Living in Sint Maarten
I often get asked what it is like living in Sint Maarten and I feel this post is long overdue. I was prompted to write this as people have reached out asking if someone they knew could get information on visiting and possibly moving to the island. None of them have reached out, but I will go ahead and share my experience, as it is important for anyone interested.
The first question people ask is what brought me here, suggesting it was a man I followed. It was not. While I was on vacation, I had been offered a job to teach art classes. To be fair, and to answer the second question I often get asked, which is if I am alone or married, have kids, etc.; about a year after my move, I did get into a relationship with a local man and him and I were together for about three and a half years.
Being in that relationship shaped how I lived on the island. It’s important for people to understand that living on the island will look very different for everyone. The community is, much like the United States in a way. St. Maarten has been called the melting pot of the Caribbean. People from over 100 different nations live among each other. Of course there are the people who were born here, and are not shy to share with anyone else.. ‘I from here’.. Which is a statement I have heard numerous times as they lay claim over others, who have moved to work and live in Sint Maarten. Other people consist, naturally of the Dutch, many people from Holland who may come and go, retiree’s from the US or Canada who live full-time or at least part-time, and investors from other countries. Don’t forget that the other half of the island, Saint Martin, is French, which adds even more diversity.
Technically, I would fall in the category of ‘investor’ as I opened a business in 2020. Sint Maarten and the United States have a friendship treaty which allows Americans to open a business and obtain residency, which was my main concern as I did not want to have any issues with immigration. The Art Foundation closed along with the rest of the world, and I saw this as an opportunity to get myself in order, according to the law. Although I used every resource to get a business set up, I have lived more as a local much of my time here, learning how to run a business as opportunities arrived. Having a good work background and experience to navigate the process of legitimizing myself was just the beginning as I imagined a business plan. I came up with a good idea but lacked the determination to make it function, so I went about my days finding work in such places as restaurants, an art store, and surprisingly, the security industry, which I could speak at length about, but for the sake of the topic of discussion, I will save it for another time.
Getting back to how the relationship shaped my way of living, partnering with a local man who lived in Sint Maarten his entire life taught me many things. His story is not mine to tell, but I will start out by explaining that this man lived on the beach when I met him and had been for 4 years. I admired his way of life. He wasn’t dependent on anyone. He sold coconuts on the boardwalk and kept the area in order whether that was cleaning up, cooking, and stepping in as a mediator among the others as necessary.
I never looked at his situation as ‘homelessness’ however, not like I pictured people from the US I had seen; holding up a sign in front of a Walmart Parking lot, for example. I saw it as a choice to a way of living, and people in the community, for the most part didn’t have a problem with it. Authorities didn’t run them off, and often the business owners in the area liked the idea of men sleeping on the premises as they kept the place secure.
I have admitted that I made mistakes here in Sint Maarten, but I never fully explained what I did, and looking back, although I can accept everything as a learning experience, I see just how much of a negative impact I made when I suggested to him that he could come stay with me in my apartment I rented.. I forgive myself because it came from a good place. I was completely in love with him and I saw no reason why we shouldn’t live together, in a tiny studio, with my dog and two cats.
He had lived at the family home he grew up in until he made the decision to live on the beach, so he had never paid ‘rent’ to anyone, other than sharing the home expenses. We knew that the space would not be sustainable for us forever. I introduced him to the world of paying monthly rent, which means a larger income was necessary for us to find a suitable place for all of us to live. At the time, I had no issues paying my rent because I received unemployment after COVID. In my mind the business I started would take off. I never expected him to pay rent, nor was I concerned that he was using me, as some people suggested, because he was always looking after me and never asked to borrow money. Throughout our relationship we would help each other and even through some of the hardest times, we had each others’ back in when needed. What I failed to realize was the amount of pressure he was under. He wanted to support me and did everything he could to show me that, but my way of living was like making a fish survive out of water.
Within a month of moving in, he willingly secured a regular job working construction. As he continued to work and expand his coconut sales now with the help of a car we rented, both of our lives shifted. I continued to advertise my painting events which never got off the ground other than a few gigs. I found more success when people wanted to see my own artwork, commenting that they wanted more art that looked like Sint Maarten. I made sales here and there, but naturally was always called to work somewhere stable.
