like a virgin, again.

dabney returned from the virgin islands this past weekend. wait - don't get the image of a luxurious resort. strike that from you minds right away. she spent the last ten days in a tent mere steps away from the beach.



a different type of luxury.

dabney's mom goes every year to st. john, where she hangs out with 12-16 other 50-somethings, a group of people she has come to call her snorkel family. since her mom had to go a little earlier this year, and because dabney had the frequent flyer miles, she decided to go to - ahem - purely to keep her company.

when you are camping with your mother in paradise, daily life takes on a totally different rhythm. you go to bed at 10:00pm and wake up at 6:00 (and anyone who knows night owl dabney knows how weird that is for her). you hitchhike around the island. little things take on greater importance. ooh, ooh, ooh, is that a message for me on the community bulletin board? is that an entire sudoku puzzle book that someone left behind at the registration desk? yay! tonight is mexican night at maho bay! what do you want to do today? i know, let's break into the guest shower room at nearby caneel bay resort, in pursuit of hot water and their trademark coconut shampoo...

back home, with body reset, dabney is trying to maintain the simplicity and pattern. but she has already been lured by the prospect of late poker nights, and glasses of wine. so much for clean living.