Hi, my name is Jeremy and I’m a Belgian guy.
I lived for 5 years in North America, after that almost 2 years in Central America.
Now I’m living in The Bahamas… Why? Hmm… Do I really have to answer this one? 😀 LOL
Well, let’s say that at first I came here twice as a tourist and destiny helped by the love of a local mermaid brings me back to the Bahamian shores, but not as a tourist this time.What challenges did you face during the move?
Ha, ha… Yes, we can speak about challenge! Hmm, probably the biggest one was to learn how to cross a street and arrive still alive on the other side as everyone seems to drive on the wrong side of the road here 😀 LOL
After this first learning, the second one was to be the driver of the car and get used to also do my best to stay on the wrong side of the road, no matter what… Just joking but not so easy at first. Other than that, nothing really complicated except maybe about immigration laws and more especially the application of it in real life. Each immigration officer here seems to have its own perception of the law and it is kinda difficult to find two of them thinking the same way or just willing to apply the basic law as it is supposed to be… well, at least I though before laws were written on big books for this purpose 😛
Serious progress has to be done here, no kidding this time!
How did you find somewhere to live?
Does not apply to me as my wife is Bahamian.
Are there many other expats in your area?
Yes probably… I’m even sure of that… Expats here are not living on a specific area and the island is kinda small so there is expats living anywhere here.
What is your relationship like with the locals?
Excellent. Bahamian people are really friendly.
What do you like about life where you are?
Hmm… Other than the main raison I’m here for… The ocean, the sun and the sub-tropical heat for more than 315 days a year, the beautiful beaches, friendly people, the great food.
What do you dislike about your expat life?
“Dislike” is maybe a little too harsh but I still do miss spending time with my daughter and grand-daughter, my sister and also with my mom who is getting old and in a less healthy condition than when I started my journey several years ago.
What advice would you give to anyone following in your footsteps?
At first, to visit our website “Expats In The Bahamas” 😉
Everyone has very different needs but after staying for a while in several Countries, I would say: No matter how seriously you do your homework about the guest Country, you’ll be very surprised about lot of little things, part of your daily life. Be open mind, always respect people of the Country where you are landing and listen what they have to say about themselves and about their own Country. You could learn and adapt ten times faster by doing so and will enjoy a most easy integration. DO NOT try to change things; you’ll probably could not and it will not be appreciated at all.
What are your plans for the future?
Traveling in Europe and a little further 😉 But also visiting as much islands as possible in the archipelago of the Bahamas and find the right one for the ultimate settlement. You know I mean where to put the house you always dreamed about for when you’ll be retired… This place on the white sand beach with a very laid-back style life.