Do many people fail to make the move?

In my opinion, many fantasize about such a move, some do the research, a few come down for a pre-move visit and a couple actually move. This is the reason most employers want to see you face-to-face on the island before they'll consider you seriously for work.

I live on St, Croix. I like it and the weather is beautiful. But perfect it ain't. What it all boils down to is this: Where ever you go.. there YOU are.

Good luck.

MOST people who move the virgin islands ...do not stay long term.

While I do not have any hard statistics, it is obvious that it is not always the paradise that some people imagine. Some people move just because this is a "stop" along the way. Some people move because island living is more difficult than they had imagined.
Some people move, because they do not "fit in".

However many find that it is just what they always wanted and have settled for decades..."for life"..

I am looking at comming down to St. Croix, to see about moving there. Myself and my Girlfriend (& Baby) are VERY easy going, From what i am hearing we are a good fit for the most part. We are looking for a Somewhat mellow area to live and work, Can you recomend a part of the island we should key on when we visit?

Mark

Hello Ron,

For those of you that are there I ask, do you see many mainlanders come over only to leave?

Ans: Yes there are many folks that come down only to leave within 1 month, 3 months, 6 months but you have to factor in that quite a few of these people only came with the intention of staying for 3 month or 6 months - we get a lot of seasonal movers. There are definately people that move with the intention of staying longer that find that the islands aren't what they "expected" or dreamed about and they find another place to move to or go back home. Some folks I have met over the years that intended to stay long -have given the following reasons for returning to the states; not enough golf, can't get along with the people here, came here to clear my head so I could write a book and its not happening, not enough white Christian women, not enough fast food places and American type coffee shops ect., became ill and needed medical treatment that didn't exist here, spouse needed medical treatment, divorced spouse they moved with (one stayed the other left), broke up with boyfriend they moved with (one stayed the other left), got pregnant and wanted to be around family, hated it, job wasn't what they expected. And there are people who move here and stay permanently, have kids, marry, start businesses ... there are even some who come on vacation and never leave!

Do many of those who come over fail to find employment or housing and return to the mainland? Ans: I don't know how much this factors in... job perhaps... housing depends on the island and for the most part you can find someplace even if its not what you wanted. I had one person site not finding an apartment they liked in combination with several other factors as being the reason they were reconsidering living here.

There can't possibly be enough jobs on the islands to support all the people desiring to relocate, so it must be tough to get jobs there. Am I wrong?
Ans: You have come to a site and message board about Relocating to the USVI so its going to seem like a lot of people are considering moving since thats all this site is about. I don't have figures on how many people move however again lots of seasonal people and they fill seasonal jobs. Difficulty getting a job definately would depend on the job field and the island.

Great questions... keep researching and if you have more questions feel free to ask.

--Islander

Islander,

Thanks very much, you are a fountain of knowledge, and certainly a great help. Everything you said does ring true. I'm still researching ideas and have the Settlers Handbook on order.
One of the things I'd like to readdress to you was, you stated that people sometimes have a hard time fitting in, how do you mean? Are people so much different there? Are people more rude, or more considerate? I realize without all the shops and stores that we have in the states, that island living is a little less involved in that respect. I guess I just am curious to how different people are, but since I'm coming for a visit in April, I'll see then.
Thank again for you help and info, it's always great to hear from someone like you!

Ron

There seems to be a revolving door of "new meat" in the VI. As Islander said, many plan on coming for a period of time- a season or a contract period- and are gone. Some of the seasonals return every winter, go to summer resorts in the summer. I have no idea of the real percentage of "people who leave after saying they want to live here forever" is, but I suspect it is high- 80% or more??

Why is there so much turnover? Life here is very different. I don't know how to explain it to you other than saying, it just is different. If you do decide to move here "forever and ever", you will have a settling-in period where you do normal everyday things and you find out just how different it is. You go to K-Mart and the cashier wags her finger back and forth at you and you haven't a clue as to what it means. You call up a potential employer and they tell you that Ms. X is not in the office- they don't offer to take a message and if you ask them to take down your number, no one returns your call. You are driving down a road and a huge taxi van is passing someone on a double yellow line and you have to mash your brakes in order not to get hit head on. You try to get something done at a government office and find out it is Transfer Day...or Bull and Bread Day...or Christmas Second Day...or any number of local holidays. You go back the next day and you find out that they aren't doing whatever you needed to be done because yesterday was a holiday...or the camera doesn't work...or the person who does that isn't here.

