I became Knox Babelay for a week as I visited Bermuda with Sylvia Babelay, her son, Weston, and his wife, Penny.

Teresa and Josh McCullough have made home in Bermuda

Sylvia was excited to see her daughter, Teresa McCullough, and grandson Tyson who moved to Bermuda with Teresa’s husband, Josh. After being sweethearts from different Knoxville high schools, fate separated the two only for them to reconnect years later.

A beautifully rekindled love story became a threesome with Teresa’s son, Tyson, and the three have made a home in Bermuda for the last year and half. Josh has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Bermuda with most of his family living in Bermuda.

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory and its entire population would barely overflow Neyland Stadium. However, Teresa had little trouble finding a job, once she got all the paperwork approved to work as a spouse of a Bermuda citizen. She went from being a manager of a Dollar Tree in Knoxville to being a manager of a family-owned tourist shop, Flying Colours, in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Tyson is showing his “Lola” (grandmother Sylvia) Warwick Academy founded in 1662

Sylvia’s grandson, Tyson, went to Ritta Elementary School in Knox County through fourth grade and now attends Warwick Academy, founded in 1662, where he can walk to school. He has transitioned so well and the family attributes the foundation from KCS that he took with him to Bermuda.

Sylvia said of the trip, “We enjoyed the hospitality of Josh’s parents, Faith and Gary McCullough.”  One of the benefits of the parents living near Josh and Teresa is the family gathers throughout the week for meals which they all enjoyed during the visit.

Teresa and Josh were excited to show off the country of Josh’s birth and they both made sure this group saw most of the famous tourist sites. One special treat was Ocean Discovery Center where dolphins were being studied and trained.  Touring the Royal Navy Dockyard was another special visit since Bermuda has a long military history.

Weston and Penny were able to travel five miles out to snorkel over two old shipwrecks while everyone loved the pristine beaches around the island.

The food was delicious, especially the pastries, and Josh knew all the best places to eat plus adding adventurous food for the tourists to try for dinner.

Sylvia was impressed at how clean and beautiful Bermuda is with no obvious poverty or areas seemingly unsafe. She called it an amazing country to visit.

Hurricane Ernesto was bearing toward Bermuda during the family’s visit, but they were fortunate to experience only a little rain and choppy water.  They did have to forgo a ride in the family’s small boat.

The visiting family left on Wednesday before the airport shut down on Friday. Bermuda has strict regulations concerning hurricanes.  Buildings and houses are mostly built out of cinderblock with limestone roofs.  Asking Josh what they would do to prepare for Ernesto. He said they would head out for bread and milk and hunker down just like we do in Knoxville when we hear snow is coming.

Ernesto did hit with the eye over their house. They lost power and were very hot but otherwise doing well.

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