#IslandLife: My Move to Guernsey

Ummm… Hi! I live in Guernsey now.

Now, I didn’t do a grand announcement here on the blog about moving here. In fact, my life got so busy over the late summer that between client work, trips for work (& play!) and house-hunting on a different island that the blog as usual had to simply fall by the wayside. But don’t think that I wasn’t taking notes and photos the whole time.

On my first visit to Guernsey back in July, I fell in love with then seaside location, the stunning scenery, cliff path walks and island feel. I also walked around with trepidation as I envisioned being here without a return flight. It’s small. And I mean really small. The drive to the airport is about 15mins. We drove to watch the sunset on the other side of the island and it took about 10mins to get there. We visited all of the best restaurants in the space of a weekend. My favourite clothing stores, Gap & Banana Republic, do not exist on the island. Going for a long run probably involves running in circles or up steep hills on narrow roads. I asked for a macchiato in a cafe and I was brought a mocha. There are no hot yoga classes. Or juice bars for that matter. I know… #firstworldproblems but still… How could I possibly contemplate moving here for upwards of two years?

Actually, the decision wasn’t that difficult. Yes, I was going to miss my friends and our bi-weekly wine and cheese meetings. Yes, I would have to make my own juices, attend a normal gym with normal spin classes and yes I would no longer be able to order sushi or Thai food at the click of an (app) button. But I didn’t really care. I wouldn’t have to live in a small one-bed with no hope of ever being on the property ladder. I wouldn’t spend upwards of £300/month on boutique fitness classes with my boyfriend. I wouldn’t have to work out of my handbag or kitchen table. I would have an office. In my house. Near the harbour.

You see, I’ve been here for four weeks. Furniture buying and ordering is a nightmare. Customer service is nowhere near as efficient as London. I don’t have a car and there is no Tube to speak of (although I did take a bus the other day and it wasn’t terrible). ‘Island FM’ is a wonder in itself. But I love it. I love that I can look out of my window and see boats. I love that I can get back to London for meetings and events (Despite what a couple of my city-friends think, I didn’t move to the moon!). Incidentally, I love that my clients were so happy with my work that they all kept me on when I left the city. I’m pretty proud of that actually.

I’ll keep you posted over the next few months on how in settling into my new island life. It might get miserable as winter hits. But actually, I’m quite excited.