Worth Every Mile

By: Hannah Willey 

In 2013, my family and I traveled to Saint Kitts and Nevis. This is an island country in the West Indies and is the smallest state in the Western Hemisphere. This island is just twenty-three miles long and five miles wide. While their official language is English, most locals speak Saint Kitts Creole. There are multiple ethnic groups in Saint Kitts including African, European, and Indian. 

St. Kitts has one of the longest written histories in the Caribbean making this destination extremely educational. While exploring, we learned that Christopher Columbus was the first to land on the island. We also learned about their economy and the production of sugarcane. St. Kitts no longer relies on sugarcane as it replaced sugar with tourism. My family also visited Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park. This fortress was located on a limestone hilltop and was approximately eight-hundred feet about sea level. 

My family had a unique opportunity of being guided through the island by a local. This experience was eye-opening as we saw and heard about the island through the eyes of someone who grew up there. He was fighting to make a living to support his family. For the first time in my life, I saw first-hand how important it is to be thankful and give back to those in need. 

Travel allows us to gain a new perspective on life. We sometimes forget how fortunate we are. I am forever grateful for this trip for giving me a fresh start. 

I can’t wait for our next adventure!