I stroll up the stairs to my place, using the soft hum of guitar strings to guide me in the right direction. It is the perfect way to put a night cap on the last night of my vacation in Belize, a place I might not have had the time or money to visit had I chosen to keep a full-time job and an apartment. The cool breeze of the Caribbean swayed tickling validation all over my smiling face. This was exactly where I wanted to be.
Where I was is a place called Caye Caulker, and island known for its proximity to world class barrier reefs and a motor-vehicle-free dirt strip that breathes life into the islands’ only town. I couldn’t have taken my truck-home here if I wanted. So instead, I snatched up a shockingly cheap beachside Air BnB from a nice woman named Chila. She called her place “Chila’s Cabin”, conjuring images of a log-stacked getaway in the middle of nowhere. I was about to learn why that made sense along this pedestrian-heavy thoroughfare.
After taking a night snorkel tour of the surrounding reefs, I ran into Chila again on the stairway. Like most residents on the island, Chila has a warm, welcoming aura. She stands at a tall 5’1″, her middle-age smile resting perpetually on the state of laughter.
“Terry, how was your tour?” she comes out, arms open for a hug. “Sorry, I was just practicing the guitar.”
Chila has lived most of her life on Caye Caulker, and was a long-time owner of one of the island’s most important businesses–Caye Caulker’s lone supply barge. The town imports nearly all of its goods to keep the residents–and thriving tourism business–afloat. Before Chila’s barge business, each shop and restaurant would import their goods independently. Chila helped consolidate that shipping, lowering the cost for everyone–but placing incredible demands on her time.
“When the ship arrives at 1am with the supplies, who’s going to pick it up?” she asked. “You. After a while, you look at this beautiful island and wonder if you’ll ever get a chance to enjoy it.”
After years of providing this service, Chila started to save her money. She started to question ceding the best parts of her life over to long hours and fancy belongings. When she finally left her job, she left her house and took up renting out a quaint one-bedroom apartment–albeit with a balcony overlooking the Caribbean–on Air BnB, staying with her family when it’s rented. Now, in her free time, Chila has started picking up the guitar, teaching herself new chords as quicker than I ever could. Walking by her place, you might mistake the melody of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole‘s “Over the Rainbow” for a radio song. Asked about her talent, Chila is much more modest than she could be.
“Oh, I’m no good at that thing,” she said. “But at least now I have time to practice!”
If you visit Caye Caulker one day, you may see Chila performing at one of the local seaside restaurants, showing off the fruits of her newfound free time. It will be Chila’s way of sharing her home-free energy with those around her, something I doubt will be lost on the inhabitants of this lazy island. The irony will be that what will have brought her to that stage is anything but laziness. Just a healthy mix of hard work, self-awareness, and the boldness to choose the life she wished to lead.
We should all be so lucky.
-TOH
