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Settling in

I have been living in Cayman for just over a month now and I feel as though I am adjusting to life ‘on island’ as they say. I have made a few friends and I have had some diverse experiences. It is astonishing how quickly you can adapt to a new environment and take on a new lifestyle. I have been made to feel very welcome at work. Everyone is full of smiles and enthusiastic American cheerfulness. As a non-driver (although aiming to get my license this side of Christmas! Please God. Yes dad you said I needed it. Yes you are right. Well done ) I am continually being offered lifts to the supermarket and to various social events. I do find it slightly annoying that quite frequently in a loud, rising-intonation screechy American twang, people will proclaim with utter shock and complete with starry-eyed gaze; ‘You don’t have a car!? How DO You get around?’ To which I respond with pity at their lack of a personal chauffeur/It’s not that big of a deal, fool/piss off/We don’t need cars in Lond...
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A view from Georgetown

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Land of the Iguanas Caribbean sea Perched Georgetown Airport Market                                                                   Big fish
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I wake to the crowing roosters

I wake up to the sound of roosters crowing and the feel of light dripping in through the windows. It fills my eyes, enticing me to rise. Morning has arrived. You can’t miss it here, it wakes you with it’s beauty and calling of a new day dawning. I go through to the modern kitchen with the granite work tops and silver appliances to make my morning cup of coffee. Looking towards the sliding doors I take in the lush green view of trees and bushes. As soon as I step outside I am hit by the heat and the brightness of the sun, it is only 7.30am but already it is near 30c. I step onto the road and walk to work. Although the housing developments are to a modern standard, there is no pavement and I have already been told that it is hard to get around without a vehicle. I stick to the left and walk relatively close to the traffic which comes quite quickly on the path into town. Most of the cars are State-size large and in a Jeep style. Some smaller cars pootle past. I hear Caribbean rhythms an...
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Seasons

Living in the Caribbean may seem like much of a dream for many. It certainly was my dream to live by the beach and in the sunshine. Taking in my surroundings it is what you would describe as ‘paradise’. I live in a beautiful complex with picturesque cream apartments in the style of houses which are dotted in what looks like a tropical garden. In the middle of the complex is a stunning pool with palm trees draped around it, what an utterly bliss environment for spending an evening after work. In Cayman, the temperature rarely drops below 30C; holiday season all year round. However, all that glitters isn’t gold. One of the hard facts of living in a tropical, hot part of the world is that while there may not be a winter there is a hurricane season. While I may sound naïve, this is something which I didn’t consider when deciding to move to the Caribbean. Less than two weeks into my stay in the sunshine the reality of destructive weather was brought to my attention. Riding in the passen...
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Why are you going?

23/8/17 It has happened. A lifelong dream of mine to live abroad has been realised. After several years of dreaming, thinking, pondering and applying for jobs, I plucked up the courage and went for it. I have taken a leap into the unknown and I feel so excited for doing so. Welcome to (cue drum roll…) the Cayman islands! (FYI, no one calls it ‘The Cayman islands’ it is Cayman over here with an emphasis on the ‘man’, CayMAN. I remember being a late teen/ in my early twenties and literally sitting up in bed at night wishing I could live abroad and do different things. I wanted to explore, to eat exotic food and to be by the beach! I remember having this one visualisation of dancing to salsa somewhere in South America. I don’t know where I get the urges from, it’s just a feeling, a want, a dream. Why not try something different? Why does life continually have to be South London, or wherever life is for you? I mean, I holiday most years and have done extensive travelling in Central Amer...
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