Diving in....

Well I dont know if there is a "best time" to have a PMV, summer is less expensive and less crowded, winter is high season and very crowded and more expensive. The biggest thing to do while you are on your PMV is to behave like you live here, meaning make the commute into town during normal rush hours, hit the grocery stores, banks and post office to get a feel of the laid back attitudes. If you come here on your PMV and act like a tourist you are going to be coming here with rose colored glasses thinking everyday is vacation!
We did our PMV in July and stayed at a great studio apt with kitchen, we cooked, did errands. We then were lucky enough to have friends here on island who were going stateside so we stayed and watched their house and dogs. You really need to get a feel of WAPA going out, conserving water while showering or doing dishes etc.
It would be too premature for you to look at apts to rent, but you could get a feel of the cost of them and the areas you like.
Cheryl

Some think it best to come during August/September since it's the hottest time of the year. Don't count on being in an air-conditioned place all the time or at home if you're paying the electric bill. I've always believed it's best to acclimate yourself so I never even turn on the car A/C unless someone's riding with me & they start gasping for air. Saves on gas, too.

My PMV was 1 day for a job interview & I had never been here before & it obviously was enough for me but that's a rarity & I had skills that were needed + it was a long time ago. Usually you don't even get your foot in the door unless you're on-island. The economy has hit here hard & it won't be better for a long time since we're usually behind the times vs the States so I hope you have luck finding work. After a huge hit to the economy as the Mainland has had, people aren't so quick to spend disposable income to vacation here & so much is based on the tourist dollr.

It's not hard to get to know people here, especially if you get involved in the community such as volunteering. There are lots of opportunities for that such as the Humane Society. It's risky to hang around partying all the time. Too easy to fall into that lifestyle & not be able to climb out. If you like small town life, you may love it here but save your $$ since you'll probably have to pay first, last & 1 month's security & may have to leave utility deposits as well. Money seems to just disappear here.

Good luck with your move & ask away!

Hi, Heather! If you are a teacher- and I am always hoping for teachers, nurses and librarians!;)- You might want to consider a visit during the school year. If you have some other special skill, be mindful of the season (if there is one) for your skill. Some tourist-oriented businesses close during September, for example.

Where have you been, EE? Glad you're back.

Cheryl...Thanks for the tip. I think going when it is cheaper is what we would like to do. Gotta save as much as we can for the actual move!

Trade...unfortunately, I do not have a "skilled" trade. My fiancee, however, is a photographer. I currently work as a personal assistant, but previously I worked in payroll for 10+ years. So, I don't know how that will affect us finding jobs.

EE...sorry, not a teacher. 🙁

Should I look into obtaining another skill before our move? Such as "medical assistant"? I think we have some 1-2 year programs here I might be able to complete before the move.

Heather

If you're good at that, there should be work. It's not necessarily a profession you need to have, but good skills in what you do. For instance, paralegals are in great demand & are paid well if they're good so any type of office work that you excel at you should be able to make a decent living. Sometimes good basic skills will serve you well such as good grammar, computer skills and having a really good work ethic is more than can be found here. You'll probably do fine.

Did I go somewhere??:S

Hello all! I am Heathers AMAZING fiance 🙂

She has a good idea to get to know some of you all there. Would really help the isolation feeling I am sure.

Maybe by time we get there the economy will be a lil better. I am a full time wedding photographer here. Other exp is Optician and cellular technician. Im hoping to be full time there too with my own biz, but sure that will take some time to get rolling.

Shannon.

Did I go somewhere??:S

I hadn't seen you around for a while. Thought you might have been off-island. I didn't hear your lovely singing voice. 😛

So, another question for y'all....we are starting to take inventory of our belongings and considering what we should get rid of and what is worth it to keep and ship. Any advice???

Good afternoon heddamae,

Get rid of two-thirds of everything you own. Then, get rid of half of what's left. 🙂

Seriously, you'll have to be more specific (although the above is not a bad recipe; it's pretty much what I did). Many people don't bring furniture, as a lot of places come furnished and much of what works in a stateside home doesn't fit in down here. It depends also on how you are shipping your belongings (in a container? by USPS?).

If you ship the most basic practical items (clothes, kitchen equipment, tools, some electronics) and your important "hobby" items (books, art supplies, etc.), you'll find everything else is easy enough to replace. If you like high-quality sheets, towels, etc., you'll want to bring those, too (although it's possible to ship them now).

Part of living here is living simply. The less stuff you have, the happier you'll probably be.

Once there, I don't care how much stuff I own, the less the better. I like my life simple and I'm sure VI is a place that would suit me fine... laid back.

Hi Shannon,

Just checked out your link for your website. Awesome pictures! Couldn't help but notice that your place of business is out of the Chicago area. We are also from Illinois. Although we did buy a place a few years ago and visit when we can, we have a few more years before we make our big move. Lucky you, won't it be nice to give up midwestern winters and below zero windchills!

