A fond farewell to Bermuda

As I bid farewell to my island home from home, I feel thankful for the hospitality and friendship extended to me by Bermudians over the years. There are many things I will miss about your beautiful island.

Friendliness

Bermudians are among the friendliest people in the world. I will miss the easy-going geniality of the island. And there is nothing quite like a ‘Bermudian’ smile which lights up the whole face. I will miss waving to Johnny Barnes each morning on that oh-so-long 10-minute commute into work.

Hospitality

Bermuda exudes a charming hospitality. I’ve been invited to some wonderful social gatherings over the years at which I have been greeted like an old friend.

One night I even ended up at the wrong party — I was never very good at directions — and was invited to join in the celebrations. I was handed a black ‘n’ coke, food (including Mac ‘n’ cheese), and then met the legendary Dwayne ‘Sluggo’ Leverock.

There have also been occasions when I have gone out to dinner with my parents and we have waited at the bus stop afterwards, only to be offered a lift home from a kind passer-by.

Sense of community

Having lived in Bermuda for six-and-a-half years, I now know the real meaning of ‘community’. It’s the way Bermudians band together when someone is in trouble. I have also received help from strangers. When I was packing up my apartment this year and was about to ‘overload’ my scooter with several empty cardboard boxes from the grocery store, a taxi driver insisted on transporting them for me instead. He took them from Hamilton to Paget but then refused a fare, saying “We’ve got to help each other out”. 

The men

You’ve got to hand it to Bermudian men — they never miss an opportunity to charm the opposite sex. 

Whether it’s waiting at the traffic lights on your scooter, shopping in the grocery store, visiting the post office, or even prepping for a hurricane, you frequently encounter cheeky compliments or propositions to make you chuckle.

Courtesy

As our 21st century techno-saturated world spins faster and faster, Bermuda becomes more unique in its attention to basic courtesy and manners.

Just walking down the road past a complete stranger who tells you to, ‘Have a lovely day, my dear’ — where else in the world would you get that?

The language

So bie, if you see this ace girl skylarkin and decked out all boasty-like on de corner, don’t be skurd, make sure ya offer her a burr before she leaves Bermy. Um um, I may just have a party and invite arrybody! Bermewjan vurds are special, and I will also miss the lovely Bermudian accent.

Activities

There aren’t many places in the world where you can finish work on a Wednesday evening and 10 minutes later be on a yacht, rigging her up for a race around the (Great) sound. You can never get bored in Bermuda. 

The island’s waters have a fantastic collection of shipwrecks and the reefs are also mesmerizing with their beautiful abundance of life and kaleidoscopic colours.

I would encourage everyone to dive. It’s easy to learn — so don’t be skurd! 

And finally..

Living here has inspired a love of the ocean and the environment that I hope to always carry with me.

I will always treasure my memories of swimming in your turquoise waters, feeling the soft grains of pink sand beneath my feet, while longtails skirt above me.

But most of all I will miss your friendship.