Written by John Morris
One of the things I love the most about Roatan is the diversity of the expat community on the island. I have no idea how many countries are represented here, but certainly most of the Americas, a good chunk of Europe as well as our friends from down under have made Roatan their home. So why is this good? Obviously, it is educational to learn about other countries and their traditions and mentalities, but I think the main benefit is that the diversity has taught us all to be patient, tolerant, friendly and helpful. I have never before felt such a strong sense of community as here on the island.
The first day we moved to Roatan, we headed down to Sundowners in West End, a favorite expat watering hole. By the end of the evening, we had at least 20 new friends and received an invite to a barbecue the next evening.
Where else can you sit around a pool with Canadians, Dutch, Austrians, Italians, Australians and Kiwis?
To this day, this original group is mostly still here and have remained close friends. That being said, most cultures still cling together at times which is also great. Comfort in numbers, right?
The other night, a friend of ours, a South African/Italian mix, who owns a popular Italian eatery named Pazzo in West End, relayed the following story:
“So the Italians came to eat at my restaurant the other night in a large group and, as Italians do, began discussing Italian food while they were dining. Remember these Italians are from different regions in Italy, so opinions can be quite different. The discussion escalated in to a shouting match on their feet with fingers pointing. The rest of the patrons starting to become nervous to the point where I had to stop cooking and announce quite loudly: Don’t worry! They are Italians! This is what they do!”
Living on the island is like living in a small town which is mostly good. Yes, everyone knows your business (forget trying to have an affair here), but most everyone cares. If someone is in trouble or needs help, folks come out of the woodwork.
Another friend of mine was in a scooter accident which required hospitalization and blood donors. The request hit the local radio station and after 30 minutes, the hospital was turning folks away.
Yes, on Roatan, everyone has your back which results in a sense of security not found in larger towns or cities.
My brother, a recent LA transplant, likens Roatan to a mix of Mayberry RFD and Gilligan’s Island. He is not far off.
Aside from the above-mentioned radio station, our only way of following the pulse of the island is Facebook. There are umpteen Facebook pages ranging from garage sales to crime watch to local events. We do not wake up to a rubber banded crisp newspaper every morning, instead we check Facebook, mostly to see if all is OK and nobody did something stupid or forgot the golden rule… do not drink and type.
So life is pretty darn good here.
Besides our glorious reef, white sandy beaches, moderate climate and clear blue beautiful warm waters, what makes Roatan special is the people who live here and not just the expats, but the true island folks and mainland transplants also.
But don’t get me wrong, as in any part of the world, not everyone is a saint, but you will need to check the “Out Em” Facebook page for that!
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