Paradise East

My husband and I have been living the tropical lifestyle for more than 20 years now. It is strange how life has its twists and turns, and you end up where you never dreamed you would. In our case, forsaking the snow and sleet of the Midwest came about because my husband, Ed, was asked by a friend to go to Montserrat, a Caribbean island, and help rebuild houses after Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

Invited to return for a proper vacation the next year by the woman who had provided him housing during the hurricane trip, he - and I - spent a week with her. We did the same the following year - and began looking for a small house to buy for month-long getaways in the winter. I was still working as a newspaper reporter, but he could conduct his insurance business by phone and fax while we were "on island."

It wasn't only the weather that made up our minds to buy. The laid-back lifestyle appealed to us, and the people were so warm and friendly. In fact, a couple of people he met on his first trip, on seeing us the following year, said, "Welcome Home!" That was powerful.

Paradise East

The plan was to spend several months a year on Montserrat when we retired. That came about sooner than I thought possible when I discovered I was old enough and had been employed long enough to remain on my employer's health insurance as a retiree, and my husband could remain as my dependent. Neither of us was quite old enough for Social Security, but he would continue working.

And thus began our four winters on Montserrat.

The concrete block house had two bedrooms, one bath and a living/dining/kitchen combination. Plus, a big plus, it had a swimming pool. Because the house was located on the east side of the island, we named it "Paradise East."