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January 2006 Bob and Camille Armantrout could hardly contain their excitement as they packed for their next adventure. They had recently responded to an ad in The Caretaker Gazette and received an offer. In a couple of weeks they were leaving Maui, Hawaii to assume management responsibilities at Casa Iguana on Little Corn Island off the coast of Nicaragua. As Bob put it, “We’ve decided to abandon the car culture.” The traffic on Maui had become increasingly fevered. Jammed parking lots and gridlock were commonplace. On Little Corn Island, there are no cars – only beaches and footpaths through lush forest.  It seemed like a perfectly rational decision to move from one island to the other. Yet, many expressed concern for their safety upon hearing they were moving to Nicaragua. Camille soon learned to say, “We are going back to the Caribbean because it has always felt like home to us.” Six years ago, the Armantrouts, a.k.a. the Trouts, took a similar leap of faith. It all began in 1996, when they bought “the property of their dreams”, a 7-acre horse property in Virginia. Bob commuted to his corporate job every day while Camille tended their little horse boarding business. On the weekends, when they weren’t fulfilling social obligations, they worked together on the property. Gradually, they realized that the property owned them and not the other way around. Bob felt as if he were holding onto a live electrical wire and was unable to let go. Camille’s analogy was that the kitchen had caught fire and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.

Bob and Camille

That year in Belize was exactly what they needed to refresh their perspective on life. Most of the staff lived on the property and they all worked as a team. Although there was a lot of hard work involved, there was always time for sharing stories and watching the spectacular life in a broad-leafed rainforest. The Trouts began to get a sense of the security enjoyed by individuals in tribal communities. Life at the lodge was unencumbered by power lines, asphalt, or the media.  Most of the food was grown locally and purchased at the market. Avocado, custard apple, bananas, breadfruit, coconut, mangos, guava, pineapple, oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes all grew on the property. There were weeks when Camille traveled solely on horseback and by foot.

Bob and Camille soon found they were not always able to impose their will upon their environment. The realization that they were not in control of the environment liberated them from the burden of responsibility. And that freedom gave them time to savor every moment. 

They celebrated the end of each day, pleased with their efforts and slept peacefully. Over the course of that year, the Trouts learned that the really important things in life are fresh air, clean water, companions, food, honest work and time to relax, and a dry place to sleep. As an unexpected bonus, they found out how nicely their skills worked together.

While in Belize, they were introduced to a copy of The Caretaker Gazette and decided to subscribe. For six years, they kept the most recent issue of the Gazette handy and gave their back issues to people they met. Their advice to those who said they wished to go somewhere new was, “Get your passport and subscribe to The Caretaker Gazette and you’ll be halfway there.”

Surprisingly, Bob and Camille have never been to Nicaragua. How did Grant and Cathy at Casa Iguana decide that the Trouts were a good fit for their business?  In lieu of a resume, Bob sent them the link to their personal Website at www.troutsfarm.com

For six years, Bob and Camille have been updating their Website with photo essays about their life on Maui and adventures in other parts of the world, including Belize. After reading through a few years of postings, Grant decided they were the ones for the job. The Trouts will be able to continue adding to their Website after they reach their new home on Little Corn Island, thanks to the magic of satellite internet and laptops. They will also be keeping their email subscription to The Caretaker Gazette and continue to read each issue!

The following are articles from caretakers:

Able To Housesit? ~ A Conversation With An International Property Caretaker
Caretaking ~ How To Live Overseas And Have The Place To Yourself
The Seafaring Caretaker ~ A Profile Of Captain Jack
 

Gary C. Dunn is the publisher of The Caretaker Gazette. He can be contacted at www.caretaker.org or by writing him at caretaker@caretaker.org

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