After a particularly grueling tax season, my SO and I decided to head to the Caribbean. Spouses of accountants, I salute you. For anyone who doesn’t know, accountants work ridiculous hours in a high pressure environment for a compressed amount of time to get everyone’s taxes done. They love it, but it takes a toll on the body and mind. Rum punch and warm sand seemed like the proper restorative.

During my own personal brand of obsessive research, I decided on St Lucia continuing on to Bequia via St. Vincent. I did take a backpack with my in-flight essentials, but everything else fit in a carry on with room to spare.

Clothes

rubber flip flops and Birkenstocks

two bikinis

two beach cover ups

three tank tops

slip-on maxi dress

two shorts

yoga pants

tee shirt

Accessories

electrical plug adapter

Turkish towel

foldable bags

laundry kit

assorted chargers

books

dry sack

Most days, I lived in my bikini and coverup, washing them in the sink at night and wearing the other set the next day. I didn't pack a hat, thinking that it would be easy to buy one along the way but there was never that opportunity. Lesson learned: bring your own!

side note on toiletries: I decant my regular products into small containers for travel. I also hoard product minis like you wouldn’t believe

Toiletries

(beyond my normal routine)

sunblock

coconut oil

mini first aid kit

after sun care

minimal makeup (Tarte blush stick, concealer and lipgloss)

large nail file (used as a pumice)

I cannot extol the virtues of coconut oil enough. Tanning oil (I know, naughty), after sun care, hair mask, moisturizer, makeup remover… literally endless uses. I use these amazing travel tubes for the oil but also ziplock it juuust in case.

We stayed at Sugar Beach, a UNESCO site tucked between the iconic twin peaks of St Lucia, Gros Piton and Petit Piton. With its wide, gorgeous golden sand stretching into the protected cove, I can see why it’s called the best beach on the island. This place is striking in its natural glory. Pictures don’t do it justice. Have you ever been somewhere special and you can feel energy vibrating just under the surface? And you feel like you tapped into the earth, the universe’s strength? I think that’s the Pitons for me.

St Lucia is volcanic and still has an active volcano. A couple of minutes outside of Sugar Beach’s gates, there is a geothermal waterfall. Its $7.50EC for entrance and a guide will walk you down to the pools. The mineral waters range from bath water warm to cool and worked miracles on my skin and hair.

If you do one thing, have dinner at Boucan by Hotel Chocolat. Make your reservations for sunset and go 15 minutes early to have a drink at the bar. Watching the sky change behind Gros Piton and hearing all the night creatures start to peep their evening song is awe-inspiring. The cacao cuisine is novel and delicious; everything has chocolate in it. Skip the white chocolate mash but do order the sea scallops marinated in citrus and cacao with Malabar spinach or the beef fillet marinated in freshly roasted cacao with pumpkin carrot mash and dark chocolate gravy.