I have lived in the UK since the age of 7 and have worked as a gardener, landscaper and horticulturist. My most well-known assignment is The Mary Seacole Garden in London.
I left the UK and returned to Dominica because I missed island life so much and the return was long overdue.
One of the major tasks in preparation to leave was selling my landscaping business. I also had lots of items to sell, give away or donate to charity. This all took time.
It was very stressful on the day of moving, particularly as the plane departed about 4 hours late. Then on arrival in Barbados (transit to Dominica) there was poor communication at the airport.
It felt great to be at the start of the residential journey here in Dominica…especially the familiar sights and sounds.
I moved into mum’s house because there’s plenty of space and it’s just the two of us.
Because I have many family members here and old friends, my social life was a smooth transition. I’m living in a village where I know many residents.
Word of mouth works like magic in terms of finding work….mainly because I developed contacts from previous years.
I regularly keep in touch with my UK family and modern technology makes that all the more easy.
Adjusting to life here as a returnee is generally smooth, though challenging at times…especially the slower pace of business.
I like many of the cultural aspects here, especially chilling on the beach, enjoying carnival and shows and dominoes!!
I’d really love my son to visit soon so he can experience my/his island roots.
I believe I’m already contributing to local society with my work. Hopefully, I’ll contribute lots more with projects that aim to involve a wide range of public participation.
One of the projects I’d like to complete is building my family tree. I’d better get cracking while the older members are still around!
I believe that immigration certainly creates local impacts, some good and others not so good: Increasing house prices and boosting local businesses.
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Robinson Curtis Blondel
October 2024
