Do You Miss It? (Island Living)
Sometimes, people will ask me, “Do you miss it?” The specifics they’re ascribing to that question depend on the context of whatever we’ve just been discussing. However, it usually falls into one of two scenarios: (1) Island Living – the micro view of the challenges inherent in living on a tiny island, or (2) Big Life Change – the macro view of how dramatically I’ve changed my life. Let’s tackle the first one here today.
Island LivingI’ve described before just how very small this island actually is. When talking about life here, which necessarily involves limited shopping and entertainment… Continue reading
But What Do You DO All Day?
People often express their curiosity about island living and ask me, “But what do you DO all day?” (In fact, this is the question I get asked the most, after “How did you end up on an island?” and “Do you work?”) I understand why the question comes to mind. For the askers, their island experiences have either been the stuff of daydreams or vacations: sleeping in, reading all day, going to the beach for hours, taking naps. Delightful as that is, it does not seem like real life to them.
And, in fact, it’s not. I joke… Continue reading
Stateside Errands and Small Plane to Paradise
I’ve had a whirlwind of travel lately. A bit too much for my liking, actually. When I’m back in Florida for visits with friends or family, and the ever-present island errands, I’ve described how hectic these Stateside visits can be. My latest trip last week was the most hectic yet!
On Monday, I took a morning flight from the island to Florida. Upon landing, I hopped in my little beater car and drove a few hours to meet friends who were visiting Florida on their kids’ Spring Break.
At dinner, with Theresa (and Kevin behind the camera).
Theresa and Kevin… Continue reading
Do You Think About Garbage?
In the course of your day-to-day routines, do you think much about garbage? My guess is no. At least not much beyond taking it out to the dumpster (City dwellers) or curb (suburbanites). Perhaps a little extra thought is given to recycling.
Well, on the island, I think about garbage a lot. For example:
There is one dump on the island. Think about how small this island is (less than 5 square miles) and you’ll understand how important it is to contain the dump. We try to minimize garbage and smells as much as possible. If I cook lobster and… Continue readingDelicious Fish Dinner
Good morning! I was thinking of you all as I cooked dinner last evening, so I decided to snap some pics and share my delicious fish dinner with you. Now, I’m no chef, and this is not a food blog. BUT this fish makes me happy, so here you go. 🙂
The real dinner process starts in the sea, when my beau and his buddies spear-fish hogfish or grouper, or when we catch mahi mahi with a rod-n-reel. After they clean everything, I help package the fish fillets in gallon-sized Ziplock bags and seal them tight. The best seal… Continue reading
Random Things I Didn’t Know About Island Life
After visiting this island for 25 years, sometimes for long stretches, I really thought I had a pretty good handle on the ins and outs of island living. Silly, I suppose, given that there is ALWAYS something new to learn in any venture. Also, I thought I knew how tough the ever-present elements of salt, sun, sand and humidity were on materials. Nope. I’ve had plenty of surprises, small and large, or simply things I hadn’t considered before. Such as:
“Stainless Steel” means what is says. It will stain LESS, but it is not rustproof in the way I took… Continue readingLittle Island Bursting With Life
In order to make sense of some of the things I’m bound to say as we blog along together, perhaps I should first describe this little island in more detail.
I live on a small island in the midst of a chain of 356 small islands in the Bahamas. This island is teensy-tiny for as much as it has going on. It is less than five square miles, with fewer than 100 native residents. Added to that are a handful of full-time others – like me – and a host of multi-month residents, vacation home-owners, tourists and boaters. Because of… Continue reading
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