International regulatory attorney Mary Frances Monroe moved from Washington DC to Bermuda in 2011, where she lived until 2013. Continuing our expat advice series, here she describes life on a small island in the North Atlantic.
Bermuda is an island of just over 60,000 people on 21 square miles in the Atlantic Ocean. It is not, as many assume, in the Caribbean; it’s actually 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina in the US. It has a warm climate most of the year but unexpectedly chilly and rainy winters, so don’t neglect to pack a reasonably warm coat, sweaters and rain gear, even if your job does not require travel to colder locales. Given the high humidity, fur and wool are not the best options – for me, a trench coat with a liner was ideal.
Travel to and from Bermuda is via one small, but charming, airport in the north of the territory. The airport and the causeway linking it to the main island are susceptible to bad weather, however, and can be closed. Generally, however, travel is not a problem and the ability to clear US customs on the Bermuda side is a plus for those who travel back and forth to the US.