If you expect it to be like life in the states, you will probably be disappointed. If you think you can't be without the Internet or electricity or a phone or a blackberry or a certain brand of toothpaste or water or whatever it is that you absolutely can't live without for a period of time (like a day or more), you might not like it here. I do not mean to be negative, but several people who have posted here before said "No one told me!!"

If you do move: don't burn your bridges back home, but at the same time give yourself a goal- a year for example, and try to stick it out. You may learn things about yourself you didn't know. Try to learn about local customs. Listen a lot and say little. Bring enough reserves to keep you going for several months- if you are so concerned that you aren't going to find work or a permanent home, it will add to the difficulty of settling-in. Take care of yourself, it is easy to get lost in a party cloud. If it isn't working, and you are going to leave, do so quickly.

Of course, this is all IMHO...

Hey EE!

What does it mean when the cashier waves her finger back and forth at you?

diane

It may mean her line is cash only & doesn't take credit/debit cards....then again it may mean she's late for her manicure...

Diane - in my experience the shaking finger means the line is closed if you are just joining the line, but I await East Ender's explanation :-)!

Ron - You are welcome and I hope you find lots of answers on this board to assist with your plans. Your question about not fitting in - if it is in reference to the comment in my above post - that was not my opinion but a reason someone I knew said they were leaving the island to return home. In any case certainly not fitting in plus other factors might influence a person choosing to leave. You asked whether people are much different - much different than whom?? Who are we comparing Virgin Islanders and Caribbean people to? If its folks from the US - that would be most difficult to answer since lots of Americans are quite different from each other - I would think a city slicker from Wall Street might have a heck of a time joining in on a group of pals conversing at a crawfish boil down in one of the gulf states. Differences exist - absolutely - could be considered wonderful by some and not so great by others. Keep in mind that the Virgin Islands population in itself is made up of people from all over the Caribbean; so you have folks from all over the Caribbean, you have Virgin Islanders, you have stateside folks, you have well off and you have not well off, you have different races and religions... inevidably you have differences. It is really how you handle and react to these differences that ultimately affects whether you can cope with them or can not. A note though - in many large towns and cities in the US you can avoid certain groups or certain areas - next to impossiable in the VI since the islands are so small - so you pretty much will interact with all at some point.

Are people more rude or less rude - there are some rude people here (but not everyone) and in my opinion some folks here have misconceptions of folks from the states which can unfortunately create a sort of stand-off-ish approach toward newcomers. And there are misconceptions on the part of newcomers toward locals which create a bit of animosity on the part of locals. East Enders tip was a good one, listen, observe and don't say much at first - until you can figure out how things work and what things mean here.

Why it might be that newcomers don't fit in - here is a thought - many of our movers are seasonal and seasonal people tend to work in restaurants, bars, watersports... and they often hang out together, party together, live together... so befriend one another. Ultimately if your friends are all seasonal people they are going to leave in 3 to 6 months - so no real long term support there - when others are leaving you might feel like doing the same if things are a little rough at that moment. And this sort of sticking together makes a sort of separation between seasonal people and permanent people and/or long term residents. Permanent residents tend to be older, married perhaps, have kids, work in professional positions - so if you are married you have your spouse as a support and you can tough it out together... if you have kids the kids are in school so you meet other parents and can have a social network that way - if you are single, older and unattached well you might find it difficult to find others that are in the same position and so might feel like you don't fit in. Or you might get tired of your social group being small and prefer the large communities cities offer or you might have bad luck and encounter lots of the rude people in a short stretch of time.

--Islander

Of course, Islander is right. I have heard that it is rude to shake one's head "no". I know that adults will not accept it from children and will tell them "say yes/no."

Another thing about fitting in- in the states people have social groups which are generally composed of others with similar jobs, education, beliefs, etc. Because this is such a small place, you end up interacting with people who are totally different from you and you learn to tolerate behavior that is completely foreign to you.

