Category: My Story: Moving to Cayman

It was day 5. I was really starting to settle into my new “home.” With some of my clothing unpacked in drawers, toiletries neatly organized in the bathroom, and food stocked in the cabinets and fridge, I was ready for the long haul. I felt so comfortable in the space that I went as far as to lay on the floor not once, but MULTIPLE times for my ab workouts and yoga sessions. Yep, everything was smooth sailing. Until I realized…I wasn’t the only one who was feeling at home in the room. 

Around 11 pm on night 5 I was sitting on my bed with my computer when I saw a little black something crawling on the floor by the couch. Oh that’s nothing, probably a shadow. Double take. Nope, not a shadow. Definitely…a MOUSE. NO NO NO. MOUSE WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? 

Now…I like to think I am something of a nature person. You know, at one with the animals and all… but THIS? I am not proud when I tell you that I went into full freak out mode. My skin was crawling and my breathing was out of control. Apparently the last few months of my meditation app did nothing to help me in this mouse crisis situation. So naturally I called Bryan to video chat all the while on my safe bed island. He coached me through it and we devised a game plan but the problem is that everything I needed to take the first steps was located in the same area as the mouse house (aka the couch). I mustered up the courage, sprinted to my shoes, sprinted back to the bed and put them on. I felt better with shoes on. The next step was to get to the phone and call the “emergency” number. As much as I hate myself for saying this, YES a mouse in my hotel room IS an emergency in my book.

The man on the phone proposed a solution: let the mouse have the room and I would move to a new one. I agreed. Sorry mousey, this room ain’t big enough for the both of us. The staff left a new room key outside my door and told me I should pack all my things. I tried to minimize the amount of time I had to spend in the room by taking a garbage bag and throwing all the unpacked items in. Sprinting across the room, standing on all available furniture (Except the sofa of course). I then started throwing all my luggage out in the hall, not being quiet at all. Apologies fellow quarantiners but we had a situation on our hands. In the process of doing all this and trying to keep my shit together I saw a large bug skitter across the table and let out an audible scream. Sorry, Comfort Suites but every time I see a living creature in your hotel, you lose a star.

Finally, I had gathered up all my belongings and put them outside the door. By the time I was done packing I had regained composure and some of my fear subsided and I actually contemplated staying and sharing the room with the mouse. HA, just kidding. But I did realize how irrational my fear was and laughed inwardly at the fact that mice are completely oblivious to how much (some) humans fear them. I am sure he had just gotten wind of the fact that I don’t eat meat and thought we could have a sympatico shared residence. 

So, at almost midnight I began to haul all my luggage down the hallway (same floor thankfully) to room 201. When I entered, I realized that the mouse had awarded me an upgrade. While it is probably not any bigger than my last room, it is two bedroom, two bathroom, with a hot shower (my last shower never got warm), and a much improved view! This view may even allow Bryan to come wave to me! (Stay tuned). As soon as I set my stuff down I called Bryan back and he made me check all the crevices in the room for more mice. My skin was still doing its creepy-crawly thing and my mind was on high alert. My search came up negative but what would I have done if I had found another? Move to another room? With more mice? And who knows how long that mouse and I were living in harmony before me even knowing it. Probably all 5 days.

Anyway, after my search I unpacked a bit and showered and then tried to sleep but I think there was some residual adrenaline in my system and I didn’t feel tired. FINALLY around 3 am, I kind of drifted off. But then. THEN. Chickens.

At 3 something in the morning one ill-mannered rooster posted up right outside my window and decided it was as good a time as ever to let out some cockle-doodle-doos. With gusto. And not just one. Not two. I kid you not, this dude was cockle-doodle-dooing for more than 10 minutes straight. At that point I just had to laugh. Do you think the animals are trying to communicate with me? Maybe they sense that I care for them on a personal level and just want to be friends? Whatever the case may be, they sure do make for a good blog. But here’s to hoping the next 10+ days of my quarantine are uneventful and rodent-free. I will continue to respect mice from a distance but I do not need to share a bed with them. Thanks for reading 🙂

PS. Our eyes rarely deceive us. If you think you saw a mouse, you probably saw a mouse. 

