What is the importance of Isabela Island in the novel, Wish You Were Here?

The first half of the story takes place mainly on Isabela Island in the Galápagos. Isabela is full of wildlife, natural beauty, volcanoes, and beaches. There is a small downtown containing several shops and a hotel. It is on Isabela that Diana meets Gabriel and Beatriz, two people who fundamentally change her life and her perspective on relationships. Isabela Island is in an extremely remote location, which serves the purpose of allowing Diana to reconsider her life without outside influences from her normal routines. Diana learns that on Isabela, “I am forced to walk instead of run, and as a result, I’ve seen things I would have sped past before” (172). She sleeps under the stars. She learns to do more with less, as her money is restricted and she has limited purchasing ability on the island while it is in lockdown. As Isabela forces her to slow down and appreciate life, Diana desires to make drastic changes to her life in New York.