Fourteen years ago, my husband and I visited the island of Barbados on a cruise ship. Barbados is the farthest island in the Caribbean chain, and once we stepped off the ship, our love affair with the island began.

Being a travel consultant, I had read about the island, and the images of “flying fish” and “green monkeys” sparked my imagination. Also, the fact that there is nothing but water separating Barbados from the coast of Africa meant that we would really be in the West Indies and close to the equator. That alone was enough for a sun and beach lover!

When our ship docked, we opted to take a taxi cruise around the island. Four hours later, we had covered the coast of the island from the calm waters of the west coast in the Caribbean Sea, to the raging Atlantic coast in the east and the lively south coast. You just have to love an island that offers a completely different experience on every coast. As the cruise ship put out to sea, I remember longing for an island that I had only experienced for one day.

Returning home, we began planning an overland trip to the island. Being a beach lover, we made reservations for next year on the west coast of the island. I remembered that the water was crystal clear and I longed for lazy days on the beach. The West Coast attracts the rich and famous, and is home to fabulous homes, hotels, and villas. This coast is located on the Caribbean Sea, and the water is perfect for snorkeling and swimming. Good food is a fact of life, and Barbados is known for having some of the best restaurants in the world.

As we began to meet other vacationers, we quickly realized that most of them had been to the island many times before. I found this unusual, as most Caribbean vacationers choose to experience new islands. What was even more surprising, many of the English and Canadian visitors spend the entire winter season on the island each year. It certainly made us “short notice” with our two week vacation.

My curiosity about these long-term repeat vacations led me to ask why they kept coming back year after year. Their responses focused on the friendliness of the locals, the variety of accommodation catering to long-term visitors, the sunny weather, excellent food, and a standard of living conducive to making the island a second winter home.

After a week of being beach bums we ventured to the south shore and found St Lawrence Gap. As we walked through the mile long Gap area, I knew this would be our future spot on the island each year. The west coast is fairly quiet and spread out compared to the lively south coast. We found more than 20 restaurants, hotels, night clubs, shops and a great beach all in one area. We could barely contain ourselves until next year’s vacation. The love affair with Barbados was in full swing.

Thirteen years later, we are still in love. The same driver picks us up at the airport every year and welcomes us home. As timeshare members, we have made many friends over the years. Who would have thought that fourteen years ago we would have English, Canadian, Danish and Bajan friends that we keep in touch with all year round and can’t wait to see each winter season.

As soon as winter hits here in the Midwest, I think of eating flying fish and watching vervet monkeys playing outside our balcony in the morning. Do fish really fly? Well, they glide over the water and they have wings. Are monkeys really green? Its color could best be described as a combination of green, brown, and yellow.

The real reality is that the sun shines brighter, the water is like a lukewarm bath, and some of the friendliest people occupy this 160-mile paradise. I feel safe there and sadly I gain weight every year eating great food from one side of the island to the other. And when I get a travel request for Barbados, I can hardly contain my excitement telling a client all the ins and outs of the island.

This is a short story about a love affair with an island and its people. Sometimes I feel guilty for not having the same feeling about the other islands I have visited in the Caribbean. After all, I’m a Caribbean travel consultant and I’m not supposed to be partial to just one island. I love all the Caribbean islands, but I am in love with Barbados.

If your curiosity peaks after reading this article, keep in mind that after one visit, your future travel plans may take you in the same direction every year.