A Caribbean Tale: the End of a Great Chapter
August 29th, 2012: I left a piece of sand. I left behind my island jeep, my snorkeling gears, my oceanfront condo full of stories. I left my friends. I left my life in the Caribbean. From working solid hours to diving everyday, to swimming to the reef in my front yard, to cruising around the…
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Island Life: A Year in the Making
I arrived on the 4th of July. Like many islanders, I came searching for a new light — to shake up the mold, create new experiences, and start a chapter of my own. This wasn’t a plan. It showed up as an opportunity, at just the right time — when my heart needed recovery and…
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When Does It Start to Feel Like Home?
So when does it start to feel like home? Is it when the pile of shoes grows in the condo entrance? When swimsuits crowd the towel rack? When you’re greeted by familiar faces at the grocery store, the local pub, or while strolling the beach at night? Or maybe it’s when your skin slowly adjusts…
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Careful What You Wish For
Several times in my younger years, I wondered how life might have been if my parents were rich: annual holidays to Florida, Mexico, or Barbados, or maybe Dad landing a big promotion and moving us to Atlanta, Hawaii, or even Japan. I pictured starting fresh — a new school, new friends, new streets, new routines.…
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Dog Days Are Over
8 weeks. 10 bottles of wine. 37 takeouts. 20 extra pounds. And more island highballs than I can count. Nights of too many Jägerbombs, waking up with cereal in my hair. Ridiculous nights at O’Bar, nO’Bar, where’s-my-hO’me Bar. Messy room, moldy clothes, a view of the parking lot. That was it. I was over it.…
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Live the Moment
While I was devouring a piece of sushi with one hand and sipping a glass of Chardonnay with the other, a Puerto Rican tourist approached me at the tapas bar of Karma Restaurant and Lounge. Tourist: So, I ask everyone I meet out of curiosity — where are you from, and what brings you to…
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Longing For Home
When I turned 19 and graduated from college, I left behind a boyfriend and friends, packed a bag, and set off down the unknown roads of life. I wanted new experiences, new friends, new challenges. I was staring at a blank page, ready to fill it with stories and memories. With no one to hold…
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Confessions of an Expat
I left the white, snowcapped mountains of the Canadian West Coast and migrated south to a Caribbean island. I traded altitude for sea level, black bears and squirrels for tropical birds and lizards. I left a heart at home and brought a soul on the road. First Impressions Like Whistler in BC, the beaches of…
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Shaking hands with Grand Cayman Island
July 4, 2011.29ºC, feels like 41. Partly sunny. 11:54 a.m. (Eastern Time Zone, UTC/GMT -5). Welcome to Grand Cayman Island! I stepped off the plane and into the heavy heat. The sweater I wore to fight off airport air conditioning was useless now. Standing in line at immigration, surrounded by tourists eager for a week…
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Departure
I’ve had my share of trips and adventures, but this one feels different. I’m pressing pause on my life in Whistler and heading to the Caribbean for five months of work — this time, completely on my own. YVR → SEA → ATL → GCM I feel lonely. Not just because I’ll be alone, but…
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Footloose Diary 