Do You Miss It? (Island Living)

Sometimes, people will ask me, "Do you miss it?"  The specifics they're ascribing to that question depend on the context of whatever we've just been discussing.  However, it usually falls into one of two scenarios:  (1) Island Living - the micro view of the challenges inherent in living on a tiny island, or (2) Big Life Change - the macro view of how dramatically I've changed my life.  Let's tackle the first one here today.

Island Living

I've described before just how very small this island actually is.  When talking about life here, which necessarily involves limited shopping and entertainment and other resources, people will sometimes ask "Do you miss it?" with regard to a host of things.  I suppose my general answer is that I miss some things, but far fewer than you'd expect, and certainly not enough to make me anything less than enthusiastic about living here.  

So, let's talk specifics . . .  Do I miss the following?

• Friends - Yes and No.  I miss those City friends with whom I can no longer get together for a quick lunch or leisurely dinner.  But, let's face it.  In our jammed schedules, we just didn't get together THAT often.  Also, I'm blessed with friendships that stand the test of time and distance.  My very best friends remain my very best friends, no matter where they or I live.  That said, I don't have to miss the enjoyment of friendship interactions just because I live on a tiny island.  Here, I've reconnected with old friends and made many new friends.  This small island is a hub of social activity and, given the community living, I see far more friends in any given week here than I ever did in the States.  Plus, I keep up with friends, old and new, through email and social media.  God Bless the Internet to keep far-flung folks connected.

• Grocery Stores - Yes and No.  I miss being able to read a new recipe and run to the store to buy every obscure item listed, at any hour of the day or night.  Food stores here are far more limited in size, selection and hours.  However, unless the freight boat is delayed (which happens all too frequently), I can almost always get the basics:  butter, eggs, cheese, apples, oranges, onions, potatoes, lettuce, green peppers, tomatoes, lime, basic canned food and condiments.  During tourist season, the stores stock more and I can even pick up mushrooms, occasional strawberries, feta cheese and tortilla chips!  Specialty items, don't ya know.  :)  Of course, please also remember the benefits of island living - my beau brings home fresh fish, lobster and conch!  And I stock several months of meat in my deep freezer.  So, our grocery options are just fine.  Actually, when I go to the big grocery stores in the States now, I find the selection positively overwhelming and quite daunting!

• Shopping - No.  Granted, I wasn't really much of a shopper before anyway, at least not of the type to relish wandering through malls or boutiques.  I would, however, put that attorney paycheck to use and indulge in occasional fits of online shopping, which I've since curtailed.  I just don't need much and, now on a tighter shoestring, I just don't buy it!  If anything, I'm glad not to have stores around tempting me with pretty window displays.  Nope, I don't miss shopping.

• Big Box Stores - Yes.  I miss Target!  I miss being able to run out for those random things that come up as needed from Target, or Pet Smart, or Bed Bath & Beyond, etc.  I'm forced to economize and improvise by (a) deciding I really don't NEED it, (b) coming up with some alternative creation/solution/fix, or (c) adding it to the ever-present list of Things To Buy Stateside that will go in my purse with my passport on the next trip home.  Currently on my list, for example:  non-standard-sized light bulbs, bath mats, stove burner covers, flea/tick medicine, cooler bags, file folders.

• Movies - Yes.  I didn't go that often, but I do miss being able to head into a movie theater for an escape, weekend event, or simple change of pace whenever the mood strikes.  When we have time during trips to Nassau or the States, ducking into whatever box office hit is playing at the time is a favorite thing to do.

• Restaurants - Yes.  We have two restaurants regularly serving dinners at the moment.  Of course, by now I know the menus by heart.  So, while it's still a treat to go out to dinner here and have the night off from cooking (no other carry-out options!), it's just not the same.  I miss going out to a new (or favorite) restaurant, enjoying the ambiance, sitting down and being served, perusing a delicious-sounding menu and tasting every item in my mind as I read the menu, enjoying an array of dishes from excellent chefs, etc.  But, it is what it is.  I enjoy my nights out here, and I enjoy the restaurant dining experience as a treat when I travel.  Moreover, I'll tell you what I DON'T miss about restaurants - the expense and the extra pounds!  I definitely attribute my bikini-ready self to healthy home-cooking and an absence of tempting restaurant options.

• Services - Yes.  I miss easy access to doctors, dentists, vets, hair/nail salons and a host of repair services.  Sigh.  (Note to self:  time to remember your Choosing the Better Life principles - it's all good.)

• Garbage Disposal - Yes.  In fact, this may be the home amenity I miss most!  I can make do quite well with sea baths when the water is off, frequent electric outages, hand-washing dishes, limited A/C, etc.  But MAN do I miss having a garbage disposal.  Newer homes on the island do boast garbage disposals, but our system isn't adaptable to it.  (I'll spare you the intricacies of water/sewage/other pipe set-ups and systems.)  Yeah, I'm trying to create less waste and compost what I do make, but let's face it - I miss a handy little garbage disposal right there in my sink!