I could never stay with one company for very long. The wages are low, earning $5 to $6.50 an hour is not sustainable for the long term, yet people will stay for years with a company providing the same. Flying home to the U.S. to visit family and recuperate from life while working a few weeks as a substitute teacher was often a saving grace from the hardness of life that exists for local people. Consequently, working at some of the locations opened my eyes to more of my potential. Places such as the art store and security company offered tasks I enjoyed, which my former self would not have considered working in the U.S. as I held positions in fortune 500 companies with a decent salary. The problem was that the wages in Sint Maarten don’t cover the cost of living, especially as rent continues to grow. People may be able to survive, not thrive. Those who are self-employed have more opportunities to make a greater income than those working two jobs.
I could see the potential of working with my boyfriend and I enjoyed riding around the island with him, scoping out different trees with ripe and ready fruits we would work together to collect. He did the hardest part by climbing the trees with no equipment, a talent I was fascinated by. I helped with collecting, loading, and, of course taking lots of video and pictures of him in his element. I had an idea we would share videos and create lots of nice content of our island adventures and put them on social media, which I was sure would get a lot of interest. I always held myself back though.
One of the concerns was his own business legitimacy. While he was working construction, he also wanted to keep his coconut business growing. We went to the Chamber of Commerce to find out information for him to obtain his business papers, and was told by the woman working there that local people were not able to start a business if they were also working full-time. This information, which we were told after is false, however, is what kept him from being able to prosper as an entrepreneur. Misinformation is common, as anyone who has gone through the process of being told one thing to find out another. Regardless of why it is not easy to find out the correct information, the fact remains that the country is more interested in assisting foreign investors and people with money.
At times, I felt guilty, as someone like myself found the process to get a business license pretty straight forward. On paper, I was seen as a foreign investor, and my boyfriend was just a local. The reality was that he was a much better entrepreneur than myself. It didn’t seem fair that a government was so willing to allow me to run a business, while he was lead to keep working a full-time job.
To follow through on the shared vision became more of a challenge as I began to doubt the longevity of our relationship, and I feared every worst possible outcome that could happen. I never wanted to share our life with people as if it was a perfect fantasy, knowing we had so many problems. Like any relationship, we had issues to work through and promoting ourselves on social media took a back seat. As the years went by and the relationship remained off and on with highs and lows, I held on to the belief we would work things out. I had to learn to let go of this idea because if something is meant to happen, it will work itself out in time. I couldn’t force anything, and we both needed time to process the dramatic events we created in our life.
After a recent 5 month break with no contact from each other, I cannot deny the feeling in my heart that there is something more to our relationship that goes beyond the pettiness which blocks the potential it has. There have been too many signs pointing me back to his direction, if anything to find common ground, rather than holding on to resentment and having questions left unanswered. There are things we discovered together both about being in a relationship and living on the island that would be beneficial for others to learn from.
Through our partnership, we discovered how abundant and simple life could be living outside the system if we were willing to work together. To make the goal a reality, not just for us, but for anyone with the desire to be independent, obtaining land to grow food and build a house on requires the government’s cooperation. They seem to have another agenda for the island’s resources. He has had a request to lease land with no response now for years. It is not his story alone, as I have heard others complain the government remains non-responsive to those who wish to obtain it for agricultural and other sustainability efforts.
It’s no secret that there are many upset with the government and how they are handling the country’s resources. The destruction of shore property to build more structures, to the chunks of land being cut out from the hills to build condos, and then there is the manufactured hill growing from what was once the islands natural resource, the salt pond, now topped with compacted and crushed garbage as the acceptable approach. Plastics, metals, and styrofoam containers with no regulations or even an attempt at recycling continue to be discarded and collected daily with the enormous amounts of trash produced by every person on the island. Then we cannot forget the most recent occurrence, of GEBE, the only company providing electricity and water, whose sole shareholder is the Government of Sint Maarten, that cannot seem to keep up with the demands of these resources, as we now get the regular daily occurrence of power outages. I often wonder if those in charge of the overall functions of the country are either turning their heads, trying to ignore the obvious or if they really are not aware of the impact and inevitable outcomes of how Sint Maarten is operating.
