Current Rock of Residence:
Cyprus
Island Girl Since:
2002
Originally Hails From:
Virginia
Born a typical Type A stress-basket, Claudia followed all the rules until she spent her final college summer internship working at an import-export firm in Cyprus, which she dutifully quit after a couple of weeks and took up a job as a barmaid at a kick-ass bar in a yacht harbor. It was during that fateful summer (more years ago than she likes to admit) she met her future husband. A dozen years and a couple kids later, the dimpled Adonis convinced Claudia to quit her grueling corporate America finance job and head for the Med. Ah hell, who was she kidding? With fanciful thoughts of being bohemian and breastfeeding naked on the beach, the diaper bags were already packed.
After realizing her two options for a social life on the rock were either drunk tourists and retired expats (looking for a quick lay, endless sunshine, and cheap beer) OR the local Cypriot community (with their shiny cars dotting dusty dirt roads and perfectly manicured brows), Claudia followed the eyebrows and stilettos. And she has never looked back. With their warm culture and pop-in-anytime policy, Claudia finally relaxed and learned to live like an island girl.
If she’s not stepping over lizards and tarantulas in her home, scuba diving with sea turtles, or teaching drama to kids, Claudia loves catching up with friends over multiple glasses of large, chilled wine on her balcony. She spends her days writing her blog Live Like a Goddess and broadcasting her radio show “The Morning Show with Claudia.”
Explore posts by this writer:
A Tale of Two Laundry: A Poem
Let’s take a moment, and tell you a tale of a girl who has lived and grown up on either sides of this world. She hails from the States, where doing laundry is a piece of cake. She buys large tubs of Persil and Tide, never worries that colors will fade and hide. The...
Why Islanders Have More Sex
This may be one of the best well-kept secrets of island living: we are *horny* here. Not like a little bit horny, but straight out, teenage-frenzy-horny. Have you ever noticed that you feel a bit more, ahem, amorous while on a beach vacation? Maybe it's the sun, sand,...
Why Is Everyone Yelling?
Moving to my rock was a family affair. I relocated with my husband, a local Cypriot, and my two young kids. We were warmly embraced by his family, who happily wrapped their arms around their long-lost son and his American bride. Then we sat down for a long, lengthy...
Giving Up The Rush
I moved to my rock, Cyprus, 9 years ago from Atlanta, GA. Tired and beleaguered from having back-to-back children and a corporate finance existence where I spent my time either chained to a cubicle or to a seat on an airplane, the slow, small town pace of island life...
A Less Wasteful Existence
Ziploc bags are not considered a bare essential for most, but finding these babies are like pure gold on my island. The Ziploc brand simply doesn't exist here. There is only this cheap local brand whose zippers stick and don't seal properly. Flimsy and quick to tear,...
Beware of the Island Butt Cold
Back in the US, we tend to agree on some basic cold and flu preventative measures. We wash our hands; we get our flu shots; we drink plenty of water; and we stay inside, protected from the frigid outdoors as best we can. I figured these would translate pretty much...
