Confession of Someone Moving Back to the States

Great posts!! I have secretly been reading, but not participating.

One question for you veterans...

I am trying to "set up" my life where I live 6 months of the year in the "islands", and 6 months of the year back in Denver.

My question is: Which 6 months of the year are the best in USVI? Do you feel a sense of "season" at all?

Depends most I would think on when you would NOT want to be in Denver? Like winter, perhpas, unless you are an avid snow skier, or? If you were to come here during summer season you'd miss all the tourists which in terms of somethings might be good. On the other hand............heh, any time of the year is right for here! just depends on what you need in your life!!!

Gasp, I understand your predicament. I have so often heard it. At your age you do need to do all the things necessary to get your careers on target. You are at a difficult age. The hoards of 20 somethings that come here to work in the restaurants or beaches are just here for the ride. What bothers you doesn't bother them. They will be gone in a short while to get where you are. You are a little late or maybe a little early! As said before in a few years this may be the place for you to come back to. Until then good luck!
Ronnie

BTW. Had a past tenant that was in her mid thirties that shucked her career to come here and chill out. After two years she said she couldn't handle not using her brain anymore and went back to her old job. She just emailed me telling me she has made another mistake and will be back after being gone only 6 months! I see this a lot too!

Gasp et al-

We have Sprint, and 411 does work for us. Maybe it was your particular phone, but whenever someone calls me from the Sprint network (on or off island), my phone "recognizes" and displays the caller's info. From what I have heard and experienced, we have limited caller ID- sometimes it works between cell carriers, sometimes it doesn't.

Best,

LR

Hi Gasp!

thanks for your insights. you are to be commended for being honest with yourself and doing what you think is right.

you're right when you say the VI isn't for those who like big-city hustle and bustle, subways, multitudes of ethnic eateries, sprawling coffeeshops, etc., which is why eddie and i are moving down! honestly, we are happier without those things. from my own standpoint, having gone to school in center city philadelphia, and having spent more time in center city during the course of my life than i needed to, i don't care if i never again set eyes on another metropolis.

also, i don't know how many pre-move visits you've made to the VI, if any. i made 5 and stayed for a combined total of three months, so i know what's in store for me. i know there won't be any walmarts, gaps, victoria's secrets, starbucks, 24-hour supermarkets, and curbside trash collection, and i'm okay with that. i've seen enough of that stuff to last me for the rest of my life.

but since you like the city life, understandably, the VI wasn't your cup of tea. i give you a lot of credit for admitting that.

you also seem to be a high-powered career person. i wasn't, and neither was eddie. we were both trapped in dead-end, low-paying jobs, and we decided that we wouldn't be missing much by leaving them behind. had we better careers, we'd have stayed put in philly.

something else: philly isn't a good place for us to live anymore. the culture is going down.

also, being an artist, i had no outlet for my talent in philly, but there seem to be plenty of outlets for it in the VI.

you're right: life in the VI isn't for those who like life in the fast lane. it's better suited for people like us who prefer simple lives and can live without certain luxuries. 😉

and as for low-paying jobs...did you consider waiting tables or tending bar? many of my friends work in the biz, and they're living pretty well. as for bennies, you can get them on your own. i know this b/c for years up here in philly i carried my own bennies and did okay...i'm still alive to tell the tale. 🙂

good luck on your future endeavors!! keep on keepin' on!!

-Celeste

Celeste and others who replied,

Thanks again for the positive comments and I think you're wise to read these threads just for a heads up about predicaments that could arise for you down here. I wish you all the best and hope your transition is fairly seamless-- there is so much to enjoy here in the VIs and I'm sure you'll have fun here regardless. i certainly did!

I just want to reiterate that i THOUGHT i was in exactly the same mindset as Celeste when we decided to move here. I was totally burned out on NYC, city life, hustle and bustle, rat race, you name it. I hate winters, I was being boring and staying at home and not taking advantage of city life, wishing my rent was lower, wishing i had more simplicity in life. I've never been a huge shopper, not really a late-night kind of person, as a child i lived in a town of 693 people so i knew what small-town life was like. Trust me, growing up as a beach bum in southern california, I THOUGHT i was ready to return to that lifestyle. I was sick of my job, ready to just relax and enjoy nature and beauty, didn't want my life to revolve around a job, never wanted to see another Starbucks (i don't even drink coffee!) or designer store again! I'm also extremely easy going, very "go with the flow", and I've moved a lot in my life, and travelled to tons of places, so I THOUGHT i knew what i wanted when I decided to move to STT.

