The reason I was able to write the article What Makes Living in Grenada Great is because I did just that. I had a desire to experience something new, did the research, and ended up moving to Grenada from Jamaica in 1997 as a single female. Note that this was before the internet was available to me! Yes, dial-up existed somewhere out there, but Google wasn’t even born yet. When I moved and met new Grenadians, their first question was usually, “Did you get married to a Grenadian?” Nope. I am (still) single -_-. Here is my story of moving to Grenada.
How the Idea Of Moving To Grenada From Jamaica First Took Root
The idea of relocating from Jamaica to Grenada was sown in 1995. The Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM) Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas was in process. Coincidentally, it was in Grand Anse, Grenada, in 1989 that “the CARICOM Heads of Government decided to transform the limited Common Market, as originally conceived in 1973, into a fully fledged Single Market and Single Economy,” and revised the original Treaty. (Read more here and here.) Free movement of labour was on the agenda. Having lived in the UK from 1992–1993, where I saw Europeans move freely across European Union (EU) member countries, I immediately decided I would explore Caribbean relocation. But why Grenada? Let me take you back.
Why Life In Grenada Was on My Radar
In 1983, when Grenada was going through its period of instability, Bernard Coard’s two daughters transferred to the secondary school I attended in Jamaica. Then, when Maurice Bishop and others were executed on 19th October 1983, Grenada further piqued my interest. In my mind I was thinking “these things only happen in the other side of the world!”
Fast forward to around 1993. The Grenadian General Manager of the hotel I was working at in Jamaica arranged a Caribbean food festival and brought in chefs from Grenada, Barbados and Trinidad. Of all the foods, I enjoyed the Grenadian food the best. A planned exploration of Grenada during my 1993 vacation with a friend, did not materialise due to difficult airline connections. Two years later in 1995, I finally landed on ‘Greenz’….the nickname given to Grenada by the locals. What beauty! It reminded me of Portland, my favourite parish in Jamaica, and it gave me my first real taste of life in Grenada..
Before that November 1995 vacation, I had scoured through the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s printed membership book listing of Grenada hotels. Remember….the internet was not a thing back then. Based on the description in the book, I chose three hotels out of the very few listed. I sent faxes to all three General Managers/Owners to say “I’m coming, let’s talk.” Surprisingly, everyone took the time to meet with me.
But listen to this joke……the owner of the hotel I thought I would prefer to work at, told me that if he were looking for a manager, he would be looking for a man! I chuckled and went out and about and enjoyed the rest of my stay in serene Grenada.
The Move To Grenada: The Stars Were Aligned
So glorious was my time in Grenada that I went back to Jamaica and told my family that I was going to live in Grenada one day. In 1997, I planned another Caribbean vacation, and yes, it included Grenada. About three weeks before I departed Jamaica, my brother called me to say the perfect job in a Grenada hotel had been advertised in the Jamaica Gleaner. It was anonymous, but from the description, I knew it was my preferred hotel.
I called the head hunter company, established that it was indeed that hotel, then mentioned to the Managing Director that in 1995, the hotel owner had said he would be looking for a male manager. The Managing Director also laughed and told me to send the application. I happily faxed it off.
To cut a long-ish story short, I packed up my possessions and moved to take up the job in Grenada – four months after the May 1997 interview. I usually ponder over significant decisions. This one needed no long thinking, even though I was given one month to decide if I would accept their offer. I knew right away.
I have navigated life abroad in Grenada as a single female quite well. So well that after 28+ years, I am STILL there and life in Grenada is great! In another post, I will give some advice if you are thinking about moving abroad as a single female, especially if you are considering moving within the Caribbean.