In January of this year, my husband and I still lived in our beautiful period townhouse in a thriving market town in South Cheshire. We had met and married only five years previously, and were proud owners of several properties. Taylor enjoyed his job as a captain for a UK airline, and I had a career as a retail executive, having spent 20 years working with a famous luxury brand.

All was about to change. In the last seven months, we have sold three properties, both cars, packed in jobs, and headed off , lock, stock and Bechstein piano, to become permanent residents on a small island just off the west coast of Canada.

Salt Spring Island, 80sq miles of rugged pacific coast splendour, is one of the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, south of Vancouver and north of Seattle. Once a magnet for hippies in the 1960’s, it is now sought after by a wide cross-section of society, including artisans, nature lovers and those seeking an alternative lifestyle. Its beauty and mild climate make it a haven for artists and writers of all kinds, ensuring that Salt Spring’s organic and maturing bohemian culture is as rich as it gets.

As foodies, we enjoy one of the best local markets ever, with three organic cheese farms, the islands famous salt spring lamb, wild salmon galore, and if the recent Fall Fair was anything to go by, I will have trouble competing with the plethora of delicious home grown vegetables and fruits that are in abundance.

If its calmness and the spiritual you are after, there are many opportunities for yoga and alternative therapies. Self healing is high on the agenda, and the general attitude is to live and let live.

This is a rich and vibrant island, where locals get vocal over how they are governed. One of a kind in Canada, a self governing Islands Trust was set up in order to preserve the environment and guard against over-development. You can imagine the interesting public meetings that are well attended and offer a variety of local opinion! We even have our very own Salt Spring Dollars.

We have settled in well, and despite the stresses of renovating our cedar built seventies bungalow whilst living in a trailer on our property (now that’s a story in itself), I could not imagine being back in the UK fighting my way down the M6 in pouring rain late for a meeting. No, no……we have both cast away our mobiles, our uniforms, our high-healed shoes (well …I did), and now find ourselves actually looking forward to opening our inboxes!!! I have subsituted my Mulberry Bag for a recycling bin, and the feeling is one of liberation.

Dear Expatter, there is so much to tell, so much to express, and if you are keen to learn more about the island, check out www.saltspringisland.org Becoming an expat starts before you leave the UK, learning to say goodbye.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

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