Monday, May 11th. 4:53 pm. The email reads: “You have been allocated a seat on the flight from Miami — Grand Cayman on Friday 15th May.”

I received this email only HOURS after my first blog post. The post in which I said “I have no idea what the next few months will bring.” AKA I was planning to live the next 2+ months in Reedsburg with my parents. And in an abrupt and seemingly random turn of events, I was trying to figure out how I could possibly move abroad with only four days notice. 

I relay this earth-shattering news to my parents. My mom responds with a genuine laugh as if I am joking. My dad becomes super focused and asks “Do you think you can pull this off?” Can we? Could we? My response: “I think so.”

Well spoiler alert: I made it! But before I tell you how this all went down, you may be wondering why this news was so surprising and why it came out of left field. Here’s a bit of context: There has been a travel ban in the Cayman Islands since the end of March. Nobody in and nobody out without special government permission. At this time, you cannot purchase a flight to Cayman in the traditional sense. You can’t go on Kayak and book a trip online. The only way you are getting a seat on a plane is if the government organizes the trip for you and the organized trips are few and far between — and for good reason. The Cayman government has implemented effective mitigation and thanks to that there has been very little (virtually no) community spread of the virus. Anyone who arrives on Island during the pandemic has to go into Government-controlled isolation for a minimum of 14 days. After 14 days, those in isolation are tested for COVID and only upon a negative result are they allowed to leave the facility (a hotel). More to come on this later!

SO what’s crazy is that these trips have so far only been organized for local Caymanians and permanent residents of the Island. At this moment in time, I don’t necessarily fit the description of someone who would be granted permission to enter. At least I didn’t think so. Despite this, I had emailed the Island’s travel hotline and in a Hail Mary attempt explained mine and Bryan’s situation. A week or so later, this email showed up in my inbox completely unannounced. It goes to show, and as my mom always says, if you want something in life you have to ask for it.

Okay, back to the logistical nightmare that was getting ready to move to a Caribbean island with 4 days notice. Well, to be sure, this move would not have been possible without my trooper parents. As much as I know they were sad and would have loved for me to stay with them all summer…they (hardly) let it show and dropped everything to make this happen for me. They took off three days of work! Wednesday to move me out of my apartment, Thursday to take me to Chicago, and Friday to drive all the way back. First, they met me in Saint Paul to pack up my apartment. It was already partially packed up as I was planning to move out by the end of May, but we did the last bit of heavy lifting, turned in my keys, and waved goodbye to the Twin Cities. I also got to see some of my SHS co-workers, shoutout Jennifer, Natalie, Josh, and Geoff! 

Thursday was dedicated to packing my suitcases. Let me say that I have never been one to live by the “minimalist philosophy; however, when you are moving to another country and can only take with you two checked bags, a carry-on, and a personal item, you are kind of forced to practice Marie Kondo’s “does this spark joy?” tool. The problem? Everything was sparking joy. What I had to do was divide my belongings into piles: YES, maybe, and no. The good news is that the entire YES pile made it into my luggages. However, the ‘maybe’ pile was left in the dust. But I will be back for it! Another problem was that my beloved cat Bo kept climbing into my suitcases and he looked so cute so I had to stop to take pictures. 

At the end of a long day of packing, we loaded up my dad’s truck, I telepathically communicated to Bo what was happening, and we hit the road. See you soon Reedsburg! Our last stop before Chicago was to see my brother Chase, my sister-in-law Colleen, and my brand new nephew, Clyde. We grilled out, visited on their patio, and stared at little baby Clyde, fascinated by his cuteness. I tried to telepathically communicate with Clyde too but I only have practice with cats, baby telepathy is a little new for me. 