Interestingly (to me anyway), as I read over this list, it seems like I'm listing a lot of things that I miss when I feel like, overall, I don't miss much at all!  I think it's because this island life GIVES me so much more of things that I really value and didn't have before, that I don't really miss even those things outlined above.  I get to eat fresh fish, go snorkeling, see sharks and iguanas, walk down the road in flip-flops visiting friends along the way, romp on the beach with my dog, go to friends' houses for dinner, witness breath-taking sunsets, etc.  It's a great life!  

Perhaps the other reason I don't feel like I miss all that stuff is that I still have access to it.  I travel back to the States and elsewhere frequently enough that I get my "fix" of movies and restaurants and change of scenery.  I schedule doctors and hair cuts when I need them.  I stock up on groceries and big-box-store stuff.  I take advantage of the City amenities, but also get just enough of the City traffic and other hassles that I'm ready to come home to the island!  But I still miss my garbage disposal.  :)

Do you wonder if I miss other Stateside/City daily living amenities that I didn't mention?  Just tell me what you're curious about and I'll let you know!  As for Big Life Change and whether I miss things in that context, to be continued . . . !

Do You Think About Garbage?

In the course of your day-to-day routines, do you think much about garbage?  My guess is no.  At least not much beyond taking it out to the dumpster (City dwellers) or curb (suburbanites).  Perhaps a little extra thought is given to recycling.

Well, on the island, I think about garbage a lot.  For example:

• There is one dump on the island.  Think about how small this island is (less than 5 square miles) and you'll understand how important it is to contain the dump.  We try to minimize garbage and smells as much as possible.
• If I cook lobster and have empty shells, I carry those down to the beach and toss them in the water.  Anything from the sea goes back to the sea - not to the dump.
• I don't have a food disposal in the kitchen sink.  We try not to waste food anyway, and I have become quite adept at using every little scrap and becoming creative with leftovers.  However, for food scraps that would otherwise go down the drain/disposal, I collect it in a sealed plastic container in the fridge.  When it gets full or after several days, I take it outside, dig a hole and bury the food (compost).  I confess I've been doing this less since the dog likes to dig it up, but that's still preferred over dumping in the trash.
• No garbage pickup services exist for everyone.  In the town center, one man drives one regular pickup truck and collects garbage for the local residents.  Anywhere else, we take it to the dump ourselves.
• Visitors by boat must pay to dump their garbage on this little island! Boaters gather their garbage at sea and dump it when they come to port.  Lots of boaters mean lots of garbage, especially with some of the huge yachts.  The local marina charges per bag, and boaters can throw their garbage bags into a marina cart to be hauled to the dump.

Now that you know the random bits of garbage that I think about, let's put it in some visual context.

On a recent afternoon, I decided to make a run to the dump.  I loaded one bag of garbage into the back of my golf cart, and Angel happily scampered up to the front seat, excited for an excursion.

Off we go!

We cruised down the road, over a little bridge above a saltwater creek, around the airport and down a long road toward the center of the island on the other side.  In my slow golf cart, it was about a 5 minute ride.

The road, just 30 yards from the dump.

I turned onto the dump access path.  From the main road, the dump is not visible at all, thanks to a large berm and it being set back from the road.  However, once I turned onto the access path, scraps of garbage and broken glass became visible.  The community cleans the island several times a year and tries to keep the dump area clear, but scraps are bound to filter out by falling off of vehicles or being blown by the wind.

Starting down the short access path. 

As we rounded the corner, the dump came into view in all its glory.

Circular drive through the dump.

Loose protocol is to throw the trash towards the left in front, place larger (and possibly salvageable) items in the middle or to sides.  One person's junk is another person's treasure?  Some people visit the dump from time to time to see what they might want to scavenge.

Usually much more "stuff" sitting around.  Treasure hunters must have been through recently.

Unfortunately, no recycling program exists on the island.  The interest is there, but it hasn't become a reality yet.  The government does not offer anything, and it's too expensive (and a big hassle) for individuals to recycle:  it would involve collecting, and then shipping or flying the items from the island to Nassau.

Since no good recycling options, bottles go to the dump, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angel actually obeys and stays on the cart while I add our garbage to the pile.  I don't let her run around with all the broken glass and who-knows-what.  Also, lots of flies buzz around.  Ick.

Patiently waiting, but very curious.

I pulled in and circled around, retrieved the bag of trash from the back of the cart and flung it into the heap of "new" garbage.  From there, it will be burned.  Burning is done ad hoc, but on a day when it is not windy!  Then, a bulldozer or other machine is brought in from time to time to push the dump back and compress it as much as possible into the berm surrounding the dump.

That's my garbage flying in midair.

After my garbage lands, I quickly hop back into the cart and drive off, realizing that I've been holding my breath as much as possible.  Until the next time!