West Bay Divers is truly a hidden gem on Roatan, tucked away just back from West Bay Beach behind Beachers, a lively bar & restaurant. If you weren't following the signs, you might miss it - but this is not a dive shop to miss.As most of you already know, I am picky about where I dive in my time off. Having been an instructor and also having run dive shops, I know exactly what I'm looking for in a dive shop, and West Bay Divers (WBD) ticks all the boxes for me:friendly and experienced ...
Gypsy Gems: Soul State of Mind Jewelry
As a serial expat, location-independent work is always on my mind.Through my traveling and living abroad, I've been lucky to connect with all sorts of people and learn about their passion projects. One that I've been following from the get-go is my friend Sarah's boutique jewelry business, Soul State of Mind Jewelry. If you know Sarah, you know that she loves jewelry! I can't count the number of times I've seen her wearing a beautiful new piece of jewelry and asked where she got it from. It's ...
Disappearing and Reappearing
Oh, this poor little post.I've sat down to write this maybe 10, maybe 20 times? Never got past the first sentence.I haven't posted anything, really, on my site since the beginning of February. Before that, I had couple posts in three or four months. I'd love to say I've been busy with my job, or traveling, or a new hobby - but the reality is none of that is true.What has been happening, though, is I've been struggling with my health.Since arriving in Japan, I haven't been feeling 100%. ...
Diving in Roatan: Roatan Divers
My first stop on my surprise trip to Roatan last summer was Roatan Divers. Not only was I super excited to see the owners, my friends Saaya (who counts both Japan and America as home) and Karl (who hails from Sweden), but I had a big goodie bag stuffed full of Japanese treats for Saaya that I wanted to deliver! There's a long list of things that are difficult to get on Roatan, and stuff from Japan is (understandably) pretty high on that list.I've watched Roatan Divers for years. I first ...
Diving in Roatan: Tobri Divers
When I went back to Roatan this past summer, there was one new place I was itching to dive at: Tobri Divers.During my time living on the island, this tiny south-side boutique dive resort was run by a German couple and was marketed almost exclusively to Europeans. I didn't know anyone who had worked there or had dove with them. It was almost completely off my radar.Fast forward to my trip in the summer of 2017, where my good friends Irma & Martijn had returned to the island and taken over ...
End of Year Roundup – September to December 2017
Hi, friends! Long time no see :)First off, I'd like to let you know that you can connect with me on my Facebook page if you'd like to hear from me more regularly! I am posting on there a lot more often than here these days. I am currently dealing with some health issues that are making it a little difficult for me to be posting on here as much as I'd like to. I'm seeing a specialist next week and hoping to get things back on track, but until then, feel free to keep in touch on FB as ...
Islands of Japan: Shodoshima
Reggae music was playing somewhere down the beach. The sun was shining, the sand was hot, and I was drinking a cold drink. The ocean was a shimmery blue and kids were shrieking and splashing around with colorful floaties.But wait. What's this? The writing on this delicious alcoholic beverage is in Japanese. I was IN JAPAN!?! Yes friends, this is not a post about my beloved Caribbean island Roatan. This is about the chillest little island that's a hop, skip and a jump away from my town here ...
August 2017 Roundup
As usual, time has really gotten away from me. After making my massive five year roundup in the summer, I've spent the last month settling back in to life in Japan. I came home from a month in Roatan via a whirlwind trip to see my family in Canada (like legit 30 hours and that's it), and less than two weeks later was back in the classroom. I missed my students this summer, but not enough to want to do the Hokey Pokey in a +40C classroom! Welcome to my regular summer in Asia status: currently ...
Month 60 Roundup – July 2017: Five Years On
Five years.FIVE YEARS!Five years ago, I sold most of what I had, said goodbye to the two full-time jobs I was working, put the rest of my stuff in storage and flew out to Roatan with a dream, a plan, and $12,000 to make it happen.Five years ago today, I started my dive pro courses and was on my way to becoming a dive instructor.And who would have guessed after all my years in Roatan, and now a year in Japan - that I'd be right back where I started while I wrote this post?If you don't ...
Lost Luggage – What to Know When Your Stuff Doesn’t Show Up
When you head off on holiday, there’s plenty to look forward to. Sun, sea, sand – and a bevy of memories you’ll carry with your forever. However, it’s isn’t all roses and sunshine. Sometimes things sadly go wrong. One such example comes in the form of luggage going missing. Here are some tips for knowing what to do when this does occur:Report it Don’t be shy about reporting your loss. As the CAA point out, most airports will have a specialist baggage area where you can report lost or ...