Island life

I find most of the expats living on Bequia are quirky. And I don’t mean just weird; but interesting, different… not your garden variety neighbor. And I used to wonder if its cuz you have to be a little bit crazy to walk out on your home and all that is familiar and culturally similar and move to this lost island that’s so different from everywhere. Or if these are the adventurous people that see the beauty in a life like this and have freed themselves from their home. I guess it’s a bit of both.



But I love Bequia. And the longer I’m here the more I love it. The more I continue to realize that I live here, that this amazing little island is my home. That my life regularly includes siestas on my hammock, laying on white sand, going for drinks in beachside bars and street parties next to the sand.



I love Bequia because its laid back. Nobody cares about the latest trends or fashions- put on a faded t-shirt and people know you belong here, anything more and they will dismiss you as a passing tourist. The beaches are amazing, even the center of the harbor is nothing but shady almond trees on the water’s edge, ok there’s a patch of ugly concrete ferry dock and a strip of bars and restaurants built too close to the water, but its still just a sleepy little town. But there’s enough to do- with surprisingly good bars and restaurants for such a small island, enough stars to go blind counting them, and very friendly, laid back people- you can just go hang out next to the popcorn machine or the bus stop and I’m sure before you leave you’ll have made a new friend.




I love it because its so natural and it feels like anything is possible- even though its pretty limited in supplies, it feels like everything and everyone that is here is very accessible- in general that’s what I like about developing places, there’s room for improvement and possibilities are just waiting in front of you.



So what don’t I like? I miss some parts of western culture- Alternative music, good live music, art, events, alternative culture in general. Being on a tiny island I do feel a bit stranded at times, not able to reach other places except by boat or plane. And I miss having 2 days off a week. There’s so much I wanna do and see and its hard to do any of it in just 1 day. But other than that, I can’t really complain. Nor am I planning to.