Caretaking on the Island of Culebra

One of our Caretaker Gazette subscribers, Marie Morello, found a caretaking position on Culebra Island via one of the Gazette's frequent email updates. Here, in Marie's own words, is her story:

Wanderlust!!! From my earliest memories I am settled into the back seat of my Dad’s snappy 1952 Ford traveling to the beaches of New England, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, to Nova Scotia after having picked up the cutest hitchhiking sailor stationed in Halifax and so many more destinations that made my weekends and summers brim with excitement of new places found and new people met. Moving from the Massachusetts coast to Florida after the death of my dad was quite a culture shock but living at the top of the Keys afforded me the opportunity to canoe with the sharks and stingrays as well as the gators and live the tropical life to which I am so attuned. I moved to Sevier County, Tennessee in 1982 where I, at 35, returned to college receiving a degree in Business Management/Accounting. It has served me well as it gave me an overview of the thought process of any organization that I became a part of regardless of my responsibilities and the best management philosophy I still to this day use in my work life and personal life - Manage By Objectives, Results And Rewards - you will never lose.

For the past three years I have been working for  rafting companies  in the Smokies and watching the amazing views of the Smokies, which I absolutely love. I also own Luvm-N-Feedm Pet Sitting and have dedicated my life to animals for the last 39 years. I became a Reiki practitioner seven years ago and along with my Reflexology I work on clients who have many ailments from kidney failure to diabetes to sciatic pain to headaches. In between, I have traveled to Alaska making a land drop with a bush pilot to Port Graham, flying Denali in a rusted out single engine prop plane, to living with the locals of Isla Mujeres, a small island off the Yucatan Peninsula, to snorkeling the Dry Tortugas in the Caribbean, to strolling along the North Sea in the Netherlands of Europe. There are so many more adventures too numerous to mention except to say how thankful I am for being so blessed with the freedom to spread my wings which has brought me to the writing of this article.

About a year ago I joined The Caretaker Gazette and just kept watching until something came about that seemed right. I was so excited just knowing that there was something like this out there for those of us who love to travel, see the world but yet be of service. And it did! I received an email update from the Gazette about a new caretaker opportunity. The owners of the Palmetto Guesthouse on the island of Culebra needed a short-term caretaker and after the initial reference checks and speaking numerous times via the internet and wireless - the commitment was mine. I was on my way to a pet/guest house sit while the owners went to Boston to visit relatives. I was to care for the three rescue dogs and was also responsible for taking care of the three rescue kitties. Also, I was to pick up the guests and return them to the airport, care for their needs and care for the guest house. I loved every minute of it!

Each morning I took the three dogs to the beach. My partner took the two older girls, Milo and Kona, and I took the younger rambunctious “George” as he was full of energy so we had to swim, kill coconuts and chase crabs that the girls dug from the sand. The kitty babies were no trouble at all especially little Black Beauty that I would squeeze until she squeaked.  The homeowner’s rescue practice is making things better and they have found homes for several other doggies and kitties. Now on to the 2-footeds. When the 2-footed guests arrived, my partner and I greeted them at the airport, brought them home, got them settled in complete with fresh picked bananas from the garden, boogie boards, beach blankets and brought a cooler that the guesthouse provides for playing at the beach. We also dropped them off at other locations to assist in their travels. When it was time to leave we packed them up and got them to the airport for their next destination and with a wave good bye sent them off. Now the cleaning began for the guesthouse. Strip the bed, take the garbage out, sweep the floors, clean the kitchen, do the laundry and pick more bananas! More bananas!!! Bananas everywhere!!! The freezer was full of bananas and my word they made the best fruit shakes!

The next leg of the journey was to get the owners home a few days later. We picked them up at the ferry dock with all the supplies that they were bringing home from the main island, as there is nothing on the tiny island of Culebra so everything has to be brought by ferry after shopping in San Juan and I mean everything. This island offers a wonderful laid-back lifestyle but with it comes some great inconveniences that we so take for granted in our everyday sterile lives. I loved every minute of it once I got used to the nuances of island life but I figured I’d roll with the punches, as it was all an adventure and learning experience. I have always said that I am not a tourist I am a traveler and to be that one must become a local and live like the natives live. I’m already packed and waiting for my next adventure-call me!