Back to the Balmy Breezes,Virgin Islands

It's one of the greatest feelings in the world. You step through the door of the airplane, out onto the metal stairs. Sultry tropical air greets you, heavenly after the chilly plane. Palm trees sway against a bright blue sky, and in an instant, you realize "normal life" is gone. You are now on a tropical island.

This is my vision of one of those perfect moments in life. Now in order to recreate this, there are a few key things to include.

Love the old-fashioned stairs

First of all, the stairs. I love stepping out onto old-fashioned roll-up stairs instead of a jetway. You get the immediate impact of your new location -- taking one step gets you outside right away, instead of wandering through yet another airport hallway. It's an obvious difference from all the other airports you fly through. And there's something special about the stairs that reminds me of the old days of travel. Walking down the stairs seems more romantic and exotic, and I can picture being in an old movie... Walking down a jetway doesn't have the same effect at all!

Next, the weather. It must be balmy. Arriving during a record cold snap or a drenching rain storm could be an interesting experience in its own right, but it just doesn't fit with this vision. In the perfect moment I'm envisioning, it has to be balmy.

Airplanes are almost always freezing cold, so the contrast between stepping out of the cold plane, into the marvelously warm tropical weather, is fabulous. You know you're somewhere wonderful when you have to immediately start shedding layers. Ditch that extra sweater you wore for the plane. You're in the tropics now!

Nothing says tropics like palm trees

Then there are the sights. There's nothing dull or grey about the tropics, it's all about bold, vivid colors. And you need palm trees. Now I know that not all tropical islands have palm trees, and that some places have palm trees even though they're neither tropical nor islands! However, it's my vision and I love palm trees, and even cartoonists know that a palm tree indicates a tropical island.

There's nothing that says tropics quite like palm trees waving in the breeze. Add a wide blue sky, some turquoise water, and splashes of colorful bougainvillea, and you have a brilliant, beautiful welcome as you step out of that plane.

Whether you're in the Caribbean or the South Pacific, savor that first moment. It's right then that you know you've arrived. The "real world" of normal life becomes a distant memory, as this island life takes its place. The rest of your vacation is bound to be wonderful too, but that first moment is one of the greatest.

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I'm in the British Virgin Islands now, on one of our BVI sailing vacations. Sure enough, stepping out of the plane in St. Thomas was just like this -- a perfect introduction to the islands.
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