It's now been one month since I uprooted my life and moved
to the British Virgin Islands with Collas Crill. Having come from
near freezing temperatures in Jersey in December, the wave of hot
air as I stepped off the plane was a brilliant shock to the system.
The last month has been an adventure, a feeling which I know will
continue for many months to come, so I thought I'd write down
what it's been like.
After a stop in Antigua following my nine hour flight from Gatwick,
I made it to the capital, Road Town, Tortola. The next day I met
the lovely Collas Crill office team and spent a couple of hours in
immigration to begin the paperwork journey.
Though this long process has the potential to be overwhelming,
it's difficult to be anxious in such a beautiful place with
lovely people. I'm particularly grateful to Collas Crill for
supporting with my accommodation in my first few weeks –
opening the blinds and waking up at sunrise to a beautiful ocean
view every morning was a great way to start the day.
The food and drink scene on the island has been a welcome surprise.
The food is really varied with cuisine from all around the world
– you're definitely never short of options. In my first
few weeks, I'd try a new spot every night to get a feel of what
was on offer – and it was a lot. From Venezuelan street vans
to fancy Italians restaurants, to some of the best burgers I've
ever had. The supermarkets have all you need to make some good
homemade meals, and even have Waitrose branded items which was cool
to see.
Just three days into the new job, I was invited to a networking
event. It was on a recently opened neighbouring luxury island,
Peter Island. Everyone was extremely welcoming. Being the new guy
on the block can be a little daunting – but I was quickly put
at ease! The open-air return ferry home under the clear starlit sky
was pretty incredible. It was this evening that I was sure I had
made a great decision in moving to the BVI with Collas Crill.
The BVI allows you to switch into holiday mode, every weekend.
There's so much nature to explore. There are almost a dozen
beaches, boat trips between islands, water sports, tennis,
pickleball, hiking, CrossFit, and running up the steepest hills you
can imagine.
On my first weekend, I was invited to visit Jost Van Dyke for the
day. White Bay is one of the nicest beaches in the Virgin Islands -
the turquoise waters are so stunning they look edited - and it has
one of the best bars. Before moving out to the Islands a few
colleagues had told me to try a Painkiller – so of course
this was the first drink I ordered. It's pretty tasty!
Just two weeks in, everything was slotting into place. I'd
bought a 4x4 Suzuki, rented an apartment in Cane Garden Bay, and
finally completed all my permit paperwork.
I spent Christmas day with friends. We started off with a (much
more comfortable than Jersey) sea-dip and some bubbles. There was
even a rainbow which was very cinematic! We then had a fantastic
traditional Christmas lunch. The day was unlike any Christmas
I've had, but one of the most memorable by far. On New
Year's Eve, we took a trip across to Jost for an island party.
There was a long strip of bars with music blaring – a pretty
fun night and another starlit ferry ride home. What more could I
ask for to start the year?
My work with Collas Crill in BVI has been both helpfully familiar,
but also new and challenging. BVI corporate law is quite similar to
the UK and Jersey, with some nuances which make things interesting.
The legal work is varied, exciting, and there's a lot of
opportunities.
My colleagues have been wonderful. I really couldn't have asked
for a better welcome at such a huge time of change for me.
They've bought me local food and drink from both the BVI and
their own countries to try, invited me out and about, and gifted me
a custom made rash-vest for secret Santa. I will have to bring over
some Jersey treats when I next visit – perhaps some classic
Jersey fudge?!
My first six weeks here have been nothing short of incredible.
It's such a privilege to be working in paradise with such a
lovely team around me. I'd recommend it to anyone – so
long as you can put up with the occasional (...) mosquito bite, the
general price of food... and the roosters!
Ollie's first month in pictures
