Everybody ought to live on an island at one time in their lives because when you live on an island, you know where the edges are.
     On continents there are edges too, but they are far away. When you can see the edge of your land it brings it home to you that you can go that far and no farther. 
      'That far and no farther' is what contains you, limits you, and restrains you. Whereas The Mainland might be roiling like the wild west, island life is always serene. You can't cause a lot of trouble there. There is one government, a limited supply of resources, and everybody on the island depends on getting along. Its just the way of it. It's an understanding. 
     On the island I presently live upon, there is one port in which we receive all of our goods. We are very protective of that port. Our drinking water falls from the sky, so we are thankful most of the time (flash flood events excluded) when it rains. 
    We host visitors, a LOT of visitors, and try and make them feel welcome while they're here, so they can enjoy island life for awhile too, before they have to go "Back to reality!", as they glumly say it. 
     We have crime, but usually not major crimes, because where can you go? And if you do go, half the population is related and somebody is likely to rat you out. 
     Some of the locals have bad driving habits, because they've never been anywhere else, but you just let 'em by. 
     This island I'm on is big enough so that there are towns 'far away' (26 miles!) so you have regions. 'Upcountry', 'the South side', 'the West side', and 'Downtown'.

     It's easy to forget about The Mainland but thanks to the internet, it's like I'm right there, though I'm not. The Mainland is a whole 'nother animal, sprawling, vast, and wide, crisscrossed by airplanes and highways that I once used to drive on. 
     There's trouble there, in spots, mainly about bein' neighborly which wouldn't be happening if all those people had to live on an island. If they did, things would quickly get worked out. 
But, people want their freedoms, their space, and their territory. Somehow that works, I guess...
      Los Angeles! I see a lot of people from there. LA people have sort of an island vibe, like Los Angeles is a huge, culturally unique, and amazingly diverse island like none other. So yeah, you can live on The Mainland as if you're on an island, but again, there's something about seeing water on all sides and no roads or bridges leading to anywhere else that makes the vibe truly 'island'. 
     No escape routes, is what I'm trying to say. 
     No markets to exploit. 
     And abysmal chances for growth. 
    Why, it's anathema to the American business credo! 
    Globalization has already happened on any island. Long ago. Nothing there to add to your portfolio. So if you wanna come visit, put your briefcase away and join the others...

     ...just hangin' on the beach, watching the new arrivals airliners flying overhead.