Hillary Bonner

Hi! I’m Hillary Bonner. I’ve been on St. John for 8 years and have worn A LOT of hats in my time on island. Most of us do tho…A lot of times island life calls for ingenuity, flexibility and resiliency. And those things are what I kind of LOVE about the people in our Love City Community. Between boat days and day hikes and happy hours with so many happy faces, you may have seen me behind the bar at Asolare, Zozo’s, The Terrace or Drink (once upon a time, Motu) over the years. But after Hurricane Irma, I jumped from behind the bar into non-profit work. That desk job made me remember that, way back when, I DID go to college and I might have been letting some of those skill sets get a BIT rusty. My degree is in Journalism and Public Relations. When asked if I ever used it, my programmed response was, “Bar tending IS relating to the public.” But, back to the desk job…I was doing everything. Which is, again, what you do in a small office on an island. Events, marketing, handling in-kind donations, unloading containers, attempting to figure out logistics I didn’t even know how to spell, community meetings, board meetings, FEMA meetings. All of the meetings. One day, I decided that there were aspects I loved. And aspects…Well, not so much. So I started my own thing, supporting local small businesses and non-profits in the realm of design, marketing and events (specifically music related events…you’ll hear a lot about music from me). I have a bleeding heart for the small yet ambitious non-profits on St. John. And an overwhelming amount of respect for the small business owners who made their ideas take flight in a place where it’s very difficult to do so! I love life here on St. John. The highs are the highest and the lows are not so low as they can be in other places. The accessibility to Mother Nature on this little slice of perfection is unparalleled. She’s all around us all of the time. You can watch the phases of the moon, the rotation of the planets, the shifting of the sunset and the tides. Every damn day. Mother Nature’s restless spirit reflects the transient nature of the people here as well. That was hard for me at first. The coming and the going. But now, I like the fact that I will rarely visit a place that I don’t have a place to stay and a friend to catch up with from St. John. So, now, here I am (using my degree, Ma!). Contributing to a long standing super positive blog. Here I feel like I’m in a position to use my voice to entertain and inform you about the community and island that I love so much. I’m grateful for this opportunity and am ALWAYS open to story ideas! Let me know what, where or who you want to hear about!

Celebrate Our Earth – Win a Trip for Two to St. John!

April 17, 2024 by Hillary Bonner

Good Morning, Good Morning! Earth Day is right around the corner. And with it comes cause for celebrating this absolutely breathtaking place we call home (or your favorite home away!): St. John. This year, a non-profit that is absolutely dedicated to preserving that natural beauty via unique approaches to expanding sustainability efforts in the Virgin Islands is celebrating their twentieth anniversary. It inspires residents and visitors to think in terms of “Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” while also making it easier for us to do so here on St. John. In 2024, Island Green Living celebrates twenty years of a commitment to keeping the Virgin Islands beautiful and vibrant for generations to come. And you can help them continue their good work while also taking a chance at winning a trip to Love City for two, valued at $11,000!

Celebrate our Earth – Win a Trip for Two to Love City!

April 4, 2024April 5, 2024 by Hillary Bonner

Good Morning, Good Morning! It’s that time of year again folks! Earth Day is right around the corner. And, in their fourth annual Earth Month Fundraiser, Island Green Living is offering you the opportunity to help them “crush plastic” and advance sustainability on St. John while also getting a chance to win an incredible vacation for two to visit us here in Love City. This year’s vacation package has it ALL: Lodging, airfare vouchers, Jeep rental, dining, shopping, excursions AND voluntourism opportunities. In keeping with this year’s Earth Day theme of “PLANET vs. PLASTIC,” as an entrant in Island Green Living’s “Love City Vacation for Two” raffle you will make strides towards winning the battle against plastics pollution on island. While also putting yourself in the running for an amazing seven-night trip to St. John, valued at $11,000!

St. John Cancer Fund Event Returns to Love City

March 21, 2024March 21, 2024 by Hillary Bonner

Good Morning, Good Morning! I have some pretty incredible news to share with all of you today! On March 30, the St. John Cancer Fund’s (SJCF) Light up the Night Event will take place for the first time since 2020. This once annual fundraiser, the primary in-person fundraising event for SJCF, will take place at the newly re-opened National Park Ballfield (across the street from Mongoose Junction) on March 30 from 3pm-midnight. The in-person event is an incredible community gathering…There will be laughter, there will be tears, there will be a dunk tank, live music, a luminary ceremony and delicious food and drinks for purchase. And above all, there will be LOVE. Join us as we walk together to honor our loved ones lost, to celebrate the survivors, to cheer on the warriors in our community as they fight a battle with cancer.