I would never have moved here if i thought I'd miss all those city "annoyances"... I realize now how naive it is to think one's work environment won't matter just because you live in a tropical setting. I think i had these notions in my head that stripping my life down to live more simply in a beautiful environment would somehow make me forget the fact that I have student loans to pay off, credit card debt, rent to pay, expensive groceries to consume, etc. I was completely unrealistic with myself about how horrible it is to not have medical insurance, how much i resented being paid what i was making 10 years earlier in college, how little my education and work experience mattered on STT, how lonely i found myself much of the time.

I think perhaps I was unaware just how much personal growth I'd had over the last several years; i mean my 20s were pretty hectic and trying and intense (not that I can compare it to my 30s or 40s or 50s), and i'm very different now than I was when I was frollicking on the beach as a teen (despite beach frollicking still ranking at the top on my list of joyful things to do!). My "i've got to get out of this rat race" feelings that seemingly made it obvious that we should move once we had the opportunity to relocate to STT were perhaps more just general frustration with my job, with working in general, with never feeling like I had enough. Grass is always greener. None of those frustrations went away for me once I lived down here. In fact, they only became more enhanced. The beauty here can be overwhelming and blinding; it can almost hypnotize you into thinking you're happy when you're not. The beauty makes it that much HARDER to show up for work, to handle a work week, to remember to pay your bills. For some reason i want to quote "Beauty is only skin deep" but I'm not sure if that quote really even describes what I'm trying to say.

I think I just had the classic case of hoping St Thomas would be the place for me and then realizing it isn't. It happens to tons of people regardless of where they move to. I don't regret living here at all. I know I'll be the envy of all my friends and family for the rest of my life because of the time I lived here. Island life isn't for everyone, and I thought it was for me, but it's ok that it isn't. It's more of a joke that I miss the Gap or 7/11 slurpies, those superficial things are just little tangible items that are easy for me to grab onto to point out my homesickness. However, my desperate need of Thai food is no joke whatsoever, and the 10 or so mosquito bites i get each day will NOT be missed 😉

I never ever in a million years expected to think of NYC as "home", yet this is where I find myself. I never thought of myself as a major "career woman", yet I guess that's what I've grown into. It surprises me that I find myself smiling at the idea of working in a stressful yet meaningful job while also going to grad school. I must be crazy. And I do worry sometimes that I'll get back to the states and wish I had never left STT-- however at this age and this point in time, I know NYC has much more of what I need. Besides, I can still come visit (and crash with the friends we've made here so I won't be paying outrageous hotel costs) and now I've become ambidexterous with my driving skills so suddenly renting a car in London doesn't sound so scary.

I sort of have mixed feelings about PMV's being as important as people say-- for me, it tooks months of living here before I could see past the dazzle of the views and neon blue beaches. As I've said before, I was too into the dreamy-ness of living in paradise to really allow myself a better assessment of my reality. However, a PMV can't really hurt.

Hello All,

I have a few more cents to add. My husband and I have had lived on STT for 9 months. I have gone from crying everyday that I want to go back to a 'normal' life in the states, to loving it here. I won't say that it is perfect, because no place is perfect, but it is right for us now. I have found the difficulties of the island to be challenges (only after we figured out a solution), but feel proud that we handled them and did it 'by ourselves'.

It is strange the way that my perspective has changed, but you can either live you life looking at everything that is wrong or try to find all that is right. I am somewhere inbetween, but the things I find wrong I am now more apt to find the good in them. I used to say that even with the beauty of the island I couldn't handle living here, now I say that even though I have 'challenges' - thank goodness for the beauty of the island.

I think the best thing the island offers is the fact that you really find out a lot about yourself that you didn't understand or know about before living here. I am way more tolerant of people now. Everyone is different and yet the same. Treat people with respect even if they do things completely different than you are used too.

