PEOPLE OF CAYMAN
PEOPLE OF CAYMAN O N E S T O RY AT A T I M E by Emmanuel Jose Your story is your power. What is your story? Share your stories at peopleofcayman@gmail.com www.peopleofcayman.com
n a m y a C n i e n a i D
I moved to Cayman following a boy, but what I found here was myself.
The first year here I had chosen to focus on my future and how could I benefit from Cayman. But, what I discovered was that I was asking the wrong questions. Now, following a separation, change of employment, and friends that come and go, I realize I should focus ore on living in the moment. Some things you just cannot plan for and some things should just be embraced as they are. LIVING IN CAYMAN TAUGHT ME A MILLION LESSONS. I learned to be patient because island life is a real thing, to be open minded with the culturerich people living here, to respect the ocean and to take advantage of the simple things. I’ve learned that if it rains on one side of the island, you can almost always find a sunny beach on the other side... if it is too windy to scuba, then try surfing! If it is too calm for surf, go offshore fishing! There is always some thing beautiful to embrace here if you give yourself time to recognize it.
During my time off, I would spend my day scuba diving, swimming, lion fishing or deepwater fishing. Blue water diving is stunning! Here you can find anything from reef shark to octopus, shipwrecks, to silversides. One of the more exciting things I have been able to see through scuba diving is the annual coral spawning, feeding reef shark, and slaying some lionfish on North Side for some tacos! I am currently learning to offshore fish as well! I caught my first Blackfin tuna and Mahi-Mahi here. If I am not in the water, I am watching my labradoodle, Ellie, swim at the beach. She has gone her whole life without the ocean, and now that she has seen it, I’m not sure I can ever take her away from a beach!
My favorite spot in Cayman is anywhere with good company! From sunrise at Collier’s Beach to Sunset at Coral Beach you cannot choose a displeasing location on island. One place that stands out to me is having fresh fish and a beer on the wall next to Heritage Kitchen. I met an incredible human there on that concrete wall watching the sunset on the waves.
Life in Cayman is a whirlwind. You make friends with expats and they leave in six months,
you meet billionaires in waiting rooms after you call them by their first name, you ride a public bus for months never understanding a word and then get mistaken as a Caymanian by your accent. There are good days and bad days, but if you’re having a bad day, just go take a dog to the beach - instant happiness!
My favorite drink on island is a shandy (Sprite/ WhiteTip mix). Iwas introduced to shandys by a friend of mine. I met her during a pivotal moment in my life. After the end of a relationship, I was relearning to love and respect myself. Now, every shandy I drink reminds me of sitting on the beach with my two girlfriends talking about dogs and supporting each other. The greatest challenge I encounter on island is finding my niche. My first year in Cayman, I found myself struggling mentally, emotionally, and of course, financially! It wasn’t until my second year that I truly made Cayman my home. What I was missing was a little perspective and maybe some time. There are amazing people from all over the world. Once you find your niche, everything can go wrong and somehow, everything is still all right.
My favorite thing about living in Cayman is the people. My coworkers and my friends have developed into this amazing family I could not be more thankful for. I have a support group made up of a million micro jokes, different cultures, and accents galore. In nursing, we often say that your day is only as good or as bad as the people you are with. Cayman is the same, except stunning, all the time.
Now that I am about to leave Cayman, I wish I could capture how happy I am and bottle it up. I have never been so thankful and grateful for my time here except for now that I am leaving. They say you never take advantage of what is so easily accessible until it is gone. I am sad to leave such an incredible little island, but I am happy to have friends ready to meet me wherever I go. I have travel buddies eagerly planning our trips to india, costa rica, hawaii, philippines, etc. These people are coworkers, landlords, patients, chefs, divers, and surfers. I hope I can truly take advantage of what I’ve learned here - to live in the moment and embrace the beauty in the little things.
I have mixed emotions about leaving the islandbut I am mainly hopeful. I am excited to move forward to my next adventure, but I am hopeful that I might return to see some of my favorite faces again. With COVID-19 in the background, I occasionally wonder if the change might be a misstep, but one thing I have learned is that in my experience, change is usually a good thing.
Be patient and be kind. Cayman has a lot to offer if you are willing to wait to find your niche, your family, your home. There were many times when I felt like I should give up on finding happiness here, but I am so lucky that so many others have encouraged me to stay and give it time. Cayman quickly grew on me and the nearly three years here feel as though they have raced by. Finding good work and stable finances may take time, but the quality of life here can come quite easily. Even if you end up living paycheck to paycheck, you can still afford a sheet on a beach with a couple friends.
