The word May evokes happiness and warmth...as in truth the beginnings of summer are not far away. Here in Turks & Caicos islands, however, the month of May is for rain - huge thunderstorms with dark skies and sheets of fresh cool water pounding down from the sky. It is a welcome rain, a delightful refreshment of the earth, and most importantly, a replenishment of the water cisterns and tanks upon which we depend for our year round water supply. Few people wonder where all the fresh water they need comes from, but here it comes from the sky and is stored in vast cement cisterns to provide for us in the dry winter months. Many small islands are totally dependent on rainwater, having no type of water plant, reverse osmosis or desalination facility....and this means we truly value our water, and cherish the rain. In many ways, living on a small island in the Caribbean forces one to notice simple things in a much deeper way...like fresh water.
The privilege of clean air is another. When I visit friends in big cities now, whether USA, Canada or Europe, i am stunned by the air quality considered normal - a sort of grey haze or softness ever present in the sky. And so the brilliance of the endless blue above my head here becomes another treasure to appreciate. The stars hide away from my eyes due to city lights, whereas here I gaze into the blackness and admire the sharp twinkling and pulsing lights of each of the millions of visible stars every night.
And I am grateful, if often a little bemused at how I actually did end up on a tiny island in the sea. Never one destined to be a hermit, I can enjoy all these simple pleasures and still live a life full of the usual busy, frustrating, stressful moments, full of visits and visiting, socializing and parties, complex work challenges and worthwhile service activities. A very odd and wonderful combination, not for all indeed, but it suits me just fine! In October, I will have lived in Turks & Caicos Islands for sixteen years, longer than I have lived anywhere in my entire life...and I look forward to many more years here.
If you wish to retire, find a family retreat, or change your own lifestyle, islands in the Turks and Caicos offer a myriad of opportunities for great property investment, for fabulous activities, for meaningful work - or a splendid chance to experience complete quiet and isolation. Pine Cay is extraordinary - beautiful, protected, beloved. Come and explore it with me, and find your home in the Caribbean.