Islander and East Ender,

I think you pretty much answered all I was looking for. I'm glad to hear that those of us with familes and children might find support, or at least, something in common with other parents there. I come from a family that moved every three years, and I hated it, meeting new people every time I turned around. I wanted to live in a small town where I got to know people, and they got to know me. I guess I was hoping that the islands might be like that.
I'm still going over all the information, and thinking of other thoughts reguarding St. Thomas, but I have to thank you for the information. I understand that there is a great mixture of people, and that kind of fascinates me, I hope to see this better when my wife and I visit for a time. In the meanwhile, thank you for the information you have provided, both of you have given me a few things to think about, and a few others to chuckle about as well.

Ron

Islander, what are some examples you have noticed of the misconceptions locals have of people from the states? Just curious..

Hello Dominic,

Some of them are:

...that stateside people think they are better, smarter, wiser than the locals.

...that white stateside people have something against black people.

...that black stateside people have a superiority complex toward Caribbean blacks.

...that all young stateside people that come to the islands are here for a 3 month booze/party fest.

...that stateside people think of the islands as one big resort-vacation

Now to be honest I have met people that these statements would apply to so in theory I suppose they are not misconceptions but stereotypes or generalizations of the whole group based on some/a few.

And I think on the flip side that some new residents might pick up on these things and assume all locals think the same way - which isn't the case.

--Islander

I am shamelessly bumping this thread to the top because I thought it had some good dialogue in it. I was looking for a thread that talked about where to live and I haven't found it yet, but...

Islander, this is a very well stated post. And Ron, thank you for asking this important question.

I feel very fortunate having lived in a melting pot like DC because it seems to be a perfect warm up for what I might experience on St. Croix, including:

--being a cultural and ethnic minority

--dealing with an extremely bureaucratic and not-always-efficient local government

--learning how communicate with people who speak English with an accent or as second language

--surviving tourist season (it kicks off here next week with the cherry blossoms and doesn't end until shool starts next fall)

In fact, just about everything East Ender put in her post on how life is different there is something I've experienced here in the nation's capital in the last six months. (Slamming on the brakes so as not to get hit is a several times daily occurance in this traffic nightmare.)

For a variety of reason that I won't go into here, we're choosing to buck the conventional wisdom about not burning our bridges in the states until after we've tried extended island living. In some ways, I think I might be less inclined to give myself the time I need to figure out what being part of this new community really means if I had a familiar place to run to after things didn't go my way.

Hopefully, my experiences as a person with multiple disabilities and medical challenges have given us the patience, ability to accept and/or survive the worst unexpected circumstances, and ability to realize that black clouds do have silver linings (and bring much needed rain to fil the cisterns) will make us the folks who intend to stay forever and actually do.

The HipCrip

>There seems to be a revolving door of "new meat" in the VI. As Islander said, many >plan on coming for a period of time- a season or a contract period- and are gone. >Some of the seasonals return every winter, go to summer resorts in the summer. I >have no idea of the real percentage of "people who leave after saying they want to live >here forever" is, but I suspect it is high- 80% or more??

>Why is there so much turnover? Life here is very different. I don't know how to explain it >to you other than saying, it just is different. If you do decide to move here "forever and >ever", you will have a settling-in period where you do normal everyday things and you >find out just how different it is.

Frankly, I am one of those people who came here for a 3 month contract at the St Thomas hospital, got here December 11, 2003. I was on an assignment in Casper, Wyoming when -near the end of November- I got the offer to come to St Thomas; considering that we had 19 inches of snow the 4th week of October & the temp in Casper ranged from a daytime high of 20 degrees to a nitetime low of -7 ALL WITH a constatnt 35-50mph wind, it seemed like a NO-Brainer!

I figured I would do the first 3 month contract & extend for another 3 months making my total stay 6 months, then go back stateside. I had lived in Key West a couple of times back in the early 70s & stayed months on that 2 mile x 5 mile island, as well as living in an isolated Utah town of 15,000 where I stayed within the city limits for months w/o venturing anywhere (there wasn't even a K-Mart there, much less a Walmart, though we did have a KFC -I never ate there- & McDonalds, 3 gas stations & 2 stoplights, 2 movie theatres & a drive in theatre) I figured St Thomas would be a cakewalk for 3-6 months.