Save the Date: Taste of Lovango Returns to Lovango Resort + Beach Club

February 27, 2024February 27, 2024 by Hillary Bonner

The tastiest celebration in the USVI is returning to Lovango Resort + Beach Club this spring! Last year, the boutique resort on Lovango Cay, just a seven-minute ferry ride from St. Thomas or St. John, hosted its first annual Taste of Lovango celebration of fine food, craft cocktails, delectable wines and accomplished chefs from around the globe. And, on May 29, the second Taste of Lovango weekend begins with an aim to explore, and elevate, our palates and culinary horizons.

Business Spotlight: Sail into the Season on Asante!

December 19, 2023December 19, 2023 by Hillary Bonner

Good Morning, Good Morning! How is everyone’s holiday season shaping up? We are in full-on Christmas cheer mode here in Love City with tons of extra special seasonal activities for all ages happening here on island this week (I’m tired AND overjoyed just thinking about it!). Slim Man’s Christmas lights are up and better than ever and the parking lot across from the post-office is literally overflowing with last minute gift senders and receivers. You know what other seasonally specific natural occurrence happens at just about this time of year? You guessed it…The Christmas Winds! These seasonally high winds (sometimes between 20 and 30 knots) traditionally blow into the Caribbean through the month of December, marking the true beginnings of sailing season. Which brings me to the main topic of this story…Sailing Asante!

Lovango Resort + Beach Club Re-Opening Next Week!

December 15, 2023December 15, 2023 by Hillary Bonner

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…And I’m not just talking about the uplifting holiday spirit decking the halls of Love City! On Monday, Lovango Resort + Beach Club re-opens for the season with a ton of amazing new offerings featuring the top-notch service, divine dining and imbibing and those picture-perfect views that they have become so well known for since they opened in December of 2020.

A Holiday Tale: The Story Behind an Essential Love City Tradition

December 6, 2023December 6, 2023 by Hillary Bonner

Good Morning, Good Morning! And Happy Holidays to you! I don’t know how everyone else is feeling out there, but I personally have had some serious issues with getting into the “spirit” of things this year. Life things happen at unfortunate times sometimes and, while adulting through some recent challenges in life, it’s been tough for even perpetually positive me to start spreading that holiday cheer. But as I sat down to write this article, I was reminded that those life’s challenges are precisely the reason for this particular St. John holiday tradition. An annual gathering that allows us to be together and celebrate the year’s accomplishments and recover from the difficulties that island life may have thrown our ways. A gathering that gives us the opportunity to get dressed up and get into that holiday spirit before the crazy busy of Christmas on St. John actually begins. I’m feeling a bit more festive already…Are you?

Island Gems Raffle: THREE Opportunities to Win a Trip to St. John!

November 20, 2023November 21, 2023 by Hillary Bonner

Good Morning, Good Morning! I have some amazing news to share with you all today. Obviously, the focus is on the incredible prize packages that could land you a free stay on St. John by entering Love City Strong’s Island Gems Raffle. But that isn’t the only fantastic news. To date, this incredibly essential island non-profit has restored 37 homes, destroyed or damaged by the impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria and returned St. John residents to their homes. But there is more work to be done, more island residents who need to go home. And you can help them get there. And win a trip to St. John in the process!

Keeping St. John Green: One Can & Piece of Plastic at a Time

November 9, 2023November 6, 2023 by Hillary Bonner

Good Morning, Good Morning! Many of you may, or may not, be aware that America Recycles Day is just around the corner. On November 15, organizations dedicated to keeping America beautiful will celebrate, promote and educate for recycling in the United States. Which is great! But many, perhaps most, recycling programs around the nation are run by a municipality and/or government funded. Here, on St. John, we have even more reason to celebrate recycling. First, because up until just three short years ago, we had almost no recycling program at all. And second, we are now able to say “cheers” to keeping aluminum cans and select plastics out of our landfills. And for that, we owe a huge thanks to the CHARITY who makes sure we have the ability to do just that: Island Green Living.

Low Key Watersports and Love City Businesses Treat Veterans Group to Healing Retreat

October 24, 2023October 25, 2023 by Hillary Bonner

Good Morning, Good Morning! How is everyone doing out there in the world? As the slowest time of the year comes to a blissful close, things are starting to pick up, slowly but surely, here in Love City. And next week many local businesses and community members will take advantage of this dwindling slow time to welcome a group of wounded veterans to St. John for a week of healing, exploration, adventure and relaxation.