Ready for a change, the adventure continues ....

Two weeks from yesterday I will be on a ferry on my way to Utila, my new home. Some may ask why I'm already leaving Placencia. The easy answer would be that my friend Greg bought a house in Utila and I am fortunate enough to get to rent it while he slaves away at his job in the U.S. preparing for retirement. But in reality, there are several reasons.

With the upcoming move I have been reflecting, and planning. And so I've decided to give my nickels worth of advice about moving somewhere tropical. Remember, it is only a nickels worth and only my opinion.

First I would say, moving to the caribbean ... Best. Idea. Ever.

But here are my words of warning:

1. Think seriously about what you want out of your life. Do you want to live somewhere near an ocean where it is warm and they serve lots of fruity rum drinks? The Caribbean has all of that and more!

2. Do you want to continue to enjoy all the comforts of home, high speed internet, cable tv with a million channels, air conditioning the minute you walk inside, a hermetically sealed house? That is all available, for a price. don't expect  to live in the Caribbean or anywhere else on the cheap if you aren't willing to give up a few comforts of your American lifestyle.

3. Do you think that because you have money, U.S. dollars, that people should be thrilled you're  moving there and should jump at your command? Stay home. You only give other ex-pats a bad name. I only mention this one because I've seen it first hand.

4. Do you want to continue to work? Do some research about where you think you want to live and figure out if you legally can work, and what it takes to be able to, i.e., work permits, residency, opening a business, investing in  the country you're moving to?

5. Do you already speak another language? If you do you're already ahead (Spanish is a good one if you want to move somewhere Caribbean). If you don't already, think about learning it, show some respect for the language of the locals.  English is a great language despite how often we mangle it, but if the primary language is Spanish at least make an effort to speak and understand, and don't expect everyone where you move to be able to speak perfect english.

So now for some more optimistic advice.

Let it go. Nothing is really that urgent. Slow down. Unplug. Sit and just watch the ocean, watch for dolphins, or flying fish or pelicans feeding. Or just look at the absolute natural beauty of the ocean, the different colors, the gentle lapping of the waves on  the shore, the cool breeze. Recognize how amazing mother nature is, the incredible colors of the birds, the different types of animals right around you; fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals. Realize how interconnected it all is. Every animal is important in the grand scheme and have their place and their job to do. No need to get baited into an argument about politics or religion. My favorite response these days? "There is a reason I'm laying in a hammock in Belize with no television or regular news service." Be grateful. Show compassion. Breathe.

So why you might ask would I want to leave this paradise and move again?

When I first moved I knew I wanted to live somewhere tropical The things I am most passionate about are more readily available here. I truly jumped and hoped for the net. I did a little bit of research, Belize was an easy choice, not too expensive, English speaking for the most part. I had a few momentary thoughts of moving to San Pedro on , Ambergris Caye. But I realized what attracted me to that place was the safety. The safety of being able to live much like I lived in the U.S. But the down side was it would cost me almost as much as living in the U.S. And what was the point of that. Also, truth be told, I had this romantic notion of traveling through the caribbean, learning about the culture, seeing countries I had only visited to dive.

My romanticism brought me to Placencia, a small village, with all the basic necessities but a slower pace, and still not completely "Americanized". And it has been lovely. The people here, both locals and ex-pats are wonderful. There is good food, both traditional  Belizean and a more international fare as well. You can, if you are willing to be a little adventurous and give up a few creature comforts, live fairly cheaply here. For me the real downside was that I didn't get to dive a  lot here. The reef, some of the most pristine of the Mesoamerican Reef System is 20+ miles off shore. That makes for long, expensive boat rides for the best diving.

And that romantic notion of exploring on my own? Well, yeah, not so much. I am only adventurous to a point. I didn't go anywhere much since I've lived here, I really didn't want to wander around alone. I would tell myself I would sign up for a tour but then the idea of spending a chunk of money to ride a bus or a boat and have no one to share it with just didn't appeal. So I really saw very little of the country. I never went on the chocolate factory tour, I didn't go see the crocodiles, manatees or monkeys of the Monkey River Tour. I didn't see any Jaguars. I know, bad tourist.

The most wildlife I saw was the insect variety inside my various homes. I seem to have gotten past the cockroach problem and have now moved on to a scorpion problem. Yes, that was me screaming like a little girl when I saw my first inside my house. And for all my desires to be kind to mother nature and the earth, you can't hand me the poison spray fast enough to get rid of  bugs in my house. Sorry.

Sorry for the terrible picture but really, I'm only willing to get so close, even when they are dead.

Now I'm ready for a change. Why not? So what do I expect to be different in Utila? For one, I can dive there relatively inexpensively. I can easily budget in likely two days of two tank dives every week. And that is assuming I don't work and/or don't have a chance to get some type of relationship with a dive operation there, maybe trade some teaching for some free diving. Who knows?

Opportunities. I am already excited about the opportunities I know of to volunteer for issues that are important to me. There is a Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center on the Island, the Bay Islands Conservation Association, and Sea Shepherd. One or more of these may give me the opportunity to do some worthwhile work and maybe include diving in it too.

I really like the vibe there and I can't tell you exactly why. It seems that the backpacker lifestyle, people from all over the world living there for six months to a year appeals to me. Making friends from all over the world is just such a wonderful way to spend your time. And I have a hope that I will vastly improve my underwater photography skills as well as my above water photography. And it can be pretty inexpensive to live there.

Oh, and then there is that thing that one of my best friends now owns a house there, and that means that I likely will get to see my friends a little more often.

Next post: Getting from here to there ... harder than you'd think.