Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Things I Have Learned In My First Month On Island


  1. You always say good morning (before noon), good afternoon, or good night (when it's dark) as a greeting. Good night is a greeting, not just a way to say good bye.
  2. I can hitchhike, and pick up hitchhikers, and not get mugged or murdered.
  3. Driving on the left side of the road is much easier than anticipated.
  4. For the first time ever, I'm a minority.
  5. No power = no water at my house. Our cistern pump is electric. I discovered this when I went to shower this morning (thinking, "Hey, no power, but at least I'll have cold water!") and the water ran out as the shampoo was still in my hair. Lesson learned.
  6. Roosters don't care what time of day or night it is. Those little effers will crow whenever they want.
  7. Hanging your laundry to dry on the line is actually quite nice. Although I will be taking my towels and linens to a laundromat to dry them. I can't handle the fuzzies! 
  8. Spiders like to hide in clothespins. :(
  9. My hair LOVES the humidity. It's behaving quite well.
  10. Hearing your UK friends do their best stereotypical American accent is a guaranteed laugh.
  11. Sometimes you have a stove/oven that you have to light with a lighter. That was a new one for me. Now I'm cookin' with FIRE!
  12. I can survive without a Starbucks.
  13. Always have a plastic grocery bag or two in your car for wet flip flops/towels/bathing suits.
  14. Bugs are inevitable. 
  15. Suck it up and use nasty bug spray, at least on your feet and ankles. 
  16. A smile and boobs get you far, no matter what country you're in.
  17. I can survive without constant Internet. SHOCK OF ALL SHOCKS, I know.
  18. When it gets dark here, it gets daaaaark. :( 
  19. Vodka + Ting = a "cool summer breeze", in the words of my friend Jake. Mmmm. Vodka Tings. 
  20. It is possible to meet people and make friends in a totally natural and organic way. I just had to get out of Seattle to do it. 
  21. In some backwards parts of the world, a bathing suit is called a "swimming costume" or just a "cozzie". I laughed my ass off at that one. 
  22. I've barely done any official working out and I haven't counted a single calorie...and I'm down 12 lbs in the month I've been here. Here's to happiness being the true key to weight loss!
  23. Hair and nails grow faster in this climate. It's weirding me out.
  24. Making out on the beach in the rain is quite possibly one of the coolest things to do. I mean, not that I DID that or anything...heh heh heh...
  25. Most non-locals you meet here fall into 1 of 4 categories: lawyer, "I work for a trust company" (what IS that, btw?), boat captain/crew, diver. I swear, that's 98% of the people I meet. 
  26. Kicking off your flip flops before hitting the dance floor at Elms is definitely preferred. 
  27. People like to buy other's drinks here. What goes around comes around!
  28. What do we do with our garbage? Tie up the bag, put it in your car, and dump it in one of the dumpsters on the side of the road all around the island. Yup!
  29. Even when I'm feeling a little down, I just look out on the water or go to the beach and everything is right again.
  30. Moving 4000 miles away did not allow me to escape how much I miss Dad. In fact, it's magnified here. Every day I want to call him and tell him all about this adventure. 
  31. THERE ARE SPIDERS THAT JUMP. Thank God my housemate was around to take care of that one!
  32. Sunshine, booze, and the white sand beach out at Jost will lead you to a sunburn, even if you think you're being diligent about reapplication. 
  33. Halloween is a "white person thing" here. Ha. 
  34. I miss my family, I miss my friends, but I've not had a single "crying my eyes out in my apartment all night" episode. I've had one breakdown (Dad related) and that's really it.
  35. I am much stronger, braver, and capable than I ever gave myself credit for. In my first month here I secured housing, bought a car, got all my paperwork finished, opened a bank account, got a cell phone, braved the Elevator (crazy ass steep hill that is terrifying), successfully passed my BVI drive test and got a license, started my dive certification, made friends, and transitioned smoothly into my new job. I feel freaking awesome.
  36. Some of the kindest, warmest people are here in the BVI. I'm truly home.

1 comment:

  1. That is all so awesome, and I am so envious of your adventure :)

    ReplyDelete