The idea of moving is often daunting. As beautiful – and cold – as it was to live in Massachusetts for 12 years, I became restless and wanted something new. I shuddered at the prospect of living through another winter where the trees are barren and skies are gray. I was so desperate for inspiration that any time I was watching a TV show or a movie filmed in an interesting place, I would think “could I see myself living there?“.

On a frosty weekend I was watching HGTV’s Caribbean Life to pass the time. I found myself intrigued by how many American families simply packed up their lives and moved to an island in the Caribbean. The homes featured on the show looked lovely and the pricing seemed more approachable than houses in Massachusetts. I had thought for the longest time that moving abroad was out of the question. There would be visas involved, language barriers, different infrastructure, you name it – I gave myself a lot of excuses for not considering moving abroad.

But Caribbean Life forced me to rethink the impossibility of moving. I thought if these people can move to the Caribbean, why can’t I? If moving to a warm tropical sunny island is what would make me truly fulfilled in life, why wouldn’t I try to overcome all of the obstacles to make it happen?

The Search Begins

The search for our new home in the Caribbean commenced. My partner, a born and bred Massachuettsite, was completely on board with the idea of moving to the tropics. No more snow shoveling, no more tracking snow and salt into the apartment, no more calculating how many layers were needed to walk the dogs outside – just warm weather year round. Who could say no to that?

I first started to search Caribbean countries participating in Digital Nomad programs. These programs would allow me to live in the country while still working in the States virtually so no work visas would be necessary. Curacao was an island on that list, all the way at the bottom where it could be easily glossed over.

I hadn’t heard of the island of Curacao before. The only thing I knew was the stark blue Curacao liquor that was ever present in fruity cocktails, but I had no idea there was an island by that name. I did some research on the web in order to determine if it was worth visiting or not. We had a few loose criteria in mind – how was the weather? Cost of living? The food? The conveniences? The geographical location? Our research indicated it was worth a visit, and we needed to experience Curacao in person to determine if it was the right place for us.

Weather

The weather was one of the most important things on the list. Moving out of Massachusetts, I wanted to make sure we were moving somewhere warm and tropical and also without the risk of hurricanes and flooding. That crossed many islands off the list.

Curacao is below the hurricane belt, as it is located separate from the main Caribbean island chain near Venezuela. The island has a dry season and a rainy season, but always has a breeze. The heat in the summer is strong, oppressively hot, with no clouds to give a break from the blazing sun – but I love it. The hot weather is one of my favorite things about this island.

Surprisingly, the climate in Curacao is tropical yet arid. Cacti and thorny bushes dot the hilly landscape, though during wet season the island can look like a vibrant green jungle from a distance. There are no natural fresh water lakes or rivers on the island, but there are marshy salt pans with mangrove forests that offers the chance for stand up paddle boarding and kayaking.

The great weather on the island gives way to exciting birdwatching opportunities. We recently started birdwatching and were pleasantly surprised how many unique variety of birds there are on the island. From the common bare-eyed pigeon to the vibrant orange breasted trupial, the national bird of Curacao, this island is a bird-lovers paradise. There are a number of recreational parks with well-maintained paths that families can walk through and enjoy birding.

Pricing

Some aspects of living on the island are more expensive while others are less. Curacao imports most goods, and exports very little. So why did I end up moving to this island given that many items are more expensive?

To be clear, imported goods are expensive, but not by much compared to Massachusetts standards. Basic groceries like eggs, milk, bread, grains, chicken, fish, etc. are all very cheap. Eating out at a restaurant is very reasonable, and cocktails are about $10 compared to the $20+ I’d see on some Boston menus. Movie tickets are insanely cheap! Popcorn, candy, and soda doesn’t cost an arm and a leg here. Medicines are also cheaper here as there’s no arbitrary pharmaceutical markup like there is in the states.

To give a better idea, here is a sample breakdown of our typical grocery list on the island. The prices vary depending on the store you shop at, and for us we shop at Van den Tweel which is typically a little more expensive than other stores.

Item	Cost in Guilders	Cost in USD
Full Loaf of Bread	9.88	$5.50
Almond Breeze Almond Milk (Gallon)	15.00	$8.36
Dozen Eggs	6.36	$3.54
Chobani Greek Yogurt (Large)	13.44	$7.50
Chicken Thights (4)	1.60	$0.89
Bundle of Bananas	3.49	$1.94
Six pack of Corona Extra	25.00	$13.49
White Rice (1 kg)	6.70	$3.78
Toilet Paper 3 ply (16 rolls)	19.22	$1.72

There is a wholesale club on the island called, Goisco, and for large families looking to move to the island, it’s a great place to buy imported items in bulk. Keep in mind, anything imported is going to be marked up. We buy our MuscleTech Protein Powder, Charmin Toilet Paper, and Bounty Paper Towels from Goisco, and the prices are marked up by at least 40% compared to Costco in the US, but we already planned for that before we moved here.

