So you want to move to a tropical island? And you’d like to enjoy daily island life? Here are our top 10 tips for making your island experience more pleasurable.

1. Here’s tip #1… When you find a place to live don’t store your cardboard boxes. Cockroaches love the glue in cardboard. Better to just get some plastic storage boxes and throw your extra items in there.
2. Run your A/C once a month or so, whether you need it or not. You can do this in your home, condo, truck or car. Letting your A/C run for a bit helps to keep the system working and charged up.
3. Looking to rent a tropical condo or house? Make sure it gets a breeze! You don’t need a gale wind everyday but you do need a little breeze most days. Breezes keep you cooler and blow the mosquitoes and no-see-um’s away.
4. Learn to love rainy days. Chances are there will be very few, but you’ll get a break from the sun, it’ll be cooler, and if you own or rent a tropical house your cistern (the big tank under your house) will fill up with water. A full cistern is like money in the bank.
5. Get used to weird bugs and small animals. If they freak you out then don’t move to a tropical place because I guarantee you’ll see all sorts of strange little visitors. Most don’t harm you, but a few can. The good ones are: bats, lizards, tarantulas and frogs. The bad ones are: fire ants, centipedes, and brown recluse spiders.
6. Buy and wear a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun off you. Although the sun feels great it will damage your skin and turn it into leather fast. Remember, this is not a 10 day vacation… you’re living in the tropics day in day out. Protect your skin with hats and sunscreen.
7. Respect the ocean. Yes, 99% of the time the ocean is a wonderful azure blue playground, but be careful and stay smart. A simple five foot wave at the beach can flip you over and pound you into the sand or coral. Stepping on a prickly little sea urchin can put you out of commission for a day or two. Use your common sense when you’re in the ocean.
8. Take care of little boo-boos. A little sting, blister, or cut will get infected faster in the tropics. Keep a first-aid kit around with topical antibiotic creams, band aids and whatever else you need. There are lots of good simple remedies out there too… just ask a local.
9. Slow down and relax. The pace of life on a tropical island is much slower than you’re probably used to. Locals take their time and enjoy their day, some even stop right in the road to talk to a friend, others stop to chat right in the checkout line (usually when you’re in a hurry). If you start to feel angry try to stop and remember… it’s another beautiful day and you’re on a tropical island.
10. Smile and say hello to other islanders. You might be surprised how receptive local people can be when you smile and say hello.