My bedroom was furnished with two queen beds and a small bedside table. A lot of my clothes were buried on the shelf in my closet or jammed into the one drawer in the bedside table. So one day I asked Victor to remove the extra bed, which left the bedroom quite spacious. My plan was to find a small chest of drawers, a matching bedside table, and then move the existing table to the living room to use as a tv table. The tv had been perched atop a pink plastic stool with a small piece of plywood for stability and covered with a colorful piece of fabric...a little more shabby than chic! Perfectly acceptable for someone staying only a month or two in Utila, but not for someone making the apartment into a permanent home.
There is a small furniture store in Utila, but the only chest of drawers available there had a large attached mirror, which I didn't really want. I then asked my friend, Sondy, if she wanted to take a trip to the mainland with me so we could shop around there for some used furniture. A couple of people had mentioned Productos Americanos, a large store in La Ceiba which sold gently used furniture from the states.
Sometimes things just fall into place so nicely that you know it was meant to be. Sondy's husband flew to the island from San Pedro for a visit and let us take the chartered plane to La Ceiba for a day of shopping and errands. We drove around for over an hour trying to find the furniture store, but it soon became apparent that we would have to scrub that idea and get back to the airport for the return flight. On the way, we passed a small store with a chest of drawers out front, so we stopped to see what was available. There I bought a beautiful chest of drawers and matching bedside table, hand made of Honduran cedar, for just over $200. They were delivered by boat the following week and are now usefully and fashionably situated in my bedroom.
Although most of the residents here at the Sandstone Apartments are short term, there are a few of us who are long term. My next door neighbor, Jason, has been here almost as long as I have. He is starting an exciting new business, Breakthrough Adventures, which utilizes his expertise as a life coach and also as a diving instructor. Jason's premise is that people can overcome their fear of diving...and he's the man to help them do it. As I have done, he also has commited to living in Utila and following his dream.
Mac & Nichol are here for nine months as missionaries. Young, energetic and sociable, they have been a delight to have as friends and neighbors. They will be returning to Canada in May, and I will definitely miss having them here.
James, also from Canada, was here for only a couple of months, but sometimes you just click with people, and that was the case with James. I found that we had a lot of common beliefs, and our friendly discussions of current world issues were in-depth and satisfying. In the evenings we would sit together on the porch with our glasses of wine and enjoy the ocean breeze. He is in Ireland now, with his girlfriend, for a tour of that country before they return to their homes in Canada.
Since the Sandstone is on the outskirts of town and rather secluded, we have developed into our own little microcosm. We rely on one another for trips to town, evening conversations over a glass of wine, morning coffee at Rio Coco, occasional pot luck dinners, and the occasional borrowed cup of sugar. Jason gets his "kitty fix" from my cat, Pumpkin, who loves to wander next door into his apartment uninvited.
A recent pot luck get-together included Sondy, Eric, Jason, James, and James' brother, Chris.
Sondy, who manages the apartments for her sister and brother-in-law, lives upstairs with her son, Charlie, and his nanny. She divides her time between here and San Pedro, where her husband lives and maintains his construction business. He visits the island often, and Sondy occasionally makes a trip to San Pedro as well.
Sondy is very accommodating with the residents here. She will drive us around if needed and makes any necessary improvements with the apartments. I had an old fridge that needed to be defrosted every couple of months and she just swapped it for a very nice frost-free fridge. Next week she's having my bedroom painted because of a little damage done during a particularly heavy rainfall. She often goes shopping for us and currently has a shopping list from both Jason and me for the next time she goes to San Pedro.
I have my own little golf cart now, which makes shopping and going longer distances much easier. I still love to walk, so I continue to do that if I'm going to Rio Coco for coffee or going to the bank or post office. Doug, another expat here on the island, rebuilds used golf carts and he customized this one for me. It has some cool wood accents and a gold stripe around the midsection. In my previous life I was a school bus driver, and we lady drivers always named our buses. Following that tradition, I've named my golf cart Bucky, a reminder to me of the Wisconsin Badgers football and basketball teams which brought me so much enjoyment.
I have quickly accustomed myself to both the similarities and the differences between cultures. I know when the ferry is bringing shipments of food to the stores, know what days Rio Coco is open for coffee, know what time of day certain businesses are closed for siesta, know that no one is in a rush to get anything done, and know that if you ever need anything there are hundreds of people right there to help you.
There are many talented artists living and creating in Utila. Gunter creates plaques with maps of the island...some of them three-dimensional...and whale sharks sprinkled with colorful resins that glow when hung in a sunny window. Dennis, a self taught artist, paints vibrant ocean views with acrylics and watercolors. Neil, artistic designer of The Jade Seahorse, creates his fairytale designs from recycled bottles, broken china, and other reused objects.
I am surrounded by so much beauty that it's difficult to take it all in. I always have my camera with me, because I'm never sure what amazing scene might be right around the corner.
The ocean is a source of serenity and joy for me. My roots are by the ocean, and just listening to the roar of the surf and witnessing the crash of waves against the rocks, gives me comfort and a feeling of being home. To some, the ocean is just a body of water. To others, such as I, the ocean touches something deep within our souls, and it's both physical, sensual and spiritual.
If I have to be separated from my family, I'm overjoyed that it can be here by the ocean, in this little community of friends who feel like family. Each new day brings untold beauty, interesting discoveries, new friendships and exciting opportunities. I have found my forever home.
