This story is personal. I live on an island with a population of 25,000, located 8 miles (13 km) by ferry from downtown Seattle. Every time I mention to someone and share with them that I am an islander, people tend to romanticize it. They do not necessarily picture palm trees and thatched huts but are not from this idea…
Don’t misunderstand me. It’s a great place to live. There is relative calm, you are surrounded by water, people wave hello and while not overly friendly are friendlier than those in the big cities. The Island is beautiful; birds, fish, sailboats, cozy coffee shops with delicious baked goods, ice cream parlors and other local businesses. It reads like a fairy tale.
But the other side of the coin illustrates a slightly different reality.
NINE MONTH LONG INVASION OF TOURISTS
The thousands of tourists that visit during the summer, on a daily basis, upset the calm of the Island, and the coffee shops and ice cream parlors become not as quaint.
SEALS BARK FROM THE FLOATING BUOYS AT ALL HOURS
You don’t ever completely get used to this.
THE FOGHORN OF THE FERRY
The foghorn of the ferry announces every arrival and departure which occurs approximately every forty minutes. This reminds you that you live on an island in case you got used to the barking of the seals.
SPEAKING OF THE FERRY…
…it is worth noting that it runs your life. Every visit to friends, theatre, or cinema is governed by the ferry schedule. What this means is leaving friends early, rushing out of the theatre or cinema or catching the last ferry at 2:00 am.
WILD ANIMALS
Deer eat almost everything in your garden. Families of raccoons open your trash cans and scatter it about.
As long as you are aware of all of this before moving to an island, you will be perfectly happy in your surroundings.
Michael Djordjevich