Living on an island demands a great deal of respect for which I can clearly see that those in charge have none. While I think there are some things they have right in comparison to other islands, for example the access to public beaches for everyone, there are other concerns that have a simple solution, use the land wisely. Sint Maarten does not need anymore fancy hotels or new buildings of any sort. There are plenty. Use and repair what we have created and start making better decisions about the future now. There is plenty of land available. It’s land that should be used by the people of Sint Maarten so that their livelihood is secure. Some people claim that Sint Maarten is too rocky and food will not grow, but that is not true because I have seen what is already growing. To me, that is a lie people tell themselves so they can feel comfortable as they live blindly, conforming to what the government has deemed suitable. I share my experience and what it is like living in Sint Maarten because I do feel it is important for anyone visiting to understand what is really going on, and how much of an impact they have.
I was asked to do a survey yesterday. It was a survey for visitors regarding agriculture and it was obvious that local food production is now starting to get some attention. The young man giving the survey soon discovered I was a resident, and that the ability for the people of Sint Maarten to have access to and resources to grow food was near and dear to my heart. While I respect that this topic is gaining more traction, I still think that it is being handled incorrectly. If the government has an interest in agriculture, why are they targeting tourists as information resources? Asking questions such as ‘would I be willing to pay more for organic and locally grown food?’ and if I preferred certified organic food over imported, cheaper options is their way of finding out if growing local food will be an advantage when it comes to tourism. The survey, may I reiterate, was targeting tourists, not locals. This shows me that their decision to pursue this industry is more dependent on the tourists opinions than concern for their own people. With this avenue, I see the possibility for a few farms to be built, that produce enough high priced items, complete with all the expenses and bureaucratic processes necessary to enhance some of the grocery stores with a beautified section advertising high cost, locally grown, certified organic food. This is not going to add to the sustainability of the entire island, as it is just another gimmick to advertise, promoting just another reason why people should choose Sint Maarten as their destination, as we continue to build the island with all of the amenities they are used to in their home country.
After the survey I spoke with the young man, who was already late for his second job, and he told me he had an idea for a way to recycle and use glass. He had pitched the idea to them and they said they liked it and were all on board with supporting him, yet when he asked about getting land to start the project, crickets.
It makes me angry to see how such a small island with so many people are being ruled by others who have no interest in sustainability, but only for the status quo, depending on the tourism industry as the sole source of income and the only thing worth putting money towards. This island is more than the beautiful beaches and rolling green hills that meet our expectations of what paradise looks like, I assure you that. As once a very naive, first-time tourist to the island, traveling on a tiny budget I may add, to working and experiencing what life is like for the locals, I must share what I know, regardless of how much I don’t know, because I can see the system is not working, if anyone should care about the communities that live in what we call paradise.
I remember the first time I ever heard about the island... some small island in the Caribbean got hit bad by hurricane. You can still see the damage from Irma, and even Lewis from a long time ago. The next time I heard about Sint Maarten was when I was planning my vacation. The truth is that there must be glue that binds what we know of Sint Maarten; from the damage of hurricanes, to a beautiful vacation spot, and that is the people of Sint Maarten, who make it all possible. How can we not care for their quality of living?
I have moved and lived in seven different areas, from overpriced studio apartments with a spectacular view, to a shack with a leaking roof and no electricity or running water. The real eye opener was what I will call an experiment, which took place last year after I found myself with no money to pay rent. My boyfriend and I built a home. It started as a camp out, to which we continued to build every day. We soon had a foundation, walls and a roof all created from the land’s natural resources. We began digging and planting and collecting rain water. It didn’t take much but some hard work and a few small tools. Time and care into the project would certainly offer an alternative way of living with the land, and not building against it.
As we are just at the beginning of hurricane season with indications of it being a rough one, I was curious how indigenous people survived through these disasters. It turns out that the homes built from palm tree trunks and various tree leaves and stems were more sustainable than the concrete structures introduced by new inhabitants. Built low to the ground and with light material, they could withstand hurricanes and were safer because if they did tumble down, they wouldn’t pose the threat that large, concrete buildings do.
People live life to what they know, but perceptions can change quickly when new information is learned. The way of life on the island is not conducive to sustainable living and without the knowledge of other possibilities, people will remain working as part of the system. I hope that I can share my experiences and perceptions with people so that if they are considering visiting the island, or even investing, that they do so with the knowledge of how it impacts the island and the communities that live here.