Later that night we arrived at a Park-Sleep-Fly right by O’hare so we could sleep at least a few hours. We left the hotel a little after 3 am (again, my parents are troopers). They pulled me up outside the American Airlines counter and that is where we had to say our goodbyes 🙁

Nervous? Scared? Sad? Excited? Yes, literally all those emotions and more. I don’t think there is a playbook for how someone is supposed to feel when they leave the only home they’ve ever known (the midwest) and move to a different country — not to mention during a global pandemic. Saying goodbye to friends and family is never easy but this experience so far has made me realize how grateful I am for the relationships I have formed not only with amazing people but also with places. I am so lucky to have a support system that is sad to see me go but equally excited for this adventure that Bryan and I get to live. With that being said, thank you so much to my parents and to those friends and family members who have supported me in preparing for this new chapter. I will see you all soon and when I do I will be tan (but a healthy tan okay, sun protection is still important) and ready to P A R T Y! I don’t know what that means but it felt right to say it. Social distancing is getting to me.

So, as you can see by the title of this blog…this is only part one of “An Unexpected Turn of Events.” I have so much more to fill you in on but unfortunately many people lack the patience for reading (bless your heart if you made it this far) so I am going to break this crazy story into two parts. What I can leave you with is that while no, Bryan and I have not yet been reunited, I HAVE arrived safe and sound on Island! Random luck? Meant to be? Your guess is as good as mine 🙂

Stay tuned for Part 2 to learn about what life is like in Cayman Government Quarantine!!!

Thanks for reading!

Let’s be clear here. I am not typically a spontaneous, go-with-the-flow kind of person. Or at least I haven’t been historically. Moving to a different country, a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, is not a life move I am taking lightly. 24 years of residing in the ever dependable Mid-western states of Wisconsin and Minnesota have instilled within me a certain penchant for stability and predictability. Yes, the Midwest. Where the items that fluctuate most are which weekend in July we are going to spend at our cabin and whether or not we are still going to be dealing with that GD snow in April. To be certain, I am not in any way cutting down this style of living…I actually thrive on it. I am simply providing some context on what this move represents for me. I have already moved from Reedsburg to St. Cloud and then from St. Cloud to Minneapolis…so the most logical next step would obviously be Minneapolis to Grand Cayman. Duh!

 You may be thinking…What? Huh? Why? Wow, lucky. How millennial of you. Are your parents okay? Before I go full-send, let’s back up a bit. It all began with a book. A book? Yes, a book…while kind of. Last summer, the (very) tentative 5 year plan that Bryan and I had devised virtually dissolved. We were left with a wide-open playing field and some very interesting decisions to make in a not so very long amount of time. Enter “the book.” This book that I speak of was none other than “The Firm,” by John Grisham…a book I borrowed from my brother, didn’t return (sorry Chase), and then later lent to Bryan. It was also made into a movie starring Tom Cruise in his prime (swoon). I loved this book so much that I insisted Bryan read it…which he did. Bryan loved the book too. His interest was piqued not only because of Grisham’s enticing story-telling abilities, but also because of the setting of the novel — the Cayman Islands. Most people who are excited by the idea of a tropical paradise fulfill their interest by looking at vacation options or watching an episode of “Caribbean Life” on HGTV. As you may have already guessed, Bryan and I aren’t most people. Well…Bryan definitely isn’t. He is markedly unique. Rather than turning to TripAdvisor, he turned to “Employment Opportunities.” Low and behold, there was a position open at an accounting firm in Grand Cayman that matched his qualifications. He applied. He interviewed. He got the job! 