I'd bring good sheets & towels & pack any good kitchen knives (checked luggage, naturally) if that's important to you. You can get better deals on high thread count all cotton sheets up there a lot cheaper & much better quality than here. Pick up end of season summer clothes & shoes there as well while they're on sale as well as bathing suits.

When we first moved we divided all our possessions into 4 groups:

Trash

Sell at yard sale

Store - This is for things you are not sure you want to bring with you but that you don't want to sell. We rented a storage space until we decided we were definitely were staying. Then we culled again and shipped this stuff down.

Bring with you - these are the things you want/need immediately. Household items primarily. I would not bring any furniture until I was here for at least 6 months.

Hi Shannon,

Just checked out your link for your website. Awesome pictures! Couldn't help but notice that your place of business is out of the Chicago area. We are also from Illinois. Although we did buy a place a few years ago and visit when we can, we have a few more years before we make our big move. Lucky you, won't it be nice to give up midwestern winters and below zero windchills!

Thanks Molly!!! Always like to hear feed back.
So your still here in IL? did I read that right?

Hate to admit it, but the onset of winter always puts me in a funk / depression. I cant stand winter, and last year was the worst for me. Its cold, ugly, and frustrating... im so ready to get outta here, and enjoy life. If i can pursue my dream of shooting weddings on i island, I will die a happy man.

Hate to admit it, but the onset of winter always puts me in a funk / depression. I cant stand winter, and last year was the worst for me. Its cold, ugly, and frustrating... im so ready to get outta here, and enjoy life. If i can pursue my dream of shooting weddings on i island, I will die a happy man.

Ders a lot o dat goin round

Thanks for the tips.

We pretty much assumed we wouldn't be bringing any furniture with us. I guess what got me thinking was all of my kitchen wares, and bedding, towels, etc... I did see someone posted to use those things to pack other things instead of using packing peanuts. I'm not sure where to draw the line. I love to cook, so I have a lot of kitchen gadgets.

I guess this will be a good time to downsize on stuff. Maybe I'll finally throw out all those notes I kept from high school that we would pass in the halls. I can't believe I have held on to them this long as it is.

Are there things any of you didn't bring that you kicked yourself for leaving behind?

Oh, and Hey Molly! Nice to meet a fellow Illinioisian (is that what we're called?) who will be making the move to The Rock. Where are you from in Illinois?

If you love to cook then definitely bring your kitchen stuff, there is no Williams~Sonoma down here unfortunately! I love to cook too and I can pretty much find unusual spices, meats, cheeses and grains at Gourmet Gallery, what I can't find I do have to resort to ordering online. For clothing you should really downsize your closet. Leave your winter stuff with family members so that when you go back stateside you wont have to pack it. Also depending on where you chose to live on STT, parts of the island can be quite moldy. We are on top of Crown Mtn and the mold just loves my leather shoes, bags, belts and recently furniture! If you use certain salon hair products ( redken, mitchell etc) you should bring a backup or two with you, that kind of stuff is either impossible to find (depending on product) and if you can find it it is thru the roof!
cheryl

My husband and I are also planning on taking the plunge of moving down there hopefully within the next 2 years. Have never been there but from everything we read, it sounds exactly where we want to be. We live in Kentucky and feel the same way about dreading the gray, ugly winters (very depressing for both of us). We aren't planning on a pmv because we just want to get there as soon as possible so we are saving every dime we can get our hands on. That may sound crazy to some people but that is just how we roll. We like the idea of simple living...doesn't take much to sustain us even now. We both are hard workers and not above doing most anything. I'm experienced in everything from office work (receivables and payables) to fast-food work to scrubbing toilets (not my favorite thing to do but will if necessary). My husband is a parts man but also very experienced in manuel labor. Anything he goes to do, he is good at. I'm not trying to boast, I'm just saying that being as flexible as we both are, I don't think it should be hard finding work. I really enjoy this site, seems very helpful, and can't wait to actually meet some or all of you! Any advice for us would be great!

Simple living can be very expensive here, Vicki. If you don't have kids to send to school it's worth a shot, though but make sure you have a round-trip ticket or enough to get you back in case you decide you hate it. Good luck!

Thanks for the tip...probably bringing one child. Will be a Senior in High School but he may decide to finish school before he comes with us. I doubt that I will hate it, I'm sure that I don't know all there is to know but I'm also sure that I don't have on rose-colored glasses. There are pros and cons anywhere you go and as much as I love the ocean and sand, I'm gonna give it a shot! We are in our early 40's and are anxious for the adventure. Even if it turns out that we don't stay.....what stories will we be able to tell!

Your son would probably be better off finishing his senior year there in any case rather than uprooting him to put in a school here with a whole different culture.

I agree with Trade. Your son should finish school in the states. Even in private school it will be difficult with the differences here.