One of my favorite things about living on Martha’s Vineyard is that almost everyone has some interesting story about how they ended up here. I find the stories fascinating as many are almost like a love story. The tales most always includes some kind of magical “aha” moment where destiny was written. Some came to spend a summer and were so enchanted they never left. Others came, got “sand in their shoes” and journeyed back home with treasured memories and the dream of returning again – or forever. Yes, I too have a story such as this.
The year was 1993. I was living in Seattle, ready to embark on a 10-day bicycle tour of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket with my dear friend, Lisa. An avid traveler, I claimed to family and friends that I couldn’t possibly visit the same place twice; there were just too many places in this world to explore. My bookshelves were filled with photo albums of worldwide adventures.
Little did I know how that bicycle trip would change me forever. After just a few days of exploring Martha’s Vineyard, I was smitten. I was hooked. Suffice it to say, I spent the next four summers returning to my beloved island. By the time I was planning my fifth visit to The Vineyard, I had launched my own consulting business and the freedom of being self-employed allowed me to plan something exciting and extravagant: spending the entire month of June on the island.
What a magical month. The weather was unusually warm and in my free time, I explored nearly every inch of the island by bicycle, kayak or on foot. I also had the fortunate of making some good island friends, which made that month of June a fun-filled and memorable time that I will always remember.
The month passed all too quickly and alas, the beginning of July found me headed back to Seattle with a heavy heart and already missing The Vineyard. Upon arriving home, I began contemplating whether a move to the island might make sense, especially now that I was self-employed. But of course, there was the lingering question: how would it be to live on the island year round? What was it like and could I handle it? Well, I decided to find out.
By the end of August, I had sublet my apartment to a friend, packed my Jeep and started the long cross-country drive to spend the fall and winter on Martha’s Vineyard. I told everyone that I was on sabbatical and would be back in the spring. Of course, I should have known better. By February, it was too late: I had bought a piece of land in Katama and was the process of designing and building a new home.
It has now been over ten years since I moved to the island full-time and I can surely say that the island has never lost its magic for me. The combination of the island’s natural beauty and it’s wonderful sense of community certainly make it a one-of-a-kind place.
Do you have a story about how you came to live on the island? Let us know. Send a comment to us below and we will contact you.
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