I understand how foreigners come up with the opinion that Americans are arrogant - many of us are...even myself. I love the fact that I have lost some of that arrogant way of thinking just by excepting a few ways of island life. Even with all that GASP has been thru (as well as many others), I am sure that the experience of the islands has made some good impact on her life and will definitely be remembered.

To all those moving here, try to come with an open mind. Maybe one of the biggest mistakes newcomers have is coming to the island with a set expectation that doesn't allow any flexability. You may not be able to control your environment, but you can control your behavior and reactions, no?

Okay, enough of my ramblings. I don't want to deter anyone from coming and experiencing island life. Hopefully the messages on this board help to pave the way for a positive experience. 🙂

Teresa

thanks for all the info. we have thought about all of the good and bad opportunities of living on a small island and it still hasn't detered us from wanting to try it out, if you don't do it you will never know!!! right??? my husband and i are hoping to move down this summer, our house just sold and our business is in the process. we are looking for a new adventure (we are in our 40's) kids are grown, parents are still independent and the thought of slowing down for a while in the nice climate sounds great. my husband is a master auto mechanic and a dive master and plans on helping as many people down there with their auto/marine repair needs and doing some part time dive mastering for a local dive shop on stx. i have done all types of work from office management, medical billing to bartending and waiting tables so we are hoping that we can make enough to pay our way. so hold on a little bit longer and we'll be down to help out with those dreaded auto repairs. the business we are selling is an auto repair shop and he plans on bringing he tools with him. our plans are to give it a year and re-evaluate at that time and see where we would rather be in the blisterly cold of southern michigan or on the beach in stx. we will take all the problems of island life in stride and hope for the best......

I truly believe that "anyplace" can have it's ups and downs. Live in a big city and then move to a small town in the US and many things will be different and their ways can irritate your brain cells (just like moving to the islands does to many).

I went through "it" in the early to mid 90's when living on STX...it took me a year to adjust. Once adjusted, (if you can) it is a REALLY a PARADISE. It helps if you have the ability to travel back to the mainland a few times a year, but like Teresa said, you MUST change your perspective. They have many different habits, speak differently (and fast) and have a total LOVE for their land - DO NOT TELL THEM HOW WE DO IT IN THE STATES, HOW "IT SHOULD BE" or THAT (YOU PEOPLE) ARE BEHIND THE TIMES...cause, deep down, THAT is WHY we love it...just a little of my .02.

I will be down there in June and GLAD TO BE BACK!
Steve

STXORBUST and SQEETRZ,

Both of you are so right. Great comments.

STXORBUST, i think you will do wonderfully down here-- perfect age and mindset and great ideas for working. If your husband becomes known for doing good work on cars, he'll be swamped with clients.

SQEETRZ, yes, your words couldn't ring more true. Enjoy paradise!

Teresa,
Great post, excellent advice about trying to keep an open mind and being open to change (in your environment, culture, and self). Glad you've settled in and made it through the adjustments, trooper.

My husband has been in the auto repair field for 20+ years and is very good at it so we are counting on that for employment and then whatever i can find and then his diving which i don't expect to pay real well. we can't wait to get there and start something new. we have always been up for new adventures and the laid back life style sounds so good right now, michigan is full of construction all ready this spring and the commuting is horrible. we plan on having enough money at all times to ensure a trip back to the rat race once in awhile to remind us why we moved in the first place. and i am sure family and friends will be visiting quite often. We will be looking for a get-together when we get there to meet some of you that have been helping me on this board. so wish us luck on the sale of all our responsibilities here in Michigan and you will be seeing us soon.
leeann

Leeann,

My family is also relocating to STX this summer. It sounds like you are going through much of what we are 🙂 Welcome to the board!

I hope to be able to get together with some of these wonderfulks when we finally land on-island ourselves.

Susan

A little off subject, but congratulations, Onika, on your pregnancy! I'm almost 8 months along myself, and my food of choice this time around is Thai. I can't get enough. Sorry to rub it in!

Good luck with your baby!

Wow, all I can say is this post as given my so much insight on Island life. I recent recieved a job offer on STT at an Architecture firm (William M Karr & Assoc) and I plan on moving down in 2 weeks or so. I grew up in a VERY small, isolated town in northern Michigan that is only surviving due to tourism, so I hope my experiences there will help me adjust to island life...

