Living The Harbour Island Dream

"Across the two mile stretch of the pristine water of the harbor sat the jewel that is Harbour Island. I was immediately captivated by its beauty. The taxi descended the short distance to the ferry dock where a few small boats waited to carry passengers across the harbor. Small native boys clambered toward the taxis to carry luggage to the boats for whatever tips they could get."

"I could not take my eyes off the island. Rather than being flat, it was hilly with an array of houses and quaint cottages clustered along the waterfront. Painted in bright pastel colors with contrasting shutters, the profusion of white roofs gleamed in the sunlight. As the small ferry drew closer an unexpected feeling came over me. Could this be where I was meant to be?"

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In 1965, Herman Wouk (The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War) wrote a comedic novel, Don't Stop the Carnival, the fictional story of a NY public relations executive, Norman Paperman, who visits a small Caribbean island and buys the small resort he is staying in, burning the bridges to his life in the world of big business.

The theme is well expressed in this quotation from the book. The setting is a farewell party with Norman's friends and associates.

"During this evening, nearly every person there told Norman or Henny, usually in a private moment, that they were doing a marvelous, enviable thing. All these people were at an age when their lives were defined, their hopes circumscribed.... To them, the Papermans had broken out of Death Row into green April Fields, and in one way or another they all said so."

At the time, neither Norman nor his friends could have imagined the hilarious situations and the daily crises that Norman would face as he struggled with his new life in a strange country.

My story is the same as Norman's, but mine is true in every respect, except for name changes where necessary.

While I lack the inventiveness and imagination of fiction writers, I did not have to make up or embellish any of the circumstances in my book. It all happened just as written.

I wrote Living The Harbour Island Dream in the hope that some reader out there might be inspired to cut the ties to an unrewarding life situation and make the leap to achieve a dream of something better.

Roy Schmidt grew up on Long Island, NY, where he fantasized about living a self-sufficient life on a small tropical island. He just knew he never wanted to be tied to a desk job in New York City.

After graduating from Bucknell University and marrying immediately after, it seemed the only responsible thing to do was to join his father's heating and plumbing sales business in Long Island City. During this time, he found diversion in sailing, and singing with a championship barbershop quartet.

Even though he co-managed the business with his brother-in-law after the early death of his father, it was never a rewarding career. After toiling in it for fourteen years, he decided it was time for a change.

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Publishing a book is unfamiliar territory for me. But this is much more than a book; it's my story. To have a few sincere reviews to share would be wonderful.

There are two ways to leave a review.

(1) You can click here to leave a review on Amazon. When you get to the page, just scroll down to "Write A Customer Review", and click it.

(2) You can use the form on the "Contact Us" page and send it directly to me. Then I'll have it posted here on the website.

Thank you! I sincerely hope you enjoy the book.

Kind Regards,

Roy Schmidt

"Tryin' t' Make It"

The Prologue

Island Vernacular

Harbour Island?

Excerpt from the Prologue

About The Book

Strolling on Harbour Island Beach

About The Author

Reviews

Guests enjoying another beautiful day on Harbour Island.