The island of Grand Cayman, a British dependency that covers 76 square miles (197 square kilometers) in the northwest Caribbean Sea, is visible in this near-vertical photograph. Geologically similar to The Bahamas, Grand Cayman is a low-lying, limestone island located on top of a submarine ridge. The city of George Town, the capital and chief port of the Cayman Islands, can be seen at the southwest end of the island. Grand Cayman’s 7-mile beach can be seen on the western side of the island. Photo: NASA

Here’s the thing…

There is so much I’m going to miss about living in the Cayman Islands that is kind of creeping up on me. I should have known it would happen.

Let’s go back a few hours…

A good friend of mine recommended to a college friend of his that she get in touch with me because she was going to be on-island for a visit.

So she did, and last night she and her friend took a cab up to our place and then we went down the street to a lovely 4th of July Americana party with some other friends of ours.

Follow?

Ok, so we’re all hanging out at this party and we mention that on Fridays we usually go to Camana Bay and hang out at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink. It’s been our home-away-from-home practically ever since they opened. We love it there. I should say now that we’ve been there so many times it’s obscene. The staff knows what we like and hardly even have to utter the words, “Iced Americano, black.” before someone says to me, “Want your coffee, Ben?” Truly a “Cheers” moment. I’m gonna miss that.

So Jenn & I walk in at around 3:30pm and over the course of a few hours, some other friends come, eat, drink, chat, and go. One friend hangs around for a while so we can catch up. During that conversation, these friends-of-a-friend visitors come in and Jenn entertains them while I continue BSing with this other dude, periodically waving hello to this person and that person as they walk by and the manager of the restaurant, the chef, etc. I’m gonna miss that.

Dude finally takes off and she says something like, “Do you know everyone here?” I say, “It’s a small island.”

The night goes on and I stop to chat with a dozen or so people as we meander thru the Camana Bay Paseo, catching up, answering, “Hey are you guys moving?” with “Yep. To Seoul, South Korea…” “We should get together before you leave.” “Absolutely.” So many random people all congregating in one place. And it could have been practically anyplace on the island at any time. I’m gonna miss that.

It’s not the place in and of itself. It’s the community. So while it’s not the Cayman Islands itself, it’s the shared experience of the bootcamp that is the Cayman Islands and based on a predisposition to life abroad, in a foreign land where people just happen to speak English that makes Cayman special. I’m gonna miss that.

Another person I know once said… “Grand Cayman…. twenty-two miles long, eight miles wide, inhabited ’round the edges, soft and squishy in the middle.”

I’m gonna miss that…

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