I probably have the BEST job in the world – selling paradise! Some days I get to stick my toes in the sand and other days I am touring mansions overlooking the blues of the Caribbean Sea. I like to consider my job title “St. Croix Ambassador” and most days are glorious, but there is a downside to selling paradise in paradise. I know, hard to believe!

• Flowy, island dresses plus the Caribbean breeze = embarrassing moments (yes, that is plural for the many embarrassing moments I have had thanks to this combination). I have now learned that flowy dresses must always be paired with a cute pair of undies. One particular moment that sticks out is when I was showing a home and got stuck in a wind tunnel, my dress flew up sticking to my belly and backside and I spent a good 10 seconds fighting to push it down – a very non-attractive Marilyn Monroe moment. That was the day I learned cute undies are a must!
• When showing people your island and beautiful homes, it is important to have a clean(ish) car. That has always been a challenge for me living on St. Croix because of beach days, wet towels, sandy dogs and having a fisherman as a husband. So please excuse the mess and smell, I was busy living a little. 😊
• Being a lost local! Stateside you just plug in the address to find your destination, Google maps isn’t so accurate here. There have been a few times I was completely lost or took a wrong turn.  I played it off like I was taking them on the scenic route or showing them other parts of the island… They definitely bought it! And it was an exciting way to see other areas I may have missed if I stayed on course.
• Our cars take a beating! They do say that some of the best views are up the worst roads… so let’s just say my car has seen some of the best views on island (and mechanics!).
• Weird tan lines, because showing property in a bathing suit may not be acceptable. Sunshine is year round, so that means so are tan lines. I often find myself traversing a hillside or walking a beachfront property. While I am busy dreaming up design ideas with my buyers for a cute beachfront property or hillside retreat, we all forget about the sun overhead using our bodies as a canvas. Many times I have ended my day with a crisscross design painted on my back from the sun. But hey, I can’t complain that Mother Earth chose me to be her canvas for her art piece that day!
• Sweat, lots of sweat! Swamp ass is a thing here, and when you are trying to look put together for your clients, it’s kind of hard when your dress sticks to your backside and your make up is dripping off your face. By the end of a long day of showing I look like that girl we all knew from college doing the walk of shame with mascara running down my face and hair knotted and messily tied to the top of my head.
• Conference calls interrupted by a cock-a-doodle-doo. You are probably wondering why a chicken has shown up to the meeting. Well, you see, our weather is pretty stellar and often times I hold my conference calls swaying in my hammock on my gallery. My chicken friends that meander around my yard gobbling up the centipedes also think the weather is pretty stellar and they like to talk about it… a lot and very loudly! I guess the chicken chuckling doesn’t phase me any more, but it perks the ears of my clients on the other line. I had someone stop me mid speech to ask me with a bewildered sound in her voice “Is that a rooster?” followed by a chuckle. That’s when I knew this gal was meant for island life!

Despite the challenges of keeping my stinky, sandy, well-lived in car clean, breezes that show off my tattered, bottom-of-the-drawer undies, getting lost up a long, windy road that may end in a flat tire and funny tan lines – I’d take this job over wearing suits paired with toe jamming stilettos and shovelling snow just to drive a 45 minute commute (ONE WAY).

I love to help those dreaming about a beachside cottage or living the mermaid life in the rainforest overlooking the sea. They just need to be prepared to be flashed. I can’t control the gusts that lurk around every corner (but I promise to wear appropriate undies) and please excuse the sandy car with a hint of fish!