Gordon Barlow

I visited Grenada ten years or so ago, just for a weekend, and loved it. A good place to live, it seemed. Tobago I don't know. Tell me about it. Also - is Tobago where the Grenada people go across to for the weekends, or what?

uk_grenada

Tobago is a more manicured version of grenada. Its where people working in trinidad have holiday homes and goto for the weekend. Daily flights with grenada, and lots of shipping, as a lot of the fruit apart from citrus in trinidad comes from grenada.

I just have friends in both places, and like them. Grenada is nicer to live on, normal island issues but friendlier and very beautiful in most places. Health services are limited, but you need less of them living there. There arent many incomers as immigration is restricted, just hordes of holidaymakers spending money in the usual places.

Actually island living is much easier these days, you can buy most things, and the quality of local stuff is good, furniture etc. flying to europe is a rip off from Gda, trinidad still subsidises charter flights into tobago to boost tourism.

walkingandrunning

I guess you might still be young, and without a family perhaps. My advice is stay one or two more years to become more social in your life! Making friends and get your life rich in meaning, besides rich in income, lol. If you still have the same feeling, you then know the answer!

Gordon Barlow

Well, we haven't heard from the OP since November 2012, so I'm guessing he's gone back home. I wonder if he realises now how silly that was. As I said in an earlier post: living on his Island, with a good salary, he can go wherever he wants to go on his vacations; and that wouldn't necessarily be the case if he were employed for a lower wage in England.

(Of course if he's reclusive enough he probably doesn't go on vacations. I only just thought of that.)

uk_grenada

Im still conflicted but i havent figured out why yet, possibly its an anglo saxon guilt thing. I now live on an idyllic island, near a beach of anyones dreams, and i dont have to work. I havent been on a commuter train in 6 months, i sleep 200 metres from a golf course and my friends spend all day fishing swimming and drinking, something must be wrong but i havent found it yet. I cant help feeling that one day i'll feel the need to goto london and breath that smog again, no, nope, not feeling that yet.

Domino

I suppose it happens to us all at one time or another that we get bored with what we are doing but the rut is so deep we have no idea how to get out of it.

It isn't everyone who manages to get a decent, well paid, job in an idyllic location where everything you want is within spitting distance.
Yes, for some the homesickness can overtake totally and you just have to go back home. And perhaps you will miss what you had.
But most people get around homesickness, settle in and are there for life.

I never found a job that allowed me to go to the Caribbean for life and when deciding on retirement location found a place in Spain that managed to fit the bill.

As to another job, well, at 66 do I need another one?
Perhaps.
Perhaps not.
And do i really need it?
Perhaps.
Perhaps not.
And do I really need the hassle?
Probably not.

.

Moses2013

When people hear Carribean, everyone thinks life on an Island is perfect, but it's not for everyone and there are many issues. @bob_grenada there isn't just London:-). We nearly had a plot of land in the Carribean (for retirement one day), but I decided to not go ahead. There are so many issues and depending on the island (not all) the standards are poor. You have good weather, but hurricanes or flooding, you pay high taxes just to import simple stuff, crime is getting worse with no social security, bugs, limited choice, rising sea levels etc. For some it works and as said depends on the island. You can understand why some people want to leave, although they live in paradise.

Domino

it is only a short while ago that we found (and shredded) the paperwork for buying a property on Virgin Gorda and somewhere else but name escapes me.
ISTR we felt that even then - 15+ years ago that there was a potential for disaster, and the main flight path was over the properties.
And even places like Bermuda have seen a fair amount of civil unrest.

Similar reasons for not buying came up for the Canaries, but being much older and more risk averse also added the caveat with regard to distance to the mainland in the event of a disaster.

Moses2013

Probably a wise decision. I have many working years ahead of me and live in Ireland permanently, however the idea of buying a piece of land on one of the islands in the Bahamas for later, or as an investment sounded great. It was a bargain, but after coming back to earth I did realise that there will be many issues. The low level was one, the hurricanes, distance, costs and boredom. I was born on a small Island (Channel Islands), but I left for a reason and my partner would have probably gone mental after a few months. We went for a plot in Spain instead, which was the best decision and we can actually use it now.

puddings

Good day all, it's been a while...

Sorry to leave you "in suspenders" Gordon Barlow, here's an update; I am still living on this little rock. My situation changed somewhat last year. I met a seemingly lovely local, and was quickly head over heels, feeling that all my dreams had come true. However, as time unfolded and my rose tinted spectacles started viewing harsh reality, I realised that the relationship was all one sided and I wisely decided to bail for my own peace of mind.

