Final Update July; Retiring in Paradise

We have finally started getting ready for our move to Barbados!  During the 4th of July weekend we took advantage of the holiday sales and purchased all of the major appliances for our new house including the refrigerator, stove, microwave and washing machine. You are probably wondering about the dryer, we didn’t get one. Why waste money when the sun is free! We will hang clothes on the line and save electricity and money.

I estimate that we will save at least $20,000 by purchasing most items in the US and shipping to Barbados compared to purchasing everything in Barbados because of Sandra’s status. As a returning National we are exempt from duties and taxes on many household items including a right hand drive car which accounts for most of the savings.

I was speaking to my son Glenn about the things we were leaving for him in Boston and the things we are shipping to Barbados,  I think I caught him by surprise. I went through the list of appliances we were leaving, he said “Okay”, and I told him we were leaving the bedroom furniture he said “Okay”. When I said we were shipping the living room furniture to Barbados he said “Oka, wait what? You’re taking the living room?” His response was priceless!

Glenn went to the beach with a few of his friends last month. A beach day in Boston is much different than a beach day in Barbados. The big difference is that people in Boston play mostly on the sand while people in Barbados play in the water. The reason why is pretty obvious, the water temperature at the beginning of July is 82ºF in Barbados and just 62°F in Boston. It’s funny when you see people creeping into the water in Barbados and saying that the water is cold. But once you get in, it feels very refreshing, almost like bath water.

Even though Boston and Barbados share the Atlantic Ocean*, Barbados is a coral island which accounts for the white sand, Boston has brown sand.

I am happy to report to the cat lovers that Chance is still fine although I almost crushed him! I went into the sunroom to sit down, he was nowhere in sight. As I started sitting he ran and jumped on my (I mean our chair) and sat before me. The only reason I did not flatten him was Sandra yelled “CALVIN!” and I looked and saw him and managed to narrowly miss him!

This will be the last update as our current plans have us returning to Barbados after Labor Day which is next month. I’ll start back with my weekly blog in September. See you then, in Bim!

* Some maps have Barbados in the Atlantic while others have the west coast in the Caribbean sea and the east coast in the Atlantic Oceon.