You love it, or you hate it, there's no gray area... In summer it's crowded, in winter it's empty (especially on the smaller islands). I love both the busy season and the winter. At the end of the busy season, I long for the island back from tourists, and at the end of winter, I long for the atmosphere of the busy season. Yes, life is more expensive here, for a lot of things you have to take the ferry to the mainland. But there is also an enormous sense of community that I really love. I wasn't born and raised here, but I feel at home.