Finally Here!

Hello Denise

Thinking about relocating there also...may I ask where you moved from....and what you thought on your arrival. did you have a place to live lined up before you arrived? Is your child going to be going to public school or private? What did you think when you visited a grocery store??

We have lots of questions since we have never even visited there, but this message board is full of information, and we really appricate everyones input.

Feel free to e-mail us at kenqualls@yahoo if you choose.

Thanks, and good luck!!

Ken and Carrie

Congrats DPk,
Mark and I are so looking forward to the BBQ. Send me a PM with a phone number if you will. We may have to get together on Sat for some shopping? Mark and I figured we get in on Fri night and have Sat for last minute items like extra hot dogs, buns, hambergs, etc...etc... Holy smokes lots of people coming...
We really want to hang out and get to know people and... and everything. We also have a fun surprise for the attendees but just in case I'm not saying anything more. But I can't wait. I just love this. We'll be there for 16 days and just can't wait! Good luck over the next few weeks while you settle in and see you at the end of the month... ohhhhh that felt good to say!

Congratulation to your move. Country Day is a private school. Denise did you have to be on a waiting list to enroll? Cool that they let you use the computer lab. How old is your son? We are working on making the move. We have a 3 1/2 year old and a 8 month old. I would like to make the move before she is off school age. Not sure yet what we do reagarding school ones on the island. We have a friends friend living on STX who I will talk to a lot.

Grocery stores where ok when I visit. Produce where the biggest problem from what I could see. The moment you walked into the store you had to notice the limp lettuce and small selection. One reason we bought a lot where we can garden. All the home owners around us had gardens so we know we are good. I am reading up on all the gardening posts to be a little prepared.

Here is a gardening tip if marigold grow on the island. On a gardeners show they recommend to plant a field of them where you garden will be. Then when they are in full bloom take tha lawnmower and cut them down. Work the Marigold compost into the ground. This will keep all the ingrounds pest away. They hate the smell of Marigold. It suppose to be good for years.

Denise please keep us posted.
Iris

Thanks for the update Denise. All the best with the settling in phase of things. And keep us posted. (tu)

--Islander

Hi all,
Things continue to go well. Thanks to you who sent congratulatory messages. The thing I am most happy about is the friendliness of the people here. Everyone we meet seems so happy to know us. It really makes us feel good and welcomed. As to some of the questions - Country Day is a private school, but an excellent one. Luckily, our son, who will be in the 9th grade, was able to get in . He was the first on the waiting list when we came for our PMV back in May. Someone in his grade moved so we got the spot!
About grocery stores - I have not been disappointed at all and came from a large suburb of Atlanta. Produce is not what it is at Publix (a popular grocery store in the Atlanta - as well as Florida and other states),but it is not bad at all. I was especially pleased with the salad bar at Schooner Bay Market - and it was less expensive than the salad bars in my well-loved Publix! ($3.99/lb. at Schooner Bay Market). I prefer Plaza Extra to Pueblo and Schooner Bay above all, but (except for the salad bar), it seems to be more expensive than the other two. Understand, selection is not as vast as in Atlanta, but we have found everything we needed. (I may be disappointed when I look for my special salad items - sunflower seeds and slivered almonds - but time will tell).
Housing - We came down because Dh got a job at Hovensa, so they secured housing for us. From what I've seen, however, housing seems to be plentiful and in all price ranges. We are happy to start out in a condo so that we can work our way into issues such as grass cutting, cisterns, and power outages (of which we have already had several in the 12 days we've been here). We hope to eventually get a house when we've become more comfortable with island living.
As I said before, when I get down or stressed I just look out the window and the water has an instant calming effect on me. It is so beautiful here it is worth the few hassles we've had to put up with.
BTW, we brought our 19 year old with us when we came down and we put her on the plane back to the states for college this morning. We tried to do some "tourist" things while she was here and had a great time on every endeavor. We went snorkeling at Buck Island, sea kayaking, took a tour of the Botanical Gardens and Estate Whim, and enjoyed each event so much. The snorkeling and kayak trips were especially fun. I would recommend both highly.
Can't wait to meet you all! Denise

How did you enjoy unit C-8 at Gentle Winds? I've heard that some are in good condition with great furniture and appliances others are not. Is the unit in a good location at the resort?

The last post in this thread was made in August 2005. You should probably write a new entry.