Well its been 2 years since we left the UK for our new life in the Caribbean and we’re loving every minute – here’s the story so far in brief:

REASONS FOR LEAVING THE UK

My parents are from Trinidad and South Africa and I spent a lot of my childhood in the Caribbean and also traveling the world due to my dads job as a BA jumbo captain.  Seeing most of the world gives the true perspective of the UK – that its not much cop lifestyle wise!

Hubby and I married 8 years ago after he got back from 4 years in Saudi Arabia and we decided to get out of the UK.  Due to our jobs (Golf Professional’s and Golf Club Management) we didn’t in any way qualify for the US, Australia in terms of visas so we had to find a job.  Fed up with working full time, not making it every month financially although we earned over 60k between us, worried about the cars breaking down if we couldn’t afford it, crap holidays as couldn’t afford nice ones.

The arrival of baby number 1 only motivated us more to give our kids more – more of seeing us and our time, more outside life – just MORE!!

Anyway, with baby number 2 on the way and 6 YEARS LATER 2004 saw a job offer in the Grenadines in the West Indies. Excellent tax free salary, accommodation paid, great lifestyle.  Hubby gets paid 3 times net what he did in the UK for gods sake!

GETTING HERE

Baby number 2 arrived and we waved hubby off 10 days later – we joined him 8 weeks later after a VERY stressful couple of months emptying the house, shipping the container, selling the cars, renting the house out through a company.

But we landed on our tiny island, tired, sweaty and HAPPY!  Had a brilliant shipping agent and all stuff got here pretty much unscathed.

LIFE HERE

Canouan is a tiny, tiny island (just 5 square miles) and we live without almost everything, we have no hot water, no cinema, no real shops, no newspapers – no nothing really.  If we need anything we travel to the big island – St Vincent – which is 15 minutes by 6 seater plane and order our groceries by email which arrive by boat twice a week.

Hubby’s job is AMAZING!  He runs an exclusive golf resort club, meets loads of interesting nice people, out in the gorgeous weather all day and is very very happy.  Me and the boys – well our life is rather lazy really!  Our oldest (now 3) goes to the island kindergarten and loves it.  I collect him at midday and then with our youngest we 3 go to the beach or our friends pool each afternoon.  We have a housekeeper/nanny who works 20 hours a weeks for $150 US dollars a month!  I have friends here but its rather transient – this is mainly a resort island so people come and go often.  I’m lucky – that doesn’t bother me and the boys keep me busy enough I really don’t need coffee mornings or the suchlike.

We have lots of visitors from the UK about every 6 weeks which has proved invaluable – in-terms of keeping us sane and bringing us things like clothes and foodstuffs!

We have to move next year when our oldest needs school and look like St Lucia will be the place to settle permanently.

ANY REGRETS?

None at all!!  Of course I miss my family but we have to do what's best for our family – us 4 – and the boys quality of life having us at home, happy and stress free is invaluable.  Hubby’s career has gone into the stratosphere and financially we are far better off.

Life is for living and we are living life to the max!