All my life, and especially those 30+ years of corporate climbing, I’ve been punctual, responsible, and reliable. And I’ve demanded the same.

If you agree to meet me at 2:00 on Thursday afternoon, I’ll be there at 1:55 and stay for a ten-minute window. If you don’t show during that time, I’ve moved on to the next in line. I might be a little ashamed to admit I was that rigid and thought I was right.

Here on Roatan, as in many other places in the world not related to my environment of 64 years, life does not work that way. Not at all. And guess what? I’ve decided I was wrong. My perfectionist tendencies were judgmental and not helpful to anyone.

What does work here is the word mañana.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as an indefinite time in the future. Here on Roatán, the meaning is more like: not today.

As Mike and I prepared mentally and emotionally for this move we talked extensively about our attitudes. I did admit that this mañana thing was going to be one of the most difficult cultural changes for me to get used to. And as life would have it, we’d get to start learning that lesson during our first week here.

As you now know, the internet at Camp Bay Lodge has been unreliable. Connectivity was better up at the cantina so every time I needed to work for one of my clients or this blog or email family, I’d have to load up my backpack with all my gear and walk those 70 steps to the cantina, unload the backpack, set up and settle in. Worth it? Yes, of course. But not the way I want to live these six months.

I’m up pretty early in the morning, way before daylight. My brain works best the first hours of the day so I like to wake up, start brewing the coffee and fire up the computer. I’m happiest and the most productive during those early morning hours and isn’t that what working remotely is all about?

We live in only 400 square feet right now so I've claimed about a quarter of the kitchen table for my office space. Mike has an equal-size designated area also. We only work in those spaces, which means any time we are away from those areas we are not working. Time at the cantina is for eating food, drinking watermelon (or passionfruit) water, making new friends, and catching up with folks we know.

So, I decided this internet issue is more of a necessity to remedy than if it was only about staying socially connected, although that is important, too!

Mike reached out to the local communications company rep eight days ago, and here’s how it all played out:

3-Way WhatsApp Conversation:

Friday, April 16               

Mike and Kyle discuss service currently in place at Camp Bay Lodge and service we can purchase for better connectivity and bandwidth.

After nearly six hours of back & forth, we decided on a 6-month plan for 15 MB wireless service. Installation will be $120 + $165 refundable equipment charge, and the service will be $75 a month.

Since the service will be purchased by All Things Administrative, LLC, Kyle asked for my documents so he could prepare the e-contract:

o   Clear picture of ID

o   Address

o   Local phone number

o   Reference with local phone number (not that we know many people yet who could vouch for us!)

o   Email address

o   Description of home

 

Saturday, April 17

I guess we must have discussed the plan all day because nothing happened until the next day! (Jane, we are taking your advice and making big decisions very slowly.)

 

Sunday, April 18

I sent Kyle the required docs and said, “let’s move forward!”

 

Monday, April 19

Pan American Day- Honduran Holiday. No one works but Kyle and Mike exchanged email. Kyle said we’d receive the e-contract by noon on Tuesday. Required to sign the contract and make full payment before scheduling service.

 

Tuesday, April 20

2:52 PM- Mike sent a status check for the e-contract. Kyle’s response was, “Working on it. It’s a Tuesday after a 3-day weekend. Very soon.”

4:16 PM- “Sending now. Check Spam”

4:42 PM- “Hello? It’s the second one. Correct refundable equipment deposit.”

Power Outage. Have to try to send executed contract back tomorrow.

 

Wednesday, April 21

7:52 AM- Sent the contract back

7:55 AM- “No need to send the contract back. I need the words: I agree to the terms of the contract” followed by Catherine’s name, via email

8:03 AM- “Payment link will be sent. Or you can send a bank transfer or pay in person.”

We couldn’t open the link to pay the bill for better internet service. Since our internet service is so intermittent, we need the new one to open the payment link. If you can follow all that.

Pack up the animals and essentials, load the truck and head to town to pay the bill in person.

1:24 PM- Arrived at their store. I sat in the truck with the dogs and Mike went in to take care of business.

1:51 PM- Mike texted Kyle that we were done! Sent a screenshot of the receipt to him, also.

1:54 PM- “WAIT”, texted Kyle. “Go back in. One bill was torn. Nichelle will be calling.”

2:07 PM- Mike texted Kyle, “Done. Amazed at how the torn bill, ever so slight (and glued) affects the use. Neither the first girl nor I noticed it. Thanks again, Kyle.”

 

Thursday, April 22

No news.

Friday, April 23

6:39 AM- Mike texted Kyle, “Can we do a SitRep for installation of the gear? Are we on the tech’s schedule?”

6:48 AM- Kyle: “Good morning. You’re definitely in the queue. Let me check.”

12:48 PM- Mike: “Any word yet?”

12:50 PM- Kyle: “My Tech is coming from Barbaretta.”

1:00 PM- Mike: “Do we know what time he could be here?”

1:13 PM- Kyle: “He’s on Barbaretta. Hard to reach him. I’d say before 4:00.”

4:12 PM- Kyle: “Please tell me he showed up?”

4:14 PM- Cathy: “No. Still waiting for him.”

4:23 PM- Kyle: “He apparently drove by today to check the radio signal. The installation is scheduled for tomorrow morning 10:00.”

 

Saturday, April 24

11:44 AM- Kyle: “Good morning. Just following up.”

11:44 AM- Cathy: “Hi, Kyle. They called that it would be 11:30. Standing by.”

11:45 AM- Kyle: “Well, at least they called!”

11:45 AM- Cathy: “Exactly! And it isn’t that much past 11:30 either!

12:42 PM- Cathy: “The tech is here now, Kyle!”

4:18 PM- Kyle: “Wow, I was sent a picture.”

What Kyle didn’t see is that our tech nearly fell off his ladder. That was a moment. Mike went up to hold the ladder for him. Long story short- he had two bad cables. He’s coming back tomorrow at 7:30 AM.

Sunday, April 25

8:54 AM- Cathy: “Hi, Kyle. Wonder if you’ve heard anything?”

8:57 AM- Cathy: “NM. Tech is pulling in now!!”

 

See? 

All Things Mañana. 

Proof that it will happen. Sometimes just not today.