We are traveling back to California to enroll our last one into college!

We are gladly taking donations from all of our friends, family and the internet world.  As of today we will have all THREE of our kids in college - Matt at Loyola-Marymount University, and JJ and Bryana in Santa Barbara, California!  In fact, what we really need are more real estate sales in the Caribbean!  It is a hectic time of transporting ALL of them and us to the various campuses to get them settled into their college dorms and apartments.  In addition, it will be the first time in 22 years that Ann Marie and I will be “empty nesters”! 

Bryana, as a freshman, is very excited, nervous, and filled with anticipation of how the next chapter in her life will be unfolding.  Her three girlfriends since the second grade have said their goodbyes since they are all going to different universities.  Ann Marie found a blanket manufacturer that could weave in a photo into the blanket.  We found the girls’ favorite photo of them and surprised them with a blanket for each of them so they could be reminded of their dear friendship.  Bryana is currently focused on a career in journalism.  As you can see, she may want to start in television since she is so beautiful and so darn smart.

JJ continues his passion for surfing and golfing while attending college in Santa Barbara.  As a Junior he has kept a 3.0 GPA, and he has lowered his golf handicap significantly between his class work.  If I could pick a career for JJ it would be doing something with kids.  He is an amazing coach with sports, and he has a natural knack of having kids bond with him and listen to his advice and direction.  At the moment his major is social science.  He would be a great elementary school teacher, too.  However, no matter what he does he will need to live by the beach.  We are so glad that he and Bryana will be in the same college town, just so they know there is a family member close by.  It is comforting to us, too.

Matt is completing his last few courses at LMU.  He already graduated with double degrees in Economics and Music - what a combination of interests.  He is passionate about both, and during his last four years he has more than tripled his stock portfolio because of studying the stock markets.  He has made some BIG hits with Apple stock purchases over the last few years.  His next step will be in some type of international experience.  We will be taking him to London in January to interview with the London School of Economics.  And, next we will open some doors in Geneva, Switzerland with the Nestle Group.  He would really enjoy a year’s internship with Nestle. ( Any contacts would be greatly appreciated.)

Ann Marie and I are already planning an adventure when Bryana graduates in four years.  As she exits college at that time, we will get an immediate raise in our income.  With that in mind, we are planning to sail in the Caribbean for six months starting in the BVI and heading south with no other plans than beautiful sunsets, SCUBA diving, fair winds, and having friends meet us along the way at various islands.  I will let you know how these plans unfold.  Wish us well as the launch our last child into a new world.  Until next time…fair winds to all of you!

If you want the best vacation experience of your life, book a crewed chartered sailing adventure in the Caribbean

You will recall that I have been sailing in the Caribbean for over 30 years. Because of those years of sailing I have met some of the most unfogettable people I know - Dougy the head of cabbies at Beef Island Airport; Foxy the owner of Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke; Mick the bartender at Soggy Dollar Bar; Liz the owner of Duffy’s Love Shack; a Danish couple who had been sailing for over five years with two of their three kids being born on their boat; Baby Bull Rhymer who ripped me off at Cane Garden Bay; Captain Whitey of the catamaran Tamarin; Ustis from Dominica who is the best dancer I have ever met. (He enjoyed dancing with each of our women guests at Quito Rymers; Quito Rhymers, the famous Caribbean “Jimmy Buffet”; Dick at CharterPort; and hundreds more!!! And…whenever and wherever I am sailing in the Caribbean it is always unforgettable!

You also recall that my last ”crew” was made up of seven guests who had never sailed in the Caribbean, nor had they been on a crewed chartered yacht.  Each of them are world travelers and they said it was the BEST adventure they had ever had!  The catamaran’s are currently my favorite choice if you have a group of guests who are unfamiliar with the sailing scene.  However, when I want the pure pleasure of sailing my preferrence is the traditional mono-hull. Our sailing adventure last month was again on “Double Feature”, the Lagoon 57 crewed by Captain Jonny and 1st Mate/Chef Kelly.  My mono-hull of choice this year is Three Moons - an Irwin 72 crewed by Captain Randy, Chef Shelley, and 1st Mate Katy. They also deliver an amazing experience for each of their guests aboard Three Moons.

The reason why it is called an adventure is because you have no idea what will unfold between the moment of your launch and the moment you drop anchor at your final desitnation of the voyage. All of the STUFF that happens in between is the reason why I can’t wait to launch on any sailing adventure. I eat up the STUFF in between! Some of the ”moments” that happen are unforgettable.  Some of those ”moments” are hopefully forgotten quickly. ( Remember my comments months ago about dancing with a goat at Foxy’s?) Well, last month I ended up at The Last Resort with my guests and was swept away with the music and the rum that ended up having me as the back-up singer for the BAND! Most of the moments that need to be forgotten usually happen late at night after some Meyer’s Dark Rum and Caribe beer chasers. With that combination, anything can happen…and usually does.

