Becoming Bajan

Living At Home In Barbados 
People are curious as to how I came to live in Barbados.  My short answer is, “A Man”.  I always receive laughter and nods of understanding from ladies, and  hearty approval from the local guys with that answer.  And while I am here with my American Bajan husband, the journey  from the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia to this exotic island some call paradise, was one of determination, planning, commitment, execution and  faith.  The night I met the man whom I  would eventually marry, he told me three things upfront.  “I have a daughter.  I have my own business, and in three years I’m moving to Barbados”.    At the time I felt none of it had anything to do with me except that it would be nice to have a contact on an island.  I’ve always loved the Caribbean and my dream of owning a spot in Jamaica died when I got divorced.  Anyway he was a man with a plan, and I had a dream, that one day, little black girls …no that was MLK’s dream.  Yes, my dream was to own something overlooking the Caribbean sea and watching the sunset from my patio every night.  Well we liked each other and ended up having a surprise wedding on the island a year and some months later.  Don’t forget…moving to Barbados in three years.  The plan we started out with was not the way we ended up in Barbados but commitment to the goal and faith in the outcome helped us through the drama associated with  selling a house, packing, and moving.  Selling vehicles and eighty percent of all the stuff we individually and together accumulated throughout life.  We did not let fear of being in a foreign place, not knowing anyone, not having a steady paycheck, cultural difference, and being away from family and friends, deter us from the plan. I’m amazed that it’s been over a year and a half now and , we are living at home in Barbados   and loving it, and about to head over to the neighbors for a nightcap.