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 ...
Figuring It Out
So I’m Moving to Japan… WTF
Yeah, so I know I kinda just slid that in there among all my "I'm leaving Roatan for good blah blah blah" stuff lately... "oh and PS I'm moving to Japan".WTF?(I know, right.)It's actually been a really, really, long time coming. To be accurate, about 10 years in the making! Here's the story.From the time I was a little kid, I have always been fascinated with Japan. Not Asia...not other countries in the area. Just Japan. I wasn't into anime or J-pop, but I was in love with the food, the ...
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 ...
Ten Truths About Being 30 & Living Abroad Solo
We're gonna get straight into the nitty-gritty here folks. I turned 30 this year after three years of living the expat life solo, and I've learned a thing or two (or 10). Sometimes it fucking sucks and sometimes it rocks my socks. So I made a list for you, because I'm a nice person. Or because I'm a bit snarky sometimes. Who knows.me turning 30 abroad solo credit: jackson photographyHere are five shitty truths about being 30 and living abroad solo:1) You will check Facebook daily, ...
The Snorkeling Trip That Changed My Life
Kind of a bold title, isn't it?It's 100% true.That blurry photo is me. It's me during the second time I ever snorkeled in my life. (The first being a very sketchy set up off a catamaran in Cuba in 2005. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised I made it out alive.) I know it's hard to see, but my face is full of joy. I am at home in the ocean!I even know what day this was - February 5, 2012. I was on my very first trip to Roatan with my friend Steph, and it was our second day on the ...
Radio Silence
Oh, hey there. Guess what? Contrary to what many of you seemed to believe by the content of your emails, I did not die here in Honduras! I am still alive and kicking (and definitely knocking on wood). I am healthy and happy and all is well.Pardon my pause in posts for the last two months (eeeek...yikes). You'll have to trust me when I say it just got away from me. After a few weeks it just felt weird, and I let it keep going and going like when you keep watching a Friends marathon and after ...
On Being A Chameleon
I've been back on Roatan for a week now (a very busy week! more about this later!) and absence really does make the heart grow fonder. While I am already missing good sushi and fast internet, I am relishing every walk I take down the street that takes me 20 extra minutes because I have so many people to say hi to. Being back underwater has been immensely helpful in getting my stress levels in regular parameters, and I've been lucky to be diving with a shop this week that is...wait for it... AIR ...
Time to Go Again: Canada Highlights
How does time go so quickly here? Is it because I spend every waking hour eating or being constantly lost in thought about what I want to eat before my time is up and I'm off again to the land of the worst food ever? (Hint: possibly.)It's been five weeks since I came to Canada and I am out of here today.While my friends and family were all so, so lovely for hosting me during this trip, I can't wait to get back home, get underwater on a dive, and sleep in my own king-size bed...mosquitoes not ...
Lost and Found: Back in the Water
It was one little detail that I somehow managed to forget about over the last year: I moved here to be a dive instructor. I didn't move here to run a dive shop, or to make websites, or to update Facebook pages. I worked myself almost to the bone in Canada with two full time jobs to save enough money to become a dive instructor - to live on Roatan (and other beautiful warm water locations), teach people how to dive, and take certified divers out diving.it was a lovely office, but ...
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
First off, you all are super cool for helping me cross the 100,000 view threshold this week! When I started this blog two years ago, I never thought it would be seen 100,000 times. Internet high fives for everyone!As I hinted to in the last roundup post, I am currently trying to make a decision about whether or not I am going to stay on Roatan. This is something that's been on my mind for the last few months, and I think something that every expat struggles with at some point. When do you ...