Back to sailing…that is the real deal in the Caribbean. I am at my “spiritual center” when I am under sail, and with any job that is assigned to me. I have captained my share of sailboats, but I have also been the chef on many boat deliveries, and even been as lowly as a 4th Mate whose job is typically clearing out a clogged head - one of the worst jobs on the boat.  There is nothing like the feeling of the helm in your hands as you steer your course to your next anchorage. The expected activities during any voyage includes; SCUBA, snorkeling, water skiing, wake boarding, kayaking, daily gourmet moments, great beverages because thirst is a dangerous thing, reading, napping, sunning with various degrees of clothing, and even the occasional squals.  Are you getting a better idea as to why I can’t wait to step aboard my next sailboat going to who knows where? Contact me and I promise to set up this type of experience for you, your family and friends.  I am such a fan of this experience that I secured by charter yacht brokerage license in 1997 and I have arranged hundreds of sailing adventures.  Until next time.  Fair winds.

At the start of any sailing voyage, this is the mantra Jim Walberg uses when he raises the anchor and sets sail for another adventure!

This phrase, “Do not be fearful,” is one that I have not only used as a life long sailor, but in many aspects of my life.  It is the phrase that is used by both those staying behind and those on the sailboat as it leaves the anchorage or dock for another voyage.  My experience with this mantra is based on the fact that no one knows what will ever happen on a sailing adventure. The one constant is you know the latitude and longitude of your destination.  What happens from the moment you set sail to the moment you drop anchor at your destination is what is called “a sailing adventure”.

I could write a book about all of the “unexpected / expected” experiences that relate back to “not being fearful”. Well, I guess it is OK to be fearful, but a sailor doesn’t let the fear prevent her/him for setting sail, even knowing the challenges that will be faced during the voyage.  Someone that lets fear stop them from setting sail to a familiar or new destination is called a “landlubber”, not a sailor.  So, fear can either serve you or it can paralyze you.  I chose to have it serve me, even though I have been in some pretty scary experiences during my life time of sailing adventures.

One example of my 50+ years of sailing adventures was during a sailboat delivery on the west coast from San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. The sailboat was a MacGregor 65 that is a “rocket ship” that is only twelve feet wide and sixty-five feet long, and is primarily used for racing. It is not considered a “blue water” sailing vessel. It is just built for speed - 12 to 14 knots for a mono-hull! It is known to break up in even moderate seas because of it being so narrow and light. (If a MacGregor does break-up it doesn’t sink because it is filled with foam so it actually floats and one can hang-on to debris as a last resort while awaiting someone to save your ass.)

Off the Santa Barbara Islands our crew of four decided we better stress the boat to the max to see if there were any flaws that could be uncovered before we got into Mexican waters. Another important note - sailors do attempt to always find the “surprises” during a voyage before they are actually surprises.  Well, one showed up with all the sails out in a 20 knot wind. Within minutes the boom broke in half and I happened to be in the path of the broken parts. It hit me square on the head and knocked me out. (When we meet again you will now note the dent that is still on the right side of my bald head.) My crew mates acted quickly - another important trait of a sailor, and first made sure I didn’t roll overboard, and then lashed the broken boom together and re-grouped. As a sailor you need to constantly improvise during these types of moments which requires a curious and inventive mind. With the boom broken in half you can’t use your mainsail effectively. So, we rigged it to use the jib and “jerry rigged” the main so we had a small portion of it in the wind. We limped to a repair facility in San Diego harbor and set sail again to complete the delivery. We did deliver the yacht on time, in spite of the detour, and I added another story to my journal of sailing tales.

Well, enough of my musings for now. My point is that you can never explore new shores by standing on the dock wishing you could get their. You must get on board, set the sails, and be prepared for many sailing adventures between the launch and your destination.  Hum…maybe there is even some analogies in life that the sailing mantra applies, too - “Do not be fearful!”!!!    So, what about some of your tall tales from sailing adventures?

Our family sends you Holiday greetings and best wishes from the Caribbean!

 This is the time of year that all of us spend time with family and friends, and remember the many blessings that we receive each day.  One of my wishes for you today is that you not only focus on your blessings for a few days in December, but everyday.  There are so many grateful moments that we need to pay attention to each day!  There are people to love, to serve, and even to just listen to that will improve whatever condition they are in.  There is a quote I really like, “If you are wondering if your mission in life is complete… It is not, if you are still alive.”  Below is a prayer that we will be using at our Holiday celebration dinner.  Make a copy of it and review it from time to time.  It means a lot to us.

