 |
| Isla Mujeres, Mexico |
Remember that bad pickup
line from the 1980s? “So, what’s your
sign?”
We are both Pisces, and that
makes us just a little bit different.
By
different, we mean, we love water and have to live within sight of it, hence our
love affair with islands.
 |
| Bowen Island, Canada |
Our first stab at island life was
Bowen Island, just off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, near
Vancouver. It was a small mountainous
paradise, about 19 square miles in total land mass. Back in the mid-1970s, when we moved to Bowen
Island, the population was only around 1200. The mixed-grade school was so small it was in
danger of closing. A student was invented to meet the minimum requirement of six students.
 |
| Car & passenger ferry for Bowen Island |
Close to the ferry dock was a small shopping area, with a couple of places to eat and the Snug Cove General
Store operated by parents, John & Evy Lock. It featured a butcher shop, fresh produce, cleaning supplies, dry goods,
canned goods, and a huge assortment of penny candy for the kids to ponder over.
The store was taken over by other family
members who eventually moved the business to a larger space, and away from
the congested ferry dock. Snug Cove
General Store is still operating at the second location, but under different
owners.
 |
| Harvesting cocos from Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres |
Fast forward a couple of
decades. As we neared retirement age, we
once again thought of living on an island – only this time we wanted to be
warm. Our choice was Isla Mujeres, just
off the coast near Cancun, yeah - I know, the Las Vegas of the Beach. Cancun is a wonderful
vacation spot, just not for us. Founded by the Mexican
government in the 1970s on a vacant stretch of white sand, this is where all-inclusive
resorts became popular. A great experience
for families, at a fixed cost.
 |
| Playa Centro, Isla Mujeres |
On Isla Mujeres, life is simpler. Yes, we have our share of
tourists, with Cancun being only eighteen minutes away by passenger ferry.
That’s a good thing; tourism allows the
residents to earn a living, and still have the qualities of life and
community that make island living so special.
Cancun provides the benefit of a nearby international airport servicing
the world, familiar stores such as Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, and Sam’s Club -
making living in paradise easy, a no-brainer.
 |
| Yummy mangoes for sale 2 blocks from our casa |
And yes, in the beginning we used
the benefits of Cancun regularly, but as Isla Mujeres grows, our trips to ‘the
big city’ are less often.
We have become
a part of the community, frequenting local stores where the owners now greet us
by name, and usually have exactly what we want.
Should you move to a small
island? Maybe. It helps if you are a Pisces and are patient,
but slightly impractical. Life on an
island isn’t always about tight time frames and schedules. Sometimes it is a lazy afternoon hiding out
from the hot sun and thinking about what you should be accomplishing – mañana.
Hasta Luego, Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas
 |
| We were both Bowen Island volunteer Firefighters. |
Or
.jpeg)