So…now what? As I mentioned earlier, I am not a spontaneous person. I am not a spur-of-the-moment, let’s-pack-up-and-move kind person. We learned about this opportunity in July and Bryan’s job started the beginning of October. However, I was due back teaching in Somerset, a job I really loved, at the end of August. I had nothing secured in Cayman and at first glance, many teaching positions there required at least 2 years of experience. I only had one. In hindsight, I know we could have made it work. I would have found something. But change is hard, and I couldn’t bring myself to leave my job and my home of 24 years on such short notice. Plus, my parents would have had a conniption. So, Bryan and I made the difficult decision to pursue our careers long-distance for what we had planned to be about 8 months with some visits built in. Bryan would get us set up in Cayman with an apartment and a vehicle. I would continue teaching at SHS and line-up a teaching job on island for Fall 2020. Then, sometime in May, I would officially move to Grand Cayman and Bryan and I would be reunited! Yay! Perfect plan, right? Actually, it was going quite well. Aside from long-distance being difficult, Bryan was able to settle in, I was able to visit the island twice and also find a job that I am really excited about for Fall 2020  (more to come on that later). Bryan and I were on the home-stretch of being long-distance, planning to see each other once more in April followed by my move just a month or so later. Oh yeah…things were running as smooth as the Caribbean beaches. Until… GLOBAL PANDEMIC! Literally. I mean, you can’t make this stuff up people. COVID19 stepped on the scene swiftly and violently and all of a sudden not even the Mid-westerners were safe. 

So…now what? Well, on a more serious note I would like to acknowledge that what is most important right now is that after a rough and uncertain couple of months amidst real, virus-related concerns, both Bryan and I, as well as our families are safe and healthy which we are so thankful for. However, Bryan and I are unfortunately still separated for a couple of reasons. We were hoping to be reunited by the end of May but at this time it is hard to say when our reunion will be exactly. We are awaiting the arrival of my work permit approval while also jumping through the hoops of international travel restrictions. What a time to try to move abroad! Just the same as many people all over the world, COVID19 has thrown a wrench in our plans and made things very complicated but we remain positive as we know we are strong enough to survive the on-going distance and uncertainty.

I can’t speak to what the next few months will look like, but I will surely keep everyone up to date! What I can report after having visited twice this year, is that the island is beautiful…if that wasn’t obvious already. Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands which are an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the Caribbean sea. Grand Cayman has a population of roughly 60,000. It is located 150 miles south of Cuba and 480 miles southwest of Miami. (Look it up on a map and see if you can find it!) Grand Cayman is 22 miles long with an average width of 4 miles only. Truly tiny. Over 135 different nationalities are represented in Cayman. A little over half of the population is Caymanian followed by Jamaican, British, American, Canadian, Filipino a mix of Latin American, and many more! Bryan being Spanish and Cuban and myself being a Midwestern American…well, I suppose we fit right in! 

Bryan has been in Cayman since October and secured us a cozy 1-bedroom apartment (yes, cozy means small) which is located 10 minutes from Georgetown and is a 3 minute walk to a beach. You can see the ocean from our patio! It even comes with a pool and some fun little pets! — A large crab that has learned how to climb up the stairs, along with many lizards and some boisterous chickens. Bryan also purchased a baby-blue Fiat 500 that we must drive on the left side of the road per Caymanian custom! As far as teaching, I signed on for a year-long maternity leave position at a Montessori Elementary School — literally called “Montessori by the Sea” and will be taking over Phy Ed classes and possibly piloting a Spanish program. While not exactly the position I had originally envisioned, it just kind of found me and now I could not be more excited to work with young kids again and spend the majority of my day outside (by the sea) being active! Sunscreen is about to take on a whole new meaning in my life.

There is certainly a lot to look forward to and we know it is just on the horizon. While it may take longer than originally anticipated, Bryan and I are staying positive and cannot wait to be together again!  Cayman is full of unique and exciting things to do (when not fighting against a pandemic). You can try out snorkeling, scuba-diving, watersports, or one of the many amazing bars and restaurants on the island, just to name a few day-to-day opportunities. During my visits, I definitely got a taste of the island-life, but I am so excited to return and report to you all on what it is like to truly live in the Caribbean. Thank you for reading my first installment of Island Diaries! I am so excited for you to join us on this adventure and I will be sure to report back as soon as we have news to share! (I think we could all use some good news!) Stay tuned!

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