When we first decided to move to St Kitts we had no idea what to expect from living on a tiny island. Living abroad can be incredibly different from the UK, mostly in a good way. Sometimes though it is so frustrating but over the last year we have learnt to go with the flow. Here’s a roundup of 15 things we have learnt living abroad.

1. Currency Conversion

Eventually you stop converting prices of things in shops. We learnt very quickly that it doesn’t make any sense to work out how many £s or $s things cost when you live in a different country. It’s not like you’ve got a holiday spending budget, you fricking live there!

2. Cost Of Living

You find yourself justifying the need for the tub of quality streets that costs £17 or the box of Kellogs crunchy nut cornflakes for £11, or any other familiar foodstuff from your homeland. Caring about the costs becomes irrelevant when you live abroad you learn to suck it up because you just have to have it! Read our cost of living in St Kitts guide here.

3. Becoming Minimalist

The amount of things you need is far less than you ever thought possible. There are minimal shops on island, and what they do stock is imported so the prices are often ridiculously inflated to cover the costs. Also, the lack of next day delivery from Amazon and other places has been a blessing in disguise. The delivery system in general takes weeks for anything to arrive on island, so you really have to need something to consider ordering it. Mostly we have realised that what we already have is too much.

4. Take It All In

You forget where you are at times and suddenly be blown away by the view on a road you go along every single day. Or you will suddenly be wowed by the spectacular sunset. When you live in paradise it is easy to take the stunning surroundings for granted. We have learnt in the past year not to become jaded by it all and always stop to take in the view.

5. Island Family

Your island friends quickly become family and you have to resist telling your actual family all about them. You will rely on them like you do with close family and nothing will be too much trouble. Need a lift to work, someone will have your back. Ride to the airport, no problem. Picking you up at 2am when you’ve had too many rum punches. Who am I kidding they will be there with you, but your island family will always get you home safely.

6. Cocktail O’Clock

You drink far more alcohol than you did at home. Drinking on island is like everyone’s favourite hobby. You will indulge yourself in it because that’s what you do in the Caribbean. For every occasion there will need to be a rum punch or even a full blown party. Sun-downers is a daily occurrence because every day is a beach day, right?!

7. Island Time

Island time is a real thing. When a popular island motto here is “Rush Slowly” it’s not hard to see how island time is a thing. Things that would normally take 10 minutes back home you should be prepared to wait. It’s something you get used to living on an island.

Examples include: waiting for a taxi, they may say 5 minutes but what they mean is we will arrive when we arrive. Waiting for your bill in a restaurant- should be quick enough right? Wrong- you will have to wait, sometimes up to an hour and the more you ask the longer you wait. Arranging a meet up with friends- everyone will be some degree of ‘late’ by normally standards. Trying to set up a direct debit in the bank is something I could do myself with online banking in 10 minutes- 45 minutes in the bank. Renewing your car insurance in branch will easily take an hour- yes you have to GO to the insurance company- no online insurance renewal here!

8. Community Spirit

Just like your island friends become your family, your colleagues become your community. It is inevitable living on an island that has a limited amount of shops that you will run into people you know. You can’t go to the supermarket without bumping into people that you work with. This doesn’t only apply to colleagues, you will also see your doctor, mechanic, friends, your favourite waiter, your hairdresser, estate agent, etc the list goes on. One thing is for sure, you will normally have to stop and exchange niceties with a few folks in the supermarket.

9. Tourists Suck

You get annoyed at tourists. Not all tourists just the really bad ones, you know the type. They do some things that are so annoying. My personal pet peeve is when they walk all over the roads, they are still roads! You will also get sick of them exclaiming how lucky you are for living abroad or asking how you get anything done. Or stupid questions like do you drink all day, and do you spend all day at the beach? Go away Barbara just because you’re on a retirement cruise doesn’t mean I haven’t got work to do.

10. Cruise ships

You know the cruise schedules and when to avoid certain beaches by heart. Living abroad we have learnt that the cruise schedule becomes the holy grail in high season. If you miscalculate when the tours are in your peaceful beach day will be ruined with loud groups of tourists, probably a few screaming children and definitely some drunk complainers. Ugh! Luckily there are some beaches the tourists don’t know about.

11. Monkeying Around

Monkeys are arseholes! Yep they may look cute and fluffy and you might even be tempted to try and coax them over with food. In reality they are like small groups of obnoxious teenagers who do what the fuck they want, when they want. The monkeys here used to be famous for getting drunk on the beaches but that has dissipated in recent years. Now they just rummage through your bins, shit on your balcony and steal your fruit and veggies from under your nose. They will also sit in the road and not move until threatened with being ran over and chase you on your morning run.

12. Not Everyday Is a Beach Day

It’s perfectly acceptable to not always go to the beach on your day off. For a while I use to feel guilty if I didn’t make the most of days off by going to the beach. But I realised that sometimes I just want to lay on the sofa and read my book, and not having to worry about getting sun burnt and shaving my legs and that’s absolutely fine.

13. Expat Guilt

Living abroad we have learnt that every time you take some holiday from work family and friends will expect you to visit them. They won’t however extend you the same courtesy. But it’s ok to not always ‘go home’ when you have time off. You need to have a break by taking a real holiday too!

14. Island Fever

You start to get island fever if you don’t leave the rock for a while. That feeling of claustrophobia at not being able to leave. The struggle is real. When you do leave the island, you will remember why you love your little rock, and want to get back as soon as possible. You will miss the slow pace of life that comes with living on an island and wonder why the hell everyone is so ‘rushy’ in the rest of the world.

15. A True Islander

You are thankful that you get to live in such an amazing place. Amidst all the complaining and the island quirks, you do marvel at how you came to live in such a wonderful country. The yearlong warm weather and the close proximity to the ocean make it all worth it. When people ask you when you are ‘coming home’, you will start thinking but I am home, and that’s when you become a true islander.

Is there anything we have learnt living abroad that surprised you? Or do you have any lessons to add? Let us know in the comments!

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