Good morning Ladies & Gents! I wanted to step in and give a review of my vacation from last week. I initially was going to approach this particular post from the positions of "the accommodations were amazing," "the islands were so beautiful," "this is what you should wear," or "this is how you should pack." However, my take-away from this EXPERIENCE was beyond my expectations.

Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Anguilla, and St. Barths...4 passport stamps in 5 days!

To bring you up to speed and fill you in, I was invited by one of my closest friends, mentors, and brother Calvin- yes all in one- to join him in Sint Maarten to celebrate his 40th birthday. I've traveled with him two times prior beyond the U.S. border, and we communicate everyday/all day so of course my answer was yes! This particular time in addition to my other closest friend would be the company of several other gentlemen. Any and everyone knows that when you pull several people, especially men together, that your anticipated outcome may be total opposite of your actual outcome. For once, this experience surpassed all doubt and anxiety as the group dynamics were rewarding, refreshing, replenishing, and repurposing. I had to take a step back and ask myself, "How the hell is everyone so cool and we know absolutely nothing about one another?" I immediately answered myself with, "Of course we are all cool as hell because we are all an extension of our 'connection' Calvin!" Again, there was no prejudgement but there was some excitement coupled with surface-level anxiety that I had to overcome prior to boarding my flight to this destination.

I say that this trip was rewarding, refreshing, replenishing, and repurposing for various reasons. Now, I am not sure if Calvin knew this, but many of us needed a break from our lives stateside and truly benefitted from having a moment in paradise. The collective was from diverse professional backgrounds- medical doctors, doctors of education, doctors of philosophy, lawyers, medical administrators, mental healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and law enforcement. Yes, from these general areas you understand that we not only dedicate ALL of our time to the universe, but we rarely have time to give back to ourselves as we are healing and solving the world's problem. Presumptively and conclusively, it can truly be inferred that we are

The Talented Tenth living the hopes and the dreams of the slaves. While society and mass media portray and placate negative images of the Black male in America, we immensely defy those oddities and collectively/individually embrace "the image of positivity and success!"

I will refer to the explorations and day-to-day fun we experienced as exercises. While I do not have a background in psychology, I have been living life and have a general knowledge of group dynamics with my sociology background. Yes, we were in a multi-million dollar smart home that was secured by a gate, but we shared the love of brothers and healing on the inside. In the morning, we partook in catered breakfast and in the evenings the same with dinner. It was the conversations that we engaged in that allowed different points of views and acceptance of a new reality to be fostered. There were no negative moments or negative energy shared. If there was ever a difference in opinion about a particular subject, each person was sure to allow the other to speak. These moments of embrace were most rewarding and uplifting. One theme that I found was that many of us were at an emotional and financial unrest. Because we dedicate our lives and resources to healing, educating, and saving the world, we rarely have time to enjoy the fruits of our very own labor.

My time in the Caribbean was nothing shy of the best time. This particular adventure was definitely one to remember and appreciate for a lifetime. I must commend my friend for his screening process as these group dynamics were exceptional. We met as strangers and departed as friends and ultimately brothers. From laughter on one of the top five beaches in the world -Shoal Bay, Anguilla, to eating fresh crab directly from the Atlantic Ocean on Pinel Island, St. Maarten- we thrived, we survived, and most importantly we ARISED!

This is an image of us from Shoal Bay Beach in Anguilla!

After our diner en bleu at Jax Steakhouse in Sint Maarten!

Penil Island, St. Martin

Yellow Beach restaurant on Penil Island, St. Martin

Penil Island, St. Martin

Penil Island, St. Martin

Rainforest Adventures in St. Maarten. We did all three attractions that included: the Flying Dutchman, the Schooner, and the Sentry Hill Zip Line. This was really cool and I advise anyone physically able to do this!

This was us just before the zip lining.

Happy Birthday Calvin....you're beyond amazing and we love and appreciate the man you ARE!