Afterall, s a contracted healthcare worker I received free round trip travel, free housing with utilities, telephone, cable TV provided at no charge, a daily allowance for food above & beyond my earinings as well as a free rental vehice or aauto allowance, BESIDES a good hourly wage (I must add that ALL the perks, were tax-free, untaxable! the only taxes were on my wages!)

I had resigned myself to a 13 week contract where I worked 3-12hr shifts a week & basically had nothing to worry about except working 36 hrs/week. Within 3 weeks of being here I was offered a position working directly for a local physician who had been wanting to provide a certain service that is not available in VI, he had been trying to hire someone experienced in these procedures for quite some time (several years) but never had any luck getting anyone to come to St Thomas to do the work. So , since early January I have been considering his offer, weighing the pros & cons of staying here.

For me, it hasn't been an issue of; "Gee, VI is one big party place, sunny beaches - turqoise water, I'm 20-something-if-I-don't-do-it-now-I-never-will mindset..." there were much more serious questions to consider that only someone on the backside of life would deem important, and I won't bore anyone here with those questions. There comes a time in everyone's life where we realise that the days & years ahead of us are far fewer than the reflection in the rearview mirror, we have more days behind us than are up the road ahead. The challenge is to make the most of that last stretch of hiway before the road comes to a deadend.

I don't know how long I will be here in VI but for now I have accepted that I will be HERE. Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take but rather by the moments that take our breath away.

PH

PH -- thank you for a beautiful sentiment that everyone should embrace. You took the words right out of my heart.

I have already lived 23 years past my predicted life expectancy, and frankly, I had started to take this extra time for granted. Just yesterday, I learned I may be playing beat the clock again. When I look forward, the only thing I see is being with my beloved and very special husband down there. We've done our homework, and from what we've learned from personal experience, the wsdom of folks like yo, and the research we've done for more than a year is that nothing about the quirks of living in the islands can come close to the adjustments and sacrifices we've dealt with again and again as my body changed and continued to wear out.

It is all about what you make of your time. Given that winter, snow, and smog all make me sick for months at a time, we decided the only way to make the days we have left together matter is to go somewhere that's warm all the time with clean air so I can hopefully change things around and have more good days than bad.

HC

HC -I simply intended to get across the point that some people aren't looking for a perpetual "Spring Break" but rather may be looking for a place to spend the Fall of our life. or at least a destination to watch a few leaves turn their hues as Autumn approaches.

PH

Wow, I just read all the posts listed in this segment, I don't think I could have said
it better. I too see the leaves of autum turning and am looking for a place for the
sun to set . I guess many people view the move in many different ways. I guess
if I were in my twentys I would look at it entirely different, HOWEVER I am not twenty
anymore, and not even close! Life IS short ... do it today!!!

JB

Well, I hope I can try to answer your question. I have just recently moved here from New Jersey. My husbands
family resides here. Since the death of his mother a year ago, he wanted to return home. So we agreed.
Since I have been here, it has been a little rough. Don't get me wrong the weather is beautiful and during festival time its great. My children and I are learning what its like to be a crusian, but I have noticed that there are not many activites for the children. We love going to the beach, especially since we left the cost was twenty dollars per person to go the Jersey shore beaches. And as far as living here. The cost of living is very high, especially the food. So most of the people here grow a lot of fruits and vegetables. I have to admit I don't mind going to my banana tree and picking of that fresh non processed food. As far as jobs, the more education you have the better.
Most people apply for jobs that in the government. No it does not pay much but and you do have a good retirement package. I work in the health care field and my pay was 15,000 more than here, So you really have to know someone and also go to different agencies to check out what the salary is. The weather is always nice but as far as a young family living here its OK but you really have to try and get involved with some groups. I would say that St. Croix caters to those who are retired and just want to kick back and enjoy the sunshine. But if you want a place that is a little more lively than St. Thomas would be for you. Its more like the states. Where as here in St.Croix they only have two Km arts , no Burger King, no Walmart and no Rita Waterice. And at 12:00am There is nothing opened..Well I hope that I answered your question email me to chat more about living on the islands

Hope to here from u "T"

Tonia - the post you were answering was three years old, so you probably won't hear back from that original poster.

