Life has a strange way of bringing people together. Who would ever think that two couples from four different countries would be able to find their soulmates? This is exactly what two generations of the Didiers did.

 

Little did Derek and Erica know, but their lives would go in similar paths. Born in England, Derek moved to Barbados at the age of 4. He moved to Washington, DC, to attend The Catholic University and received his BS in electrical engineering. He proceeded to move to Atlanta, where he was accepted at Georgia Tech and pursued a Master of Science in electrical engineering. 

 

After a short stint in New Jersey, Derek moved to Raleigh for 12 years. During that time, his work brought him to Lannion, France, where he traveled extensively throughout France and Italy. He loved the laidback lifestyle while living in France, as well as the cuisine. Once back in Raleigh, he attended UNC at Chapel Hill and received his MBA. In 2002, Derek moved to Tampa, where he met his love, Erica. Panasonic in Peachtree City brought them to Georgia and eventually to Arbor Springs.

 

Now Erica was raised in Jamaica and attended Wellesley College in MA, receiving her undergrad degree in economics and international relations. She moved to New Jersey and worked in New York City at MetLife while attending NYU Stern School of Business, attaining her MBA in management and marketing before moving to Tampa, FL. While Erica was in high school, she was an exchange student in Mexico for a year and did a semester in Spain. Erica says, “She is fluent in Spanish and has schoolroom French, while Derek is fluent in French and knows schoolroom Spanish.” She is currently a software implementation project manager.

 

Derek’s parents have moved to the United States and live with their son and Erica. They met in England, but Mrs. Didier is from Grenada and practiced as a midwife, while Mr. Didier is from Dominica and was a civil engineer owning his own business. They migrated to Barbados when the children were young and remained there until recently. They aren’t fond of the cold, however, they enjoy living in the US and Arbor Springs.

 

If you want to peek the Didiers' interest, just talk about traveling. They have been to almost every continent with many, many more places on their bucket list, including Thailand, Vietnam, Iceland, and Greece. They should write a travel blog with all the destinations they have covered.

 

Erica and Derek love staying at historic bed and breakfasts. Once, while in Miami, they explored the Coral Castle. The castle was built during the 1920s – 1940s. The most unique feature is a 9-ton gate that moves with the touch of your finger. A fascinating adventure was exploring the Ca’ d’Zan Ringing Bros. museum in Sarasota. They have stayed at bed and breakfasts all across the South. Erica loves antiques, so any chance she can check out historic sites, she’s in.

 

Being passionate about Cricket comes naturally to the Caribbean natives. They also enjoy watching the Dallas Cowboys. Little did Derek know that Erica loved tennis, so when he invited her on their first date to a match in Miami, she pulled out all her finals swag and impressed him.

 

Living in Arbor Springs over the last two-and-a-half years, the Didiers know they made the right decision moving here. Erica is a social butterfly who you will see filling in on several committees. The acceptance when they moved in was overwhelming, and the community spirit was more than they could’ve asked for.