a view I have seen hundreds of times before, but it now looks and feels very different. Along with the rest of the planet, I am trying to make sense of and navigate through this new world we are now faced with . . . I was on a liveaboard dive boat where I work as a videographer, 100 miles north of the Dominican Republic in the Silver Bank, swimming with North Atlantic humpback whales when everything changed in a matter of hours. We were told the port was going to close and we needed to return or be shut out, so halfway through our week we headed back in. As I sat with my sister, we stared out at the sea and talked about the amazing encounters we had and the prospects we might have had if the charter had not been cancelled. We wondered what was waiting for us back on land. What I was sure of was that the holiday my sister and I had waited a year for had now been cut short. She and the rest of the guests boarded flights home the next day and I caught the last flight back to the United States from Santiago, Dominican Republic the day before the United States closed its borders. To say I was anxious doesn’t even begin to describe what I was feeling. Never before had I even thought about not being able to get back to the US if I wanted or needed to, but it was now a matter of urgency or I would not be able to return for an unforeseen length of time. The sea is my happy place and where I long to be, but being “stranded” away from my family was something I could not comprehend. Once I made it back, the reality of what was happening started to sink in. Being confined inside and unable to see family and friends was inconceivable, but here it was our “new normal.” At first it wasn’t too bad, almost like being on vacation without being able to go anywhere or do anything. Then, with the constant news coverage of the fear and increased reports of deaths every day, I started feeling very uneasy and scared—something I rarely feel. Scared of the virus; scared of my future. I was very aware of the trickle-down effect of this sudden and complete lockdown. With no one traveling and all non-essential businesses shut down, borders closed and an unemployment rate that was skyrocketing daily, tourism was going to take a huge hit. I kept asking myself, “Will I have a job to go back to?” “If not, will I be able to find a good job in the States?” Within a couple of weeks the world had changed and I did not know how to deal with it. No one knew how much I was struggling because I didn’t show it. Instead I decided to keep a journal about everything that was happening in my life during this pandemic. Writing gave me an outlet for my thoughts. It allowed me to visually see anything good that happened in a time of sadness and fear. It would be a documented account of this unprecedented season in our world that my children and grandchildren could read in the future, and understand how I coped. Not working or having a purpose each day left me feeling very useless and nonproductive, with too much time to think. I decided to try to find temporary work, doing whatever I could to make enough money to pay the my few bills and help with food. While ordering groceries online, which had now become the norm, I realized this was a viable market. In a world where millions of people had lost their jobs, I was able to get temporary work helping others stay safe in their homes by filling those online grocery orders—a multifaceted blessing. As divers, my mates and I stayed in touch and shared our fears about our future. We knew we would be out of work for a while, some possibly permanently, and the stress of that was something we all handled differently. Many of us decided to use this down time to work on ourselves. I signed up for some online courses and sem- 78 www.timespub.tc
e back underwater shooting again. My soul may hurt, but I am safe. What I will forever take from this unexpected change in our world is how precious life and freedom are, and how quickly they can be taken away. I have cherished the time this has given me with my family and I treasure the little things more than ever, holding on to them tightly. The sound of my granddaughter saying my name is etched in the recorder of my heart and I listen to it when I start to feel the stress creeping back in—her precious voice can calm even the strongest storm. inars to keep me connected to the diving realm, which I desperately needed. I spent a lot of time in my own head, mostly trying to sort out the stress, fear and anxiety of the uncertainty. I knew I had to change this or it would get the best of me, so I made a decision to deliberately direct my thought process and focus on the good, positive and happy aspects in my life, and I am aware I have plenty. I thought about the amazing journey my life has taken me on and the experiences I have been so blessed to have had. I thought back to the time before diving, when I was so phobicly afraid of sharks that I would not even consider putting my feet in the ocean, and most certainly would not have gotten on a boat. That’s when the three “E’s” entered my world. A decision to take a Discover Scuba course (Exposure) set me on a path that changed my life forever. I became a scuba instructor and spent thousands of hours in the water with sharks (Experience), changing that unrealistic and media-fed fear into true love and respect for these creatures. This inspired a determination to protect them (Education). Focusing on that journey and all the amazing people who guided and supported me helped when the anxiety of not knowing when I will be able to get back to the sea set in. It helped me stay tuned-in to the blessings in my life. I thought about how lucky I am that most of my family are safe and healthy and able to continue life with the only disruption being social distancing—a small sacrifice. I thought about how fortunate I am to have family and friends who are taking care of me during this uncertain time of waiting. They have given me a safe place to shelter and they support my goal of returning to the life I love. They accepted my occasional emotional meltdowns as I sat with my camera case open, staring at the images, tears streaming down my face, aching for the day I would There is beauty in every storm and this pandemic is no different. Some good has come with humans being on lockdown. Wildlife has started to reclaim or revisit places they have been absent from for decades. With the lack of human interference and the damaging footprints we leave behind, nature flourished, the air we breathe is cleaner, and we realize that it is not the material things we miss the most, but instead it is the time with loved ones we long for. This gives hope for a better future, but only if we learn from this situation and make changes to the way we interact with this planet. Mother Earth needs balance to survive and I hope we as a species learn to give back, at the very least, as much as we take. The reality is that we need the planet—”she” does not need us! I’m looking forward . . . a Times of the Islands Summer 2020 79
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TIMES OF THE ISLANDS SAMPLING THE S
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contents Departments 6 From the Edi
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from the editor MARTA MORTON-WWW.HA
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TIMES MANAGING EDITOR Kathy Borsuk
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My father, Jeffrey Handfield, was b
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with his growing family. All along
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island life If the thought of ownin
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My son Tim and I were blessed in ea
Page 27 and 28: eye on the sky A serene sunset over
Page 29 and 30: Forecasting is a tough business It
Page 31 and 32: giving back Opposite page: Thanks,
Page 33 and 34: DAVID M. STONE This TCRF volunteer
Page 35 and 36: Providenciales. Another major succe
Page 37 and 38: eautiful by nature Opposite page: A
Page 39 and 40: This year’s drought was especiall
Page 41 and 42: green pages newsletter of the depar
Page 57 and 58: PROVEN IN PROVO 435’ on Grace Bay
Page 59 and 60: feature The Rainbow Effect By Kelly
Page 61 and 62: Our environmental footprint As huma
Page 63 and 64: Rainbow after the storm The island
Page 65 and 66: The lovely curve of beach stretchin
Page 67 and 68: Building Your Vision, Delivering Ex
Page 69 and 70: Building Your Vision Creating Reali
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Page 73 and 74: Modern living in the prestigious Le
Page 75 and 76: Top: This artist’s rendering show
Page 77: feature Opposite page and above: Fo
Page 81 and 82: Key West quail-doves in North Caico
Page 83 and 84: Camera to the rescue Story & Photos
Page 85 and 86: astrolabe newsletter of the Turks &
Page 97 and 98: STEPHANIE WALLWORK AQUA TCI was for
Page 99 and 100: about the Islands Map provided cour
Page 101 and 102: out the Islands and many resorts of
Page 103 and 104: ton dresses tied at the waist for w
Page 105 and 106: where to stay Times of the Islands
Page 107 and 108: dining Times of the Islands Summer
Page 109 and 110: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY You Can Count On
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