The questions asked are still valid and appropriate and of interest to many prospective newcomers. Sometimes it may be good to revive and re-read some of the older posts that address continuing questions since it's understandably rare for a newcomer to the board to read several hundred pages of old postings before starting to ask their questions.

Although I just noticed this post was old as well...reading them brought up all my mixed opinions about the island life. I lived there a year (STX) and have decided I have a love/hate relationship with it. I couldnt wait to leave in January and now Im coming back to visit in March.

Everything everyone says about "different" is so true and so difficult to really describe. I both loved that I could walk into Foodtown and know the many faces I passed. That small town feel, that safe network of people. But I also hated that I would walk into a store or convenience store and be hissed at or etc by locals that saw me and passed a judgement call based on my obvious demographics. I hated that my own will to not stereotype often reared up. It may be a local bum that hasnt showered or eaten that says hi and watches my back on the boardwalk, but a "clean cut looking" fella that makes nasty gestures and lingers while i try to enjoy my lunch break view of the harbor. ...you cant label.!!? Or being used to crime happening where I frequent. In the states I stayed in the "good areas" and knew where not to go at night,etc. On St Croix... it was a different perspective. At lunch in my condos a neighbor was gun-butted, robbed, car stolen minutes before I pulled in. It was more about when your somewhere or with who, or whatever ...rather than just stayin clear of the "bad" side of town. My boyfriend and I were strollen the boardwalk one night, gonna stop by Brew Pub, and we walked up on a stabbing that had just occureed. People mulled around, it was weird. Not the frenzy it would have been in the states.

I used to (prior to living on island) hate our American commercialized, materialized big box department store, fast food lazy, selfish lifestyles. I hated the "concrete jungle" of corporate city life, and the fast isnt fast enough pace we seem to live. But on island, I realized although i hated what culture I was raised in, I am a part of it and it me... because I could never get used to no selection at the grocery store, or the other 3 stores before the current store I'd be at. I could never seem to adjust to waiting 20 minutes at KFC (when Id venture there) for someone to seem put out that I want a napkin and gasp, 2 ketchup packages! Or heaven forbid open 2 lines. But I also loved that on my lunch break I could walk to the post office, bank, etc.. and be greeted by Bev at the Post office or so and so here...and they knew my face and truly wished me well. Now that I am back in the states...spending my lunch break driving the interstate to the bank and maybe enough time to grab something to eat... no one is saying hello. I listen to radio dj's that have nothing better to do than talk about Anna Nicole Smith. At least on island, Id hear that familiar Roger Morgan voice. I dont see chickens now at Luncheria - I see traffic, traffic, busy people, faceless people, blaaahhhh!!

The people I worked with and I often had discussions about my perceptions of the island, their perceptions of statesiders, etc...the reasons for the disparities on island, etc. We learned about one another and respected different cultural, religious, ethnic, etc differences and gained better understandings of one another. I saw how I must of come across when I first came on island not getting "good morning, good night, etc" when my boyfriend's mother came to visit and just walked right up to people with whatever was her current need/concermn/question/etc and would start right in. I was like....whoa... how about a hello, or some acknowledgement that you are wanting to engage in a conversation with this person. But I knew she was oblivious...back home...its "lets get it done, forget the formalities, i dont know you".

I hated that there wasnt more of a social life opportunity there for me and my boyfriend and our 20 something friends....enough nights at Brew Pub, 54, and Bongo's and your done. Ok Sharkeys, bowling, casino, we ventured and tried to soak up all there was...yes, Buck Island on Sunday, the different beaches, snorkeling...but how many locals, true natives go to Buck Island on Sunday. The financial divide I saw was frustrating... Back home you could go to a hockey game or car race or arts festival and there were probably people there that owned mansions and ones that lived in Section 8. I just hated that on island we were either invited to parties with those with boats, and homes in magazines, or with friends to a Cruzan event where you'd have to know what mudsacunt, whhaa, cheese and bread, etc meant. I loved all my various friends on island, but life seemed 1/2 Tropical Paradise for those looking to see just that, and 1/2 "Detriot with palm trees" for those others. After a while...I missed the idea that I could have a choice about spending a dinner out - a choice between a $5 meal or $15, as well as a choice of atmospheres, if they'd been open or out of anything, etc. Where the menus arent catered to expensive tourist prices and appetites. Where I wasnt charged for a refill, or wait 15 minutes and feel like Im putting out the waitress becuase I am thirsty. But of course, now I miss that all the resteraunts here seem inpersonable, they are all inside, i dont need portions that big, or that many refills, or ......