Dear God, this is the Season of getting together with our loved ones; feast, toast, enjoy the blessings of life - and give thanks.  Thanks for life all around us, under foot, and overhead.

Thanks for the ability to remember the things that we love as well as to forget how much we’ve been hurt. Thanks for fine young bodies and old, venerable minds; for sun on our faces, the rain on the roof, and the food on the table grown by people we don’t even know.  

Thanks that the jets overhead aren’t dropping their bombs, that our healing hands have a place to practice, that children are born every minute of the day, and that death is there to gather us up at the end. And thanks for at least a few days a year when we all take the time to get some perspective.

Best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season with your dear family and friends!

For the third time in his long career his peers have honored him with this special award!

Jim Walberg was selected by his peers as the 2007 Realtor Of The Year this past week!  This is the third time this honor has been bestowed upon him during his very long real estate career.  The criteria for this award is based on the Realtor who has significantly contributed to the professionalism of the industry and service to the community.

When asked to comment on the award Mr. Walberg gave a few words for the audience to remember.  “To whom much is given,  much is required.”   Some of the organizations that have benefited from Mr. Walberg’s community involvement are;  Rotary International;   The Food Bank;  Adopt-An-Angel;  Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation;  Special Olympics;  The One Warm Coat Project;  Toys For Tots;  and,  many more.  Mr. Walberg continues to live his life using Rotary International’s model of “Service Above Self”.  He describes his experience as a long time Realtor as having a career worth having, a business worth owning and a life worth living.  The entire real estate community congratulations Mr. Walberg on this significant acknowledgement of his commitment to extraordinary service to others.

Mr. Walberg is the owner of Caribbean Islands Realty, The Bay Area Team – a realty group in the San Francisco Bay Area servicing the residential real estate needs of that region, Worldwide Properties 4 Sale – an internet center featuring homes and deeded fractional ownerships that are for sale from the BVI, to Tuscany, to Thailand , and Navigate The World – a charter vacation yacht brokerage company booking vacations on the world’s finest yachts.

My Definition Of “Tropical Islands” Has Been Expanded To Maui!

My family trip to Maui is creating wonderful family memories and is also educational.

When I think of tropical islands, my mind always goes to the Caribbean. But, my California family members think of Hawaii. So, that is where we all went this week.  This is the second Thanksgiving my extended family has spent in the Hawaiian Islands. 

This year we selected the Four Seasons Resort on Maui as our headquarters with a total of 14 joining us.  What a great choice we made.  Last night our Thanksgiving feast was out on the lawn just above the breaking waves with torches lit around our table as our only lighting with the full moon.  It was a magical night of sharing our mountain of blessings together. 

I am always on the lookout for interesting cultural aspects of any tropical island I am visiting. This week my focus has been on the ancient art of outrigger canoe paddling.  The Four Seasons Resort is only one of two hotels in all of Hawaii that is certified to have an outrigger paddling program. 

Rob, Michael and Gary are the leaders of this program.  We have joined them early each morning for a 45 minute workout along the Wailea coast line.  They have also organized a canoe team from the hotel with Lisa, one of the wait staff, as a coach of their co-ed team.  Their 2006 canoe competition gained them 12 first place finishes and one second place finish – pretty impressive given the number of canoe clubs on the islands.  The closest club open to anyone to join is the Kihei Canoe Club, just about ten minutes from the resort.

The perpetuation of this ancient art has gained momentum in such a manner that it is now an honor if you are able to join a Canoe Club.  They have two sections of their racing season – sprint season and long distance season.  The sprint season has distances from a quarter mile to three miles.  The long distance season has races up to 40 miles, and even a race between islands. 

Our short work out each morning gave us an appreciation of what a paddling pace is at 65 paddles a minute, and remembering that the teams can keep this pace for hours!  The competitive teams train and practice year round and are tremendous athletes.  Next time you are on the Hawaiian Islands, check it out.  Let me know what some of your experiences have been with this ancient Hawaiian traditional sport.

I am off today for meetings with several real estate developers who are creating two 5-star fractional ownership opportunities for our worldwide real estate clients.  I will report back in the next day or so as to what I discover.  Until then…

Estate Maho Bay in St. John will soon become the largest expansion of the US Virgin Islands National Park in the last 50 years after its purchase was secured by a US conservation group.

