I can remember my first trip to Guernsey in 2000. It was September and the weather was sunny and warm. One of my initial thoughts was “I could live here.” Of course, I think this about many places I visit but the opportunity to move rarely presents itself and Seattle has a certain appeal. Also, I was living in Epsom (in the UK) at the time, so maybe it was an unfair comparison.
Fast forward to 2010 and here comes opportunity knocking. Now, I don’t consider myself the type of person that just packs up and moves across the Atlantic. It helps to be presented with the option of staying in Seattle at 70% of pay (and probably decreasing in the future) or moving to Guernsey at full pay. Also, it seems like a good time in my life for a new adventure. So, here we go!
Guernsey is an island with about 60,000 people in the Channel between the UK and France. It is part of the group of Channel Islands just off the north coast of France. Even though you can see France on a clear day, it is more closely aligned with the UK. English is the primary language, but many of the place names are French. Guernsey is in the UK for some things and independent for others. For example, Guernsey has its own currency that trades evenly with the British pound. It is an international finance center attracting banks, insurance companies, and rich people with its low tax rates.
The first thing a visitor notices is the very narrow roads, often with a stone wall on one or both sides. This is not just the perspective of someone from the wide open spaces of the western US as it is quite common to see cars with damage to one or both side mirrors. Once you have safely made it from the airport to your destination, you may see the turquoise water (if the weather cooperates) sprinkled with rocks and other islands. In the main town – St. Peter Port – it’s hard to miss the castle in the middle of the harbor.
More details to follow…
In the meantime, here is good background information on Guernsey:
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