Hello, my name is Christa and I was born, raised and lived in California my whole life. I love all things outdoors and I'm a bit crafty. Somehow, I retired from the City of Roseville in the Finanace Dept. We met Barb and James when we became neighbors. My husband, Rodney and I would have Friday night dinners with them. We enjoyed wonderful homemade dinners and we would love to play cards and chat for hours, other times we would venture out to new eateries. We found Barb and James to be welcoming and always felt like she was was my long lost sister. I just love her energy and fond memories.
My retirement dream was to step away from the time clock and motherhood and finally enjoy my time. Sounds good, right? Things have changed so much through the years and I needed to take control of my happiness and my surroundings.
We enjoyed the outdoor life of what Northern California had to offer. We hiked all over Auburn, cycled around Lake Natomas and kayak Lake Clementine, our favorites, almost daily.
We decided that winters were making us grumpy (seasonal depression) so we decided to move to an island where it is always summer. Bonaiire Island in the Dutch Antilles was the answer. Affordable housing, lots of nice restaurants and lots of outdoor activities to keep us busy, We sold our great house in Roseville, which had 40 plus fruit trees, berries and honey bees. Little did I know I would be changing everything.
What we miss; the roads, fresh fruit, hardware stores, and Amazon next day delivery! The hiking trails are thorny and the weather is very hot with little to no shade. The roads are the worst I have ever seen. Driving is like a rollercoaster, dodging potholes, golf carts, scooters, wild donkeys, goats, flamingos iguanas and parrots.
We invested and renovated a few houses and now we have vacation rentals. Check us out at
BachelorsBeach.com/Homes defined for a divers vacation
We are the property managers for the homes. It is a lot of work and a total 180 from our jobs. We enjoy the challenge and make time for fun and social events on the island. The islanders love to party. The governments gives them a day off after the holiday to recover. Island life has a term that they live by, Tranquilla. Everyone is happy, rich or poor. They love life and a party. Minimum wage is $6.65. The culture is a mix of local Bonarians that speak Papimento. With a Dutch government the children are taught to speak Dutch and English. There are a lot of immigrants that come from surrounding islands to work and are very grateful for having jobs.
We have a two minute walk to the ocean and swim in the most amazing water. Turquoise blue and the visibility is 200 feet. There are 30 different fish, turtles, stingrays, etc. It is truly amazing. The salt water has ruined my hair and my skin has leathered, but I would not change a thing.
Beauty tips from a beach gal-I condition and oil my hair twice a day. Find great wash and wear styles. I haven't touched a curling iron in 2 plus years. I wear sunscreen, hats and glasses. For dinner out I wear a light foundation to cover all the freckles, darken my brows and bright lipstick. No mascara. I like big dangling earrings for a nice distraction. I color my hair blonde even though it is mostly grey and white. I am not ready to give it up.
Maybe someone could write an article about going natural!
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED. The island speaks Papimento, Dutch and English. The currency is the US dollar. The island uses military time and the metric system. I find it odd that the US is the only place that uses the Imperial system of inches and feet.
Naps are a luxury and are like Russian roulette. Sometimes they are 20 minutes and sometimes they are 3 hours long. You never know what you get.
I have 'adopted a granddaughter named Bliss, age 7. We are friends with her parents. We collect shells, swim and work on crafts together. She is trying to teach me Dutch. We laugh a lot!
We also volunteer at the Animal Shelter and co-teach water aerobics and sewing to local teens.
We have made alot of friends and lost a few. We sometimes think about mortality if that happens.
What we have learned? Enjoy the company of your friends as if you don't get tomorrow with them. Love them and tell them so!
*Thank you Christa. I almost feel like I live there. We miss you both!!*