So, here I still am. Kind of close to where I was before admittedly, but realising that I will only live once, and am trying to be more sociable and appreciative.

I joined a new exercise group a year ago or so, and we get together 2 or 3 times per week, and this has been really great. I have also signed up for sailing lessons and look forward to starting those.

Gordon, you made a comment above to the effect that I was probably too reclusive to travel. Not really sure why, but that comment ruffled my feathers. It's not like I even know you! So, just to put the record straight. Last year I travelled to the following places; New York, Hong Kong, KL, Singapore, Prague, London, Edinburgh, Venice. This year I have been stateside and to Europe, and am planning an adventure trip to Peru (Amazon and Andean trek) and to Italy and UK. I don't know if you will even be interested to hear of these travels (and either way is just fine) but it's somehow important to me that I don't come across as someone with no life whatsoever.

Given the number of views of my original message I would wager that I am not alone in feeling a bit "lost" on a more day to day basis, despite having lots of adventures in my life.

I hope that all who have given helpful advice on this thread are well, and that life is happy and interesting for all people away from home, wherever that may be!

AaronAdair

It is obvious that after sometime, doing the same work, you get bored and here you are out of your country. In my point of view you must wait for the next 10 years and constantly apply for the job in UK then you must make your journey to UK.

Gordon Barlow

Puddings, I got the idea that you might be "reclusive" from the title of your thread, which described you as - er, well - "reclusive". See above. With all the travelling you have done, why would you consider yourself reclusive?

Yes, I would be interested to hear of your adventure-travels, and you may be interested enough to find some of mine (as a young man - alas, so long ago) on my blogsite. They're the ones marked "T" for travel, beginning with my/our illegal crossing of the East/West German border at Checkpoint Charlie in 1965, in the blog's archives of December 2011. The only Caribbean one was of a week in Haiti, posted in July 2013. That was the 13th travel-related blog; after that I gave up on the travel nostalgia. there's too much else to look back on in a long life! We spent three very happy years in Nassau, so I should probably try to refresh my memory of what happened there.

Anyway, I'm delighted to know that you are NOT reclusive, after all - although that fact does lay you open to the question: what the hell is wrong with you, dreaming of going back to a place where you couldn't afford all that exotic travel?

anuny

Yes puddings - I'd love to hear of your travels too.

puddings

Thanks for your interest! I think Gordon (can I call you Gordon?) that with hindsight my first post should have been titled "increasingly reclusive expat seeks advice", as it would have more accurate...so apologies for any misunderstanding.

I share with you a love for travel, and there are so many other places I want to visit. Luckily for me, I come from a traveling family (as in holidays not nomads) and I have definitely caught the bug.

I read a quote this week something along the lines of "the only riches that you can buy in life are travel". I like that.

Crossing Checkpoint Charlie sounds terrifying yet wonderful to look back and reminisce upon - what an adventure! I travelled through the Gaza Strip (in peace time) many years ago, although that sounds like quite a feat in itself reading the recent news coming out of that area.

Living on a sunny island as an expat, I do dream of visiting mountains, taking country walks kicking up the autumnal leaves, living in a home that I own, wearing poloneck jumpers, kicking my legs about under a huge quilt in bed to warm up etc etc... maybe the grass always seems greener..somewhere else...maybe I just need more variety in my life. There is really no "right" answer.

Gordon, I agree to disagree with you that being able to have great holidays is reason enough alone to stay here, however it is a great advantage. How do you find living in Cayman on a day to day basis - would you consider yourself local / fully integrated / welcome? I am interested, if you are happy to share.

Gordon Barlow

Puddings, if you're still around. Sincere apologies for not replying to your last post. I have no excuse, or explanation, and I only just happened upon this thread last night. so - forgive me for my rudeness.

My answer to your last question is: yes and no. I do feel welcome, by most Caymanians and long-term immigrants. But the political and Civil Service establishment bears a grudge from my time as Manager of the local Chamber of Commerce (1986-88), when the Directors and I beat back a determined effort to introduce a salaries tax. We won a nasty public-relations battle by mobilising public opinion in a way it had rarely been done before. The Establishment tried to deport me (I was on a Work Permit, then), and for two years I was stamped in as a visitor for a month at a time. In order to "get some licks in" I began writing a snotty newspaper column, and they ("They") have never forgiven me for that, either. I was a hero to some and the scum of the earth to others. Even today, strangers come up to me in the supermarket and greet me warmly - even though I retired from the fray many years ago.

Ach, it's a long story!