Thanks again for all the insight!

jbr12
Where in the Northern part of Michigan did you grow up???? I am also from the northern part (in the U.P.) and now live in S.E Michigan just north of Ann Arbor and plan to move down in a few months. We are planning on STX tho.
LeeAnn

I am from Boyne City, about an hour south of the Bridge. I am currently going to U of Michigan and will graduate in a week. I'm moving to STT due to a job offer I couldn't refuse 😀 Good ole U of M alumni base

I grew up in the U.P. and now live in Northville not too far from the U of M. Good luck with the move. We hope to be out of here before late fall. We wanted to be down to stx before last winter but it didn't happen. Really getting anxious........
LeeAnn

JBR12 - sent you a message
LeeAnn - when will you be going? I think we talked once. I am about 1 1/2 hours west of you. We can't wait for it to happen, but then it happens so, so fast. I have just 34 days left till my month long pmv. Now part of me wonders what I have left to do/pack/take care of here - and part of me says - they have stores, phones, fed-ex. No need to worry - long as I have $$$, a few clothes, sun lotion - what more do I need?

Good luck to both of you -

Linda from Michigan

Do you know what your mechanic shop name will be here???I'll sure give it a go when I get there?????

i thought this older post of mine might be of more help than Aimee's posts... although i didn't live on STX, I'm guessing that my STT experiences might be similar. I've highlighted some of the reasons that some people might not be as happy on-island as they're thinking they are.
Cheers!
p.s. i'm back in NY and it's unseasonably cold (50s) and rainy... but at least i can revel in the envy of all the pasty people here who are admiring my tan, which will be fading soon 🙁

Professionals such as Electricians may have an easier time finding high paying work on St. Croix than on St. Thomas, as the oil refinery (Hovensa) is constantly looking for new contractors for their many projects. They (and the sub-contracting companies to whom they award job bids) sign up people for varying length contract terms and often assist with moving expenses to get people down here. That gives some people the chance to try out island life for a specified period of time before deciding to renew the contract and remain... or go back to what they were once eager to leave.

*GASP* did a great job on her write-up. What it really points out is that you have to come here with a realistic idea of what you're getting into. An open mind helps, too. I often describe St. Croix to my real estate clients moving here from the states as: "Small Town America with Good Weather".

When people from large cities dream of the tropics while surviving a snowstorm in the depth of winter, they need to keep the "Small Town" part of that description in mind. Some people can make the move work for them and some find themselves missing what they always thought drove them crazy.

I agree with the poster who suggested that it might be easier to settle into the island lifestyle once you've gone through your 20's and lived it up somewhere that there are limitless chances to do so. Now approaching 40, I have found St. Croix to be a great place to raise my teenage sons, as when we lived in Seattle they spent most of the year inside and here they can head outside after school to throw a ball around no matter what month of the year it happens to be. For anyone thinking about moving here with children... they settle in very quickly. Children have most the same activities here that they do in the states. School, sports clubs, video games, etc., but they also have more outdoor activities available to them.

While it is possible to live in the islands on a shoestring budget, it is much more fun and liberating if you have the financial ability to island hop now and then. It helps you to keep "island fever" from setting in and also allows for the occasional shopping foray at the mall or Costco in San Juan.

There is definitely an unemployment problem in the islands and many jobs are for very low pay. However, some employers are delighted to find workers with mainland work ethics and even willing to pay a little more to keep them. I am connected to a business on St. Croix that is looking for a new office manager. It's hard to find someone competent and professional who will actually come to work. Anyone out there want $14 an hour for work that isn't particularly difficult and it includes occasional free vacation flights to other islands? You can even socialize with visiting flight crews if you wish (dinners, pool parties, boating outings, etc.)

I miss Thai Food, too. A lot. And good Mexican Food. I always binge on both when I make a trip back to visit family in the states. Then again, I eat more lobster here than I did in Seattle. 🙂

Bicycling around the island as your primary means of transportation? Ummmm.... NO! Not even if you're a tri-athlete. Have you seen the terrain here?