the island effect
Some time ago I found this lovely little mermaid in my mailbox, a surprise card from Eva, owner of the fantastic blog called Mail Adventures.
Eva used to live on an island and her friends sometimes asked her if she doesn't feel 'stuck' there (just like the mermaid, sitting on this tiny rock), but her island was in fact big enough, she says, not to feel the island effect.That's something that I find truly fascinating. How is the life on island different from the one on mainland? How do islands influence their inhabitants? Does it feel much different to live on an island located close to mainland, than on those more remote ones? How small or remote must the island be to have the 'island feeling'?
I can try answering those questions only from a traveller's point of view, that's why I love reading a bit about the island life on the cards I receive, or just chatting with some islanders. I'd also love to hear some thoughts about this subject from anyone visiting this blog, so don't hesitate to comment!
6 comments
I've been to some islands, including really small ones, but never did experience the “island effect”. Guess one have to stay for _longer_ time, maybe even without clear plan of getting out / being picked up.
ReplyDeleteMaybe one day you will live in a remote island. With a mailbox, of course! :D
ReplyDeleteI would love to, even for a few months!
DeleteI forget to tell you that I love a lot the way you photographed the postcard.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you like it :)
DeleteMy brother lives on Lewis, of the coast of Scotland I have stayed there for long periods and would say the biggest effect is that the culture gets less diluted than places on the mainland (which in my case is an island as well - Britain - bit that's too big to get the island feel). Because there are a limited number of schools on Lewis the chances are you probably went to school with your current neighbours and have known them all your life. It makes for a closeness in relationships that is absent on the mainland.
ReplyDelete