100 Days in Cayman

It’s now been 100 days since my official move to the Cayman Islands.

Was it smooth? No. Did I love it right away? No. Would I have changed anything? Definitely not. Through all the ups and downs, I would make the same decision to move over and over again.

One thing I am lucky for is where we live. We actually like our place a lot. It’s a comfortable size, 2 bedroom with a private backyard and private driveway. We have great neighbours and are very lucky. While it takes some getting used to living in a rental, we are already feeling like this is home.

Weather fun

Moving to a new city comes with lots of new exciting experiences and some that are just annoying and frustrating and some that you didn’t even think of!

First of all, the heat is definitely going to take time to get used to!! While we have hot days in the summer in southern Ontario, this has been constant for 4 months. Everyday has been sunny and hot. Even though it’s technically the rainy, hurricane season, we have seen the sun every single day! We now carry a water bottle all the time and wear an SPF50 when spending time outside.

Speaking of rain, hurricanes, tropical storms and sever thunderstorms are just a normal thing here. Our house in a very low lying area but thankfully we have not had flooding in the house! We are learning how to navigate the nutty weather! Sometimes it rains all day, other times it rains for about 10 seconds. Weather on the island is different and will take some getting used to.

Life in a small town

Grand Cayman doesn’t really believe in sidewalks. There are sidewalks in the main tourist, downtown area, but thats about it! And since there is really no public transit, you really do need to have a car! We finally got our car at the beginning of August and it has definitely made a difference in our quality of life on the island.

While living in a small town has a ton of benefits, there are some major things to get used to. Most things close around 4 or 5pm in the town. Usually, when the cruise ships are gone, most of the “touristy” stores and restaurants close. Supermarkets also tend to close a bit earlier during the week, usually around 8pm. Almost everything is closed on Sunday. While this seemed annoying and frustrating at first, it really just meant changing our routine. It’s kind of nice knowing that Sunday is a day for relaxing, not running errands or working.

The other major thing to get used to is the infrastructure, or lack there of. While most places do have a website, things really can’t be done online. Sure, there are numbers, emails and forms, but trying to get ahold of a person or an answer to a question can be a challenge.

There is lot’s to do!

One of the things I love most about life on the island is that there is always something to do!

This may be a small town on a small island but there is literally always something to do. Between festivals, live music, events, beaches, brunch and tourist excursions, there is something for everyone.

Some of our favourite things we have done so far on the island:

• Jerk and Wing Festival – a super fun little festival featuring different jerk chicken from around the island. A super fun and delicious way to spend an evening.
• Mango Festival – while not as big as others, this is a lovely little street festival features, mangos of course, local crafts and tasty treats.
• Swimming at our little beach – we are about a 10 minute walk to a small local beach, Smiths Cove. The water is perfect and there is lot’s of shade. A perfect way to spend an hour or afternoon.
• Boogie Nights at Sandbar – on the last Friday of every month a local waterfront bar, Sandbar, hosts an 70s/80s dance party!! Let me tell you, I had a BLAST!
• Dining at Camana Bay – Camana Bay is a local area with lots of dining and shopping. This area has become a favourite of mine, with a great pizza place and my favourite store, The Next Chapter.

We have so much we want to do and see on this island! While we are often at the mercy of the weather, we have been very lucky that the rain has been more annoying and hasn’t really affected our plans.

Looking forward

As we head towards the holiday season we are looking forward to a lot of new experiences. We will have our first thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas and New Years in the Caribbean. I have heard that the islands do it up big!!

Everything here will be a brand new experience and we can’t help but be excited for it!