The untouched tropical land will be handed off to the National Park Service during the next few years when the $19 million deal will be finalized. Its 419 acres hold ruins of colonial plantations and Indian village sites, making the preservation of the area vital to keeping the island’s physical history intact.

If negotiations for the property’s purchase hadn’t been completed by The Trust for Public Land, preservationists would have continued to fear that the untouched land might have turned into commercial developments. Unprotected parcels near the middle of the Estate Maho Bay had attracted numerous construction proposals over the years.

St. John is the smallest island in the USVI territories. Protecting whatever significant piece of land reminding us of the past is the least we could do for future generations.

- Joseph Natividad

The title of junior Tourism commissioner was up for grabs this weekend and V.I. high school students jumped at the opportunity.

Held last Saturday morning at the Legislative Conference Room in Frederiksted, the competition was aimed at introducing Caribbean youth to the important role that tourism plays in their region’s economic development. The position of junior Tourism commissioner is designed to inspire local teens to pursue a career in tourism and leadership positions.

No USVI student has ever won the contest – that is – until now. Kia Griffith of St. Croix Central High School impressed the panel of judges, which included Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty as moderator. The finalists of the competition were considered based on their vocal projection, their physical appearance and the appropriateness of their speech.

Griffith stood out among other competitors with her vision of promoting the Caribbean as health-and-wellness vacation spot and was the only student who opposed a hassle-free entrance into the USVI. Referencing 9/11, she said that “We should not let our guard down.”

- Joseph Natividad

image courtesy of The VI Daily News

This weekend, thousands of Virgin Islands residents are expected to head to the beaches armed with garbage bags and gloves…to clean, of course.

V.I. Coastweeks is happening at the same time as the Ocean Conservancy’s 22nd annual International Coastal Cleanup day. In its 12th year, V.I. Coastweeks will continue on until October 6th.

During the last two years, the event has seen local participation shoot up from 674 volunteers in 2005 to 1083 in 2006. Organizers are expecting an even larger turnout this week.

From my previous experiences cleaning up shorelines in the Bay Area, it’s mind-blowing to witness the amount of trash that settles in an area inhabited by wildlife. Needles, plastic containers and wrappers are actually quite harmful to birds and sea creatures. Only last year, the Ocean Conservancy estimates that over a million seabirds and 500,000 marine life died from consuming random debris.

The volunteer effort isn’t just a beatification project. The vitality of the Virgin Islands’ precious wildlife is at stake and it is our duty to clean up the mess we made.

- Joseph Natividad

Dominican Republic Is Becoming The “Chic” Caribbean
Have you visited this undiscovered Caribbean “jewel” yet?

The first words that came out of my mouth when I stepped onto the beach at Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic was - WOW! My past impressions of the Dominican Republic – DR to the people in the know, was an island with two countries, one of which seems to be generally in turmoil most of the time – Haiti. The only other information I had about the island is that most of my cigars are made here by the Arturo Fuente’s family – my personal opinion is they are some of the best cigars in the world.

Again, this Old Dog was wrong – my wife reminding me daily of my confusion and misconceptions regarding many topics. The best way I can describe the DR I am discovering is, AMAZING! As you know, I love to discover unspoiled beaches, new sailing grounds, diving and snorkeling sites, and, of course, an unforgettable bar or two. It is all here to be discovered in the DR!!! There are five or six distinct regions in the DR. The one I am exploring is the Northeast coast – the region of the best windsurfing and kite sailing in the Caribbean.

The first DR beach I dug my toes into was Las Terrenas, right on the Samana peninsula. As I mentioned, it was a WOW! moment for me. As I explored the area I stumbled onto an construction site right on the water and started asking questions. Even though the DR is highly influenced by it’s history with France, there was no problem finding someone to speak English. What I had stumbled upon was Jardins de Coson – a luxury fractional ownership resort right on the beach! Check out the link.

I had no idea that the some of the best beaches in the world are on the DR! Conde Nast Traveler has rated Playa Rincon as one of the top ten in the world! It was only a short goat ride from Las Galeras to this unforgettable, unspoiled paradise of a beach. The DR is known for it’s mash potato white sand that is always a pleasure to walk on because it is never hot because of being made from coral. This three mile long beach is surrounded by coconut palms and almond trees, not to mention the 2,000 foot mountain on one end of it.

The Dominican Republic is a country and an unforgettable Caribbean experience all wrapped into one package. It will take me months to discover it all, so I will just hang out in the Las Terrenas area and find a new rum drink to add to my 30+ year journal. ( I snuck into the bar at the Viva Wyndham Samana all inclusive resort and had my old favorite – a Navy grog.)

Let me know what you have discovered in the DR. I am looking for my next unspoiled paradise. Until next time….