For all the comments this site evokes...both positive and negative.... well thats becuase thats whats great about life... its highs and lows, ... and the island...so much to laugh at, sneer at, peer at, whatever. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have lived in "America's Paradise" and not be mugged, have had the view of the crashing waves out my window, met amazing people, etc . But I love that my cell phone service is a constant 5 bars here in freezing Oklahoma... all 11 degrees of it. But Im also counting down the days til I get to drive on the left side of the road again, where I will walk in somewhere and be greeted because my face is known.

If you read this site pondering - congratulations!! If you've done it and learned about yourself... what a journey, huh. and if you live there since birth or now and its all you'll ever need from now on...Im so glad it takes all kinds in this world.

kokopelli - I have heard that kind of story from a number of people who left the island to return to the mainland. They moved to the islands to find a different kind of life than they had on the mainland. While they were here, they felt frustrated at some of the oddities and inconveniences of island life and began to idealize their old life on the mainland. So they move back to the mainland and within a few months realize they miss their life on the island as the things that originally drove them crazy on the mainland are once again building up steam. No matter where you live, there will be things you wish were different.

Life is always greener elsewhere....

Something that might be useful for people to try when island life starts to seem undesirable is to make a trip back to the mainland for a couple weeks. In many cases, that would be enough to have them returning to the islands with a renewed sense of appreciation for their lifestyle here. Not everyone, of course, but a fairly high percentage. I know it is expensive to travel like that and most people don't feel they can afford it... but just as a PMV is important before someone moves here, perhaps they should make a PMV before spending the $$ to move back to the mainland. Especially for people who HAVE been in the islands for a few years. If you have only been here a few months, then it won't be quite as much of a shock to move back to wherever you came from. If you have been here for years, the mainland will be an alien place to try to settle back into.

For people moving here, definitely pay attention to all the advice suggesting that you don't burn all your bridges on the mainland in case you find you need to go back, sometimes quickly and sometimes after years. The same is true for people leaving the island. Keep some bridges intact, because you will likely at least feel the need to come back for long visits to absorb a dose of what it is that you do still like about the islands and let off some of the stress that life on the mainland may bring.

Hmmm. Thanks to all the helpful sites and the discussion board and the 4 days I spent in St Croix a year or so ago, I don't think I have any disillusions about what I am going to encounter during my two year stay in St Croix. I found out about everything from insects, shopping, govt, car and even septic systems! I look upon it as one of the better adventures I will have had in my life and have no second thoughts about going back north to be near family when our time is up. I have friends of all races and cultures in many states from east to west. I have lived in Calif, Illinois, New Jersey (my little blonde daughter was the only one of her kind in her first grade class at the Christian school), Michigan, Montana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Virginia. The locals in each of these areas had their own "culture" and acceptance level of newcomers, some easier than others. One of my best friends that I have ever had is a native born Haitian. We went everywhere together with our children (her 3, my 4) and love each other dearly.

But alas, my children are all grown and most are living in the mid-west with the wonderful grandchildren , the youngest just 6 months old and another grandchild due in September. My biggest problem on the island, after managing to get the Spitz-mix fur ball there along with the military macaw, will be to get employment that will allow me to earn enough airfare home for all the family events! LOL....... The island is my new husbands dream and I agreed to follow him on his two year journey to get it out of his system. I look forward to becoming a part of the community wherever I am allowed, starting with a place of worship, Girl Scouts(a leader in 4 states), 4-H, or whatever new interest I pick up. At the end, I know I will follow my heart and head back to Nebraska. I told my husband we will take suitcases, ship a few boxes and the rest I will obtain on the island in 2nd hand stores, auctions, yard sales, etc. I will move the animals with us, but not all of our belongings. LOL, just as I did when I married him, leaving Nebraska with only a car load. Looking forward to meeting all kinds of people, but there is no place like family, which is home.