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 to the daily sun, the mosquito bites, the fire coral burns, and the jellyfish stings. How much — and how long — does it take before you truly consider yourself at home?
Lately, I’ve noticed a shift: easing into the constant heat and humidity, finding comfort in my apartment, building a circle of friends (eventually you meet the whole island), and becoming more at peace with living far away. But does that mean it feels like home?
I still miss my friends, my dogs, the mountains, and the life I left behind. Soon it will be a year since I first landed on this rock. Looking back, it’s been a steady evolution — from scared and lonely to comfortable and at ease. And now, as this Caribbean chapter nears its end, I’m not sure I’m ready to let go.
During the first five months, I was desperate to go back. Then a friend told me: “You just got here. This is a new habitat. It takes time to mark your territory, build comfort, and feel secure. Don’t run back to your comfort zone. Sit with those feelings, learn from them, and grow stronger. This island has so much to offer — be kind, keep your heart open, and give yourself the chance to truly live it. Don’t give up. Not yet.”
He was right. When I went home for the holidays, I struggled to return. But once I did, I threw myself into my “Cayman To-Do List.” I stayed busy with work and endless social gatherings, but also carved out time for new experiences: scuba diving twice a week, exploring parts of the island I hadn’t seen, trying new restaurants, chasing Sunday brunches, and even flying off on quick getaways, like the weekend I met my mom in Cuba. I wanted to do it all — to give this island chapter a big, honest checkmark. I even started thinking about buying a car, just for the freedom it would bring. But then I wondered — isn’t that one step closer to settling down?
So yeah… after months of loneliness and homesickness, here I am in Grand Cayman, living island life at its fullest. I had doubts at the start, but no regrets now. I’ve realized we all leave something behind, we all feel lonely at first — but in a way, we’re all lonely together. And somewhere along the way, I caught myself thinking: this is starting to feel like home.
Footloose Diary 