While in college in blizzard-filled western New York, Rebecca met a laid back, sweet, and good-hearted fella who stole her heart. Little did she know, he hailed from a tiny Caribbean island she had not heard of until then. With not much persuasion, he convinced her that his island home had more for her than bleak New York. So off to Grand Cayman they went and started a whirlwind life on the easy-going island “that time forgot”. At her wedding, her sister said in her speech, “I’m not losing a sister, I’m gaining a vacation destination”.

Three kids and a few jobs later, Hurricane Ivan blew them back to western New York, then North Carolina. After just getting by in those places, never getting used to the snow again, they decided to return to the islands to get back to the important things in life: simple pleasures, a simple life, lots of sand, and an abundance of sun.

It took them a while to settle in, especially now that their kids are in college, but now the things that drove them nuts when they returned are just part of island living. Though it is not the sleepy little island Rebecca remembers, there are pockets of the old Cayman and it is interesting to her to see how the locals are dealing with the development and the introduction of many modern ideas and trends. The undercurrent of the old Cayman and the modern world are an interesting mix that often don’t meld well.

When she isn’t working in finance, Rebecca is learning that snorkeling near shipwrecks really isn’t so scary, but that barracudas stalking you ARE very scary; that it is impossible to rid your floors completely of sand even if you don’t have toddlers anymore; that people drive like crap everywhere; that CrossFit isn’t really that bad but dang it’s hot. Most importantly, she has learned that there really is nothing better than coming home to a back porch that is just steps to a quiet beach with the most beautiful blue clear water. You can find her sharing her thoughts, motivations, and frustrations on her personal blog, Raige Creations.