For the past two weeks, I have received some interesting comments and inquiries from friends every time I checked in on Foursquare to Wayo’s Beernet here in Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Especially since some of those check-ins have been at 9:00 a.m.
Let me start by explaining that I have come close to fulfilling my eight-year dream of living in Belize as I am now renting a place with one of my awesome local friends. I can be down here as often as I like — right now that is only going to be part-time, but it’s a start.
And, well, I’ve picked a pretty scenic mobile office that happens to be just steps from my bedroom — the picnic tables on the beach or my now favorite barstool at Wayo’s.
As you might imagine by “beernet”, Wayo’s offers Internet service and, well, one of the prime spots to have a beer on the beach. I’ve been here a number of times since its opening in March 2010 and always had an amazing time, but it wasn’t until this trip that I fully realized how it is the pulse of San Pedro.
Wayo, or “Wayo from Cayo” as he is often known, has built up a real neighborhood spot here on the Caye. The tourists who frequent the bar are many, but it is the group of regulars who make this place what it is. I’ve met an interesting mixture of locals and returning travelers who have become good friends of Wayo’s over the years.
Even after nearly two weeks, I am still in disbelief that I can walk out of my room and I am just steps away from the water. I lived near the beach in Hermosa years ago and now, well, I can say I live ON the beach. Well, part-time at least!
Mobile offices like this come with challenges of course. Last week, I had the repeated problem of windy days that threatened to blow my laptop right off the picnic table. My pedicure didn’t survive too many days in the sand without shoes on. And then there was the day where my favorite breakfast burrito place was unexpectedly closed!
Thankfully, I survived all these issues and managed to have a very productive trip. I came down to speak as a panelist at Belize’s first Tourism and Marketing Summit last week and managed to land a very cool new gig. I got a number of articles done so I think it’s safe to say I am adapting to my part-time island life well.
After 12 days I even developed a bit of a daily routine. I would start off writing in my bedroom early in the morning and then move to either my barstool or the picnic table. In the evenings, I would take a break and socialize with my friends on the island or go out to enjoy some of Belize’s amazing local cuisine. Come home, check email, sleep and repeat. Sure there were deviations like parties, live music nights, restaurant reviews, and a few meetings – all the “work” that comes with having a mobile office on a tropical island.
Sadly, I have to leave today, but I am comforted by the fact that I will be back in October and can once again torture all my friends and family with daily photos of my “cubicle view”.
Thanks to Dorian Nunez at Ambergris Today for all your help with settling in and indulging my requests to hang out on the beach a lot this trip! And to Trevor, who is one of my dearest friends and my awesome new roommate who made this move all possible for me!
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