I haven't been home for Christmas in close to 10 years.My family doesn't really "do" Christmas, so I'm not missing much. But the above statement seems to horrify a lot of people! I think if you've ever worked in the service industry, you have gained knowledge that Christmas is sometimes just another day.The last few years in Roatan I spent Christmas working, just like any other day. Imagine all those people coming down on their winter vacation and being told there's no diving on Christmas ...
Expat Living
Stop Calling it a Jamaican Accent (Dear Islanders: I’m Sorry)
My diver is yelling at me."Rika! Rika! He has such a strong Jamaican accent, I can't understand what he's saying! Rika, what did he say to me?"I instantly cringe and throw profuse apologies with my eyes at my boat captain, who lets out a weary sigh, rolls his eyes, giggles, and continues helping my diver with his gear. This is his daily life on an island full of people who just don't understand.it was not any of these divers :)I heard things like this every day on ...
Homesick for Somewhere That’s Not ‘Home’
I am a crier. People who know me, know this. I cry in children's movies (Finding Nemo is a nightmare for me), I cry when I see cute old couples on the train, I cry when adorable fluffy puppies clamber up my legs, I cry at all the images on the news of war-torn countries and shell-shocked kids. I am a crier. Do not play that goddamn Sarah McLaughlin SPCA commercial around me.I also recently found out that I cry when I'm homesick. I have never been homesick before, so this one is new to me. When ...
Konnichiwa Bitches: Hello from Japan
Just a post to say... I MADE IT. Hello from Shinjuku, Tokyo! I'm eating everything. I'll have more to tell you all soon.It's muggy and humid and roasting hot. It makes me miss Roatan. I don't want to put my suit on, but work is work. What a funny feeling it is to wake up in a new world to your new life. Bring it, Japan.Guys, make sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter ... there's lots of extras posted there that don't make it onto the blog. I also have Google+ if ...
Should You Do a Cubicle Throwdown Like I Did?
Guys, I see you.I see you landing on my site after Googling, "how to move to Roatan". "How to move to another country". "How to work as a dive instructor in another country". "How much do divemasters make". (That one is easy. Not much.)I feel ya dudes. I did those Googles too. And about 755,000 more.I know what it's like to look around your office and see people who have been there longer than you, and thinking, "is this all I have to look forward to in my life?" I know what it's like to ...
Giving Back: How You Can Help Roatan
One thing I loved about a lot of the tourists I met over the years on Roatan is that many of them had a strong desire to help the island. When you get there and personally witness snippets of the grinding poverty that some people live in, and realize the government is not going to help them, for most people it ignites a fire to do something to give back.On Roatan there are many worthy charities, some of which I've highlighted before. I highly recommend that all tourists research various ways ...
ICYMI: I’m a Roatan Expat Expert!
Sometimes I forget that not everyone is following me on all my social media channels - so in case you missed it, I wanted to showcase my recent partnership with AirTransat as part of their ExperienceTransat series - I'm the Roatan Expat Expert! (If you were already following along, then I've included something in here for you too... some behind-the scenes photos!)AirTransat is a Canadian charter airline that flies directly to Roatan from select cities in eastern Canada. If you live anywhere ...
The Comedown: Tales from an Ex-Expat
Find any expat blog where the expat has returned to their country of origin, and you'll find the same stories over and over.It's weird being here. My friends here don't understand my experience. This, that and the other thing here now drive me crazy. I miss my expat home and friends there. (So if this post is tl;dr for you, just look at those four lines and that's basically it.)To recap, I'm back in Canada for a few months getting ready to move to Japan in July as an assistant language ...
The End of an Era
At this time I'm usually trying to whip up a belated roundup post, but there wasn't anything to round up. I haven't written any posts. I wasn't even on Roatan. And a lot of big things are happening. So this post is an ode to the end of an era instead.Let's get to the point: I'm leaving Roatan. For good.It's not an easy thing for me to write. Putting something out there like that on my site seems so final, and set in stone. My readers who have followed me on this crazy adventure know that ...
Dutty Love, Drunk in Love or Delusional Love: Dating on the Island
One of the first things that readers ask me when they meet me in real life is: why don't you ever post about a boyfriend/dating/etc.?accurate.Other than the fact that this part of my life is usually not very entertaining (you can read my girl Shannon's recent post if you want to see a somewhat similar rundown), it's something I've always been hesitant to put out there for the world to see. Since I started this site, I've seen many other bloggers include this part of their life online, ...