Travel Talk

Living My Caribbean Dream

Greetings,

I’m writing this from my office which is a place that sadly / shamefully hasn’t seen much action in the last two weeks. That said, it was the holiday season so if you’re going to remove yourself from the flow of work for a while, what better time? This post is about living my Caribbean dream and I’m calling it my dream as I realize all of ours are different but for me, the dream is very much alive and I really realized it yesterday while I was working on my land…

caribbean_land_little_corn_island

Hanging out by beaches and snorkelling around coral reefs is good fun and should one be on vacation it’s a must. That said, after months or years of spending time in beach locations you eventually want / need more to keep yourself busy and in good spirits. Everyday there are more people who arrive for the first time and others who leave regardless of how long or brief their vacation was here. If you live here, you need something that occupies you or you’ll slowly waste away. Same is true for anywhere really, isn’t it?

This year all going well I plan on having my first house finished and as a result I’ve begun preparing the land here on Little Corn Island. The land I had turned into a jungle of sorts and I had a local gent chop it down to size. I’d love to have been involved myself but it’s rather intense work and I’m not the most handy with a machete and frankly would like to keep my hands intact, down to the very last finger. Once the place was chopped, it looked totally different and I could start to visualize what it will look like in the future.

chopped_caribbean_plot

A chopped plot still has some work left, such as burning the debris and all that jazz. I spent a few hours yesterday burning these massive piles of wet(ish) trimmings and I found it incredibly fulfilling. I also at that point realized that my dream was coming to reality and that with some property, there will be endless “keep busy” activities which are essential to living in a place like this. It’s not just about keeping busy, it’s about keeping busy doing something constructive and rewarding.

World travel for me happened but it was never my serious plan. I always wanted to see the world but never thought I’d travel as much as I have. I will note that I’m now hopelessly addicted to travel and very much so alright with that. Just I feel that by building a base here, getting some roots and the like is another part of my life that has been missing for sometime. The fear of most smart travellers is to become that older gent who has seen the world but calls nowhere home; that must be a lonely existence.

burning_caribbean_plot

I’m finishing up some work here in the office and then I’m going back to my piece to continue burning the rest. The small piece has no real view but it’s very private, plenty large enough and has a shady apple tree at the end of the plot which keeps cool throughout the day. It also has a great breeze coming through the coconut and mango trees directly from the ocean and although I can’t see the ocean, I can hear it’s rhythm and it’s relaxing.

If you’ve ever dreamed of making a home for yourself in some tropical destination, I implore you to go out and start living your dream. I’ve bought so many different things in my life and most of them I remember not. Buying land is something that can happily keep you occupied until the end of your days and without a doubt one of the coolest and smartest purchases one could make in my opinion.

working_caribbean_plot

Happy New Years and stay tuned for more, lots more.

Tips hat,

P.S: The white chair under the apple tree is my happy spot; could sit there for hours and love that I’ll never hear a car or anything of the like.

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