Welcome to the Island Obsessions blog!

My name is Patty and I suppose that you could say that I’m just another one of those people who took a trip to the Caribbean and fell head-over-heels in love with the laid-back and friendly island vibe.

In my case, though, it turned into a full-fledged obsession after my very first visit, as I couldn’t shake my constant urge to get back to the islands and the sense of pure bliss that I feel when I’m there.  I thought it might’ve just been a phase that I was going through, but even after 3 trips in 9 months, that pull that I feel to return is as powerful as it has ever been, if not more so.

Why IslandObsessions.com?

I started the Island Obsessions blog in 2009 in an attempt to explore my love for the islands and to share what I learn along the way. Putting my sentiments into words is sometimes difficult because it’s not simply the “physical” elements like the gorgeous beaches, the amazing turquoise-blue water, or the fancy resorts and restaurants that hooked me. Instead, I fell in love more because of the intangibles like the joy of being surrounded by easygoing people who aren’t afraid to make eye-contact or offer a genuine greeting, and for whom truly simple pleasures are just enough.

I live in the Washington, DC metropolitan area where life moves fast, people seem to barely even notice when they rush past each other, and showing your true self can actually be seen as a weakness.  I often get frustrated by the coldness of interpersonal relationships here, but I think that just knowing that a different attitude and a different lifestyle exists in the islands is a comfort to me.  In fact, my island trips have inspired me to simplify my life here at home and to work harder towards strengthening my connections with the people that surround me every day.  It isn’t quite as easy here to do those things here, but at least I know it’s possible.

So why haven’t I just packed up and moved to the islands already? Well, I’ve definitely looked into it and all that it would require. It would be nice to just pick up and leave, but suffice it to say that there are just certain responsibilities that I have here at home that I’m not willing to abandon right now.  For the time being, I’ll just have to find a way to get back to the islands as often as possible in order to get my “fix”.  Trust me, though, the motivation for me to eventually end up in the islands on a more permanent basis is definitely there and every move I make, these days, is purposely designed to get me one step closer to that.

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Thanks so much for visiting!