We often get asked why we decided to take this sabbatical year. And truthfully there isn’t just one simple answer … it was multi-factoral. At some point life just got too crazy FOR US….too busy, too stressed, too complicated. We were all so distracted by our busy schedules there was no time to enjoy each other, to have deep conversations, to laugh, or to bring into focus why we are here. Phones & technology demanded more of our time & attention than we were comfortable with.  Our children are growing up so fast and now is the time to enjoy these moments and yet we were too busy & distracted to do so.

At the same time we were antsy for an adventure and deeply wanting to immerse our children in a different culture. We had talked about living abroad for years but never took the steps to make it happen. Travel is a great teacher and we want our children to be fearless in discovering faraway places.  But we were so committed to life at home, so deeply woven into the fabric of our society, it seemed impossible to walk away. Travel sports commitments with contracts, school commitments, and work & volunteer responsibilities weighed heavy on us. Our old house required a never-ending list of repairs. Surely it would crumble to the ground if we left! And then what if one of our parents got sick and needed us? We’d be so far away! There were many nights when I laid awake terrified that the boys would fall behind in their education with me in charge of their schooling. What if I lacked the patience to teach them? What if they wont do the work or have to repeat a year of school? You can easily talk yourself out of any adventure and there were days when fear set in and we did just that. But thankfully the desire to do something different, to take the plunge, outweighed the fear. Let’s face it, there is never a good time to drop everything and move to a Caribbean island! We pushed through the fear of the unknown and CREATED the opportunity. With the support from friends and family (thanks mom & dad!) we made it happen. Zero regrets. So were the goals of slowing down, reconnecting as a family, and living out an amazing adventure achieved? ABSOLUTELY.

Why Barbados? Many reasons. The first is that we needed to live in a country that the airline serviced and that would be a doable commute for Dan. We still needed a source of income of course. There is a daily flight, only 5 hours, from Barbados to JFK so that was easy. The second reason is we wanted to live in a country that had decent waves to surf. Surfing is my kids’ greatest passion and so we wanted them to have an amazing year enjoying their favorite thing. There is almost always a wave to surf in Barbados. And often the waves get quite big.

Safety was a big priority for us.  Barbados is not immune to the issues pertaining to drugs and gangs like all the other islands. But its generally safe with the only real concern being petty theft. While we didn’t have any friends on the island, we had vacationed here enough times to know that the waves are great, the people are nice, and the weather is almost always perfect. The last big reason we chose Barbados is its culture. This island isn’t just a vacation destination. Barbados is a former British colony and now as an independent nation has its own currency, language and customs. We really wanted our kids to learn all they could about the unique culture of this island. About 90% of Bajans are of African decent and the remainder of the island’s early locals were from Europe. Most of the expats here are European or Canadian. Its more uncommon to find an American! The Anglican Church has always had a strong presence here as well as other Protestant churches. Therefore my family, for the first time in our lives, were minorities. We were minorities due to our skin color, religion, and nationality. How uniquely amazing the experience of being a minority has been. It challenged us while opening our minds and our hearts.  There are lots of small reasons we chose Barbados also: like knowing it wasn’t a popular tourist destination for Americans. There’s no shortage of Caribbean islands teeming with Americans and while there’s nothing wrong with that, we were interested in a new experience. Another reason: Barbados lies outside of the hurricane belt… self explanatory. Politically the island is stable. And perhaps the most obvious reason of all: the gorgeous weather. The moderate tropical climate means temps between 78-88, gentle Tradewinds and plentiful sun, sun, sun!