That said, it made sense for us because living in Massachusetts  – with its rent, gas prices, commutes, taxes, etc. – was so expensive. Comparatively, living here is cheaper than living in Massachusetts. If you’re looking to move here from Kansas or Iowa, it would be a much higher cost of living.

Food

Curacao falls under the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The culture of the island is a mix of Caribbean, South American, and Dutch, and this is reflected in the food. The national dish of Curacao is called keshi yena and it consists of chicken, olives, pickled onions, and plums encased in cheese. Plantains, rice and beans, curry stews, and fried fish can be found all over the island. There are many fast food joints on the island that sell dutch snacks like bitterballs, frikendel sausages, spring rolls, and more.

I have been to many islands in my life where the food was just okay, and limited in variety. This is not the case here – the food is excellent, and there is a lot to choose from.

Speaking of variety, we made sure to visit a supermarket on our first visit to the island. There are several big name chains that offer local and imported goods, including Carrefour, Van den Tweel, and Centrum, to name a few. Most fruits and vegetables are imported from South America or Florida, which means you can eat your favorite fruits on the island all year around. There is a fantastic selection of Dutch products and Indonesian products at most supermarkets, though the selection of American products is slim. One thing to note about living on an island, items constantly go out of stock and you never know when to expect them back.

Conveniences

Living on an island can feel similar to being in a bubble. Every now and again there is a longing to be on a large landmass not surrounded by ocean. To combat feeling that way, conveniences are high on my list for my wellbeing.

There are several islands that provide a more rustic lifestyle without many modern conveniences. Curacao is not one of those. The island has two IMAX movie theaters, a large modern mall with a Bath and Body Works, US fast food chains, imported American goods, bowling alleys, modern restaurants, top of the line gyms, designer furniture stores, you name it.

This is not to say I need all of these things to enjoy living in Curacao, otherwise I may have well stayed in the US, but it’s a bonus to have these items when the longing for something familiar arises. You may be surprised how much you rely on these things to make you feel comfortable too!

While we did a lot of research beforehand to make sure there were enough activities for us to do, we discovered so much more when we actually moved here. Here are our favorite things to do when we want to break out of our routine:

• Get a speculaas latte with oatmilk from Kafe 5999
• Watch a new movie at IMAX Punda ( and eat sweet and salty popcorn)
• Play a round of minigolf at Brakkeput Mei Mei
• Take a walk through Rif Mangrove Park
• Get a spa treatment at 8 the Experience
• Visit the farmers market every last Saturday of the month

Location

The final item on this list is the location, which can be often overlooked. Moving to an island in the Caribbean automatically limited my flight options. Access to a hub is an essential part of my work in the industry, and nothing makes a travel job harder than having to connect multiple times to get to a destination. Curacao conveniently has direct flights to Miami, Charlotte, and New York. This is absolutely key for me, and it may be for you if you’re needing to visit family or friends often.

As an added bonus, Curacao offers direct flights to Amsterdam. KLM and TUI flies nonstop to Amsterdam daily, and the flight costs are not unreasonable. Amsterdam is a significant hub for getting to the rest of Europe or even Asia, so this routing is crucial for travelers like myself. You can also fly nonstop to Aruba, Bonaire, and St. Maarten – the gateway to the rest of the Caribbean.

I cannot emphasize the importance of location enough. Had we moved to an island like Saba the flights would be extremely difficult. Any time I needed to travel anywhere I would need to connect in St. Maarten first. If family ever wanted to visit us, flights would be more difficult and expensive for them. It’s important to consider the location of the place you may move to and make sure there are great flight connections.

Overall, there is a lot of planning when it comes to considering a move. It can be incredibly stressful and time consuming, but the research phase is the hardest part in my opinion. If you keep in mind these five factors of weather, food, conveniences, pricing, and location, you’ll be off to a solid start. This is what worked for me and my family, but it’s certainly not one size fits all. We don’t have children yet, so while we took a quick look to make sure there were great schools on the island, larger families may place that higher on their list to visit in person.

If there’s anything I can share with you about my moving experience, I want to encourage you to think of somewhere you’ve always wanted to live and see if you can make that dream a reality. After all, we only have one life to live!

Do you have any tips for moving? If you’d like to share your story about a big move, positive or negative, leave a comment below!