May 29, 2006

Hi from Martha's Vineyard,

It's been a while since I've written and I thought that since I'm here to be with Avi for the summer, it would be a good time to share some thoughts.

I got here only a little over a week ago so these are just some first impressions.

Getting here was a bit of an adventure since I had to take a ferry after driving 1000 miles. The ferry ride is only 45 minutes though, and is a nice way to shift gears from the hustle and bustle of the mainland to the slower, more laid-back pace of the island. I thought of Jimmy Buffet on the ride over as there is a definite "island culture".

Before coming here the first time, I hadn't known that Martha's Vineyard isn't a town but is actually several small towns on the island of MV. These towns are all within 20 minutes from each other at most. Each town has it's own unique flavor and personality.

Avi lives in Vineyard Haven, also called Tisbury. It's very small, and family-oriented, with an assortment of designer shops, and a handful of restaurants. No movie theater or much else although there is a theater, the Katherine Cornell Theater, which hosts various events. Saturday night we went to an Irish music concert there.

Oak Bluffs is about 10 minutes away and is the most lively, diverse, and interesting place – at least to me. It was home to a mostly black community in earlier times which lends it some of its diversity. OB (see, I'm talking like a native already!) is an oceanfront town whose distinguishing characteristic is the charm of its large number of Victorian homes – all gingerbread and in gaily painted colors. There is a park on the waterfront complete with white gazebo. All it needs is "The Music Man" and a band playing "76 Trombones". Come to think of it, it probably has that! The part that I like the best is an area called the "campground". This is a section of town that was originally literally a campground, owned by some church or other, with huge tents where people spent the summer. Now the tents have been replaced by tiny, very sweet gingerbread houses all arranged in circles, kind of the way co-housing communities are organized. The houses are so close together that two people can reach out their side windows and hold hands. Each house has a front porch, complete with chairs, tables, wind chimes, hanging baskets, and various other personalized touches where life is lived in the summer. In the center of the largest circle of houses is an open air theater – roofed but open on the sides – where various concerts and performances are held. It's hard to describe this "neighborhood" and do it justice. It's unique. Downtown boasts an array of shops, restaurants, a movie theater, ice cream parlors, fried clam-to-go places, arcades, and best of all the Off Shore Ale House which is a traditional style pub with great food and local musicians who jam together on Wednesday nights. A large barrel filled with roasted peanuts-in-the-shell greets hungry patrons as they wait for a table. Along the waterfront are restaurants where one can get saki and sushi among other things. OB is a happening place and seems to be THE place to be.

In contrast Edgartown is the archetypical New England village with very narrow streets, sedate Georgian or Cape Cod style homes all pristinely painted white. It's a very wealthy, rather staid, WASP community – definitely not my kind of place. But it does have a lot of good restaurants and a thriving harbor area. Edgartown is probably the most expensive place on an already outrageously expensive island. Avi told me that a home there recently sold for $26 MILLION DOLLARS !!! A tad too rich for my blood.

W. Tisbury is quite small; a village actually, but I haven't been through there very much. Then, "up-island" are Chilmark, Aquinnah, and Menemsha. These are as yet to be explored so I can't say much about them. I believe that Menemsha is a fishing village with yet a different personality. And the Wampanoag Indians live in Aquinnah.

The overall ambiance of the island is that of wealth. While there are some "regular folk" living here, trying hard to manage financially, this is definitely a place for the economically advantaged. Many people have summer homes here and these are for some, second or even third, homes. There is a sizeable population of Brazilians here who, as you might imagine, work mostly in labor or menial jobs of various kinds. The year-round population of Vineyard Haven is under 4,000. The island's year-round total population is only around 15,000. But this swells enormously during the "season" – which is starting now with the Memorial Day weekend. Already the place is changing: more traffic, the seemingly ever-present jacked-up trucks/SUVs with their booming bass sounds, fewer parking places, lines in restaurants, crowded streets, etc. Here I am, a total newby and already feeling territorial….I liked it better before the hoardes descended.

Martha's Vineyard has strict zoning regulations. There are NO stoplights on the island and it's interesting to watch the stop sign etiquette. Nearly all the homes are cedar shingled which take on a nice gray weathered appearance. The relative uniformity can be seen as either attractive or boring. There are NO McDonalds or chain fast food places on the island…yea!

The cost of living here is unreal. A very modest, 2-3 bedroom home on a lot will sell for upwards of $500,000. Gas prices are the highest in the country. And food – especially organic, natural food - is through the roof. Avi assures me that as the summer progresses there will be roadside stands selling organic produce at better prices. There are no discount stores so people pay a premium price for everything…..household goods, everything. The shops are all upscale, specialty shops.

The people that I've met through Avi seem quite nice. The average age of the year-round islander is in the over-50 category. However there is a large influx of young people during "the season" and they take all the service jobs and also bring their own special energy. Artists, musicians, writers, film-makers, and other creative types abound and every other store is a gallery of some sort.

I'm settling into a routine of meditation and long walks. I'm looking for part-time work and have a couple of possibilities but I'm not stressing over it. I'm enjoying the cooler weather. The ocean breezes keep the island temperature quite moderate; at least 10 degrees below the mainland. It's just beginning to warm up here. Temps were in the 50s-60s when I arrived and nights have all been cool enough to allow for snuggling down under a comforter. Besides having extended time with Avi, I hope to do some beading, work on a repertoire of stories to tell, explore the island, walk on the beach, breathe the fresh sea air, and generally experience a very different environment from my mountain home.

Since I've been here Avi has been working very hard since this is his busiest time of year. For those who don't know, he's a landscape designer/gardener. He says things will slow down greatly by mid-June and then he'll have time to come out and play with me. We've had some good seafood already, and I'm very much looking forward to watching the sun set over the ocean with a beer and some lobster and Avi at my side. If we're lucky maybe we'll also see some whales!

Life is good and I'm very happy. I hope you all have a wonderful summer filled with beauty, peace, good times, laughter, and friends.

Blessings and hugs,
Rachel

P.S. I have a new digital camera that I'm still trying to figure out. If/when I do, and if I can then learn how to upload them to send, I'll try and include some photos in my next update.