For those with a long countdown...

i dont leave til March 7th..not nearly as long as you!! its like 10 months. I am mostly just trying to enjoy life here right now (pittsburgh) because i do love my city and i will miss it! but i am doing little things, like cooking all my roomates a caribbean dinner next week to celebrate my decision, and now only allowing myself to buy warm weather clothes (I wont need those sweaters anymore)

I highly reccomend Kenny Chesney "Songs from an Old Blue Chair" He lives in the VI for part of every year, and every song on this CD is about the islands. I like to listen to it while i drive, helps to remind me of the future. also jimmy buffett "songs you know by heart" i know they are cheezy commericialized versions of island life, but every little thing helps.

make your computer wallpaper one of the beautiful island scenes from this website, also!

but i def. feel your pain during this looooong wait!

meg

I listen to Midnite who is from STX..and I definitely do have the wallpaper on my screensaver..i guess I will just have to keep busy! good luck to you!

Autumn, we're not planning a move until summer '06, but I think about it constantly and it's really making me look at things differently. I'm practicing patience in everything I do... if a checkout line is moving really slow, I would normally get a little uptight, but now I just think, hey, island time. I have completely changed the way I shop... in the grocery store, I try to stay away from the big-time convenience items, and if I'm shopping for household stuff, I always think -- do I really need this? I love this state of mind -- it makes the moving decision seem more real, it's getting me in the practice of living with less stuff and more patience, and (hopefully) it's helping out our pre-move finances!

I'm now looking at everything as either "aw, I'm gonna miss that," or better, "I am so NOT going to miss that!" I figure, as long as more things are ending up in the latter, I'm good to go. 🙂 I'm glad that we decided to take our time and live with the idea of moving for a while, so we don't question whether we're making an impulse decision.

AND, I too listen to a lot of Buffet, Chesney, and Quito.

Angie

it is good to know i am not in the boat alone..i have started getting rid of things here already..and after reading the posts regarding shipping of cars..I am now coming with even less..I was going to bring my t.v...it will be a great diet to live the island life..no pollo asada fries across the street or gyros around the corner...;0)

I agree with the patience thing...when someone is driving 70 and I want to pass them, i think "hey what am i in a hurry for?" or waiting in line for stuff, i try to just take that time to myself and relax instead of getting all uptight.

I agree too with throwing stuff out...i have been a packrat my whole life, and now i am just throwing old books and papers out whenever I find them (am I really going to want to lay on the beach and ready my senior thesis paper? doubt it...)

haha is living is the islands a great diet? i think the best motivation will be the fact that its always bathing suit season..instead of here where everyone goes on a diet in april.

who all are you moving down with meg?

just me! Well, there is an older couple that will be down there already (my boss) i am going to be an intern with Young Life International, which is like a youth ministry/social work program. www.younglife.org They are really looking to grow the ministry in the Caribbean- its really big right now in the DR, Haiti, and the Bahamas. So there will be people I know down there, but it will really be just me I guess. My grandparents lived on Virgin Gorda, BVI for ten years. I am hoping to connect with some of their old friends, or friend's kids.

who are you moving down with?

Hello Autumn,
I have approx. 1400 days till I can relocate. I visit the message board several times a day, go to the web cam every morning before I do anything else. Every computer I use has a Trunk Bay wallpaper. I will be on STX May 28 and will return every year until I relocate. I have stopped purchasing big ticket items and put the monies in savings instead. As I see the savings grow, I realize the dream is getting closer to becoming reality.
Hang in there time passes quickly.

Meg,
I am actually moving down by myself. I would go now, except that I am waiting for my son to graduate, then turn 18..then spend the holidays with him..then I finally get to go. I would come in Sept 06 instead of Jan of 07 but he asked me to stay for the holidays. I do know a couple of people there that I met on vacation..so it should not be too bad.

Dave...
I do the same thing everyday..and I don't buy big ticket items anymore either. I have started doing side jobs in order to make extra money, and I stick it all in my "St. Croix fund"...my friends call me hustler girl now cause I even started making incense to sell!!!

where is this webcam at? i think i might get a new addition to my daily routine lol...

big ticket items? guess its a good thing that i am a college student, my biggest ticket item is a TV from 1986, complete with fake wood trim. i really will be starting over on the islands- exciting!

Hello Meg,
the web cam site www.gotostcroix.com

Hello Meg, Autumn, Dave and Angie!!!

I am cracking up!! I do all these same things everyday!! I listen to Buffet and now will be checking out all of the other musicians, as well! I have the tropical screensaver on my computer and keep the webcam open all day as I work at my computer!! I also subscribe to Caribbean Travel & Life and Islands magazines. Oh ya, and I always check the travel channel in case they are doing a show on the Caribbean.

The best thing about all of your posts is that I read them out loud to my husband to show him that I am not the only neurotic island lover out there that can't stand the wait until we move!!!! I drive my husband insane!! He's excited, too, but just not as obsessed as I am! Your posts made me feel so much better!! Thank you!

We don't even have a move date yet!! I hate that! We are trying to move to St. Croix by Fall 2005 so our oldest daughter can start kindergarten there, but realistically she will be starting 1st grade there in Fall 2006. Yuck!! I hate the wait! Oh well, I know it will happen!!

Hang in there! If you dream it, you can reach it!!

Kat

haha let me add to the neurotic tendencies...
have read Embarrasment of Mangoes, Dont stop the Carnical, A Trip to the Beach, watched Pirates of the Caribbean a few times (like 10?), added to the music AND the travel channel stuff. Also listening to www.wsta.com, which is the VI radio station, and iTunes reggae stations while i do my homework.
It doesnt help that since my job requires fundraising, i have been making pamphlets and stuff for that...meaning i am searching for island photos on google and stuff....

well at least we can keep each other sane during this long count...

megs

I really do need to look at the days, the hours the minutes, But I am only able to look at the number of paychecks I will have before the move. I am very excited. I will be moving July 30, 05. I have very mixed emotions, on top of trying to stay on task on top of being extremely excited. So can imagine how I'm doing.

Melody,
when i keep thinking of how long i have to wait..i also think of the money i need to save..and that helps me get motivated to do things here in order to make the money...i also go by big events..such as...a concert coming up...football season starting..etc..i know my last year here will fly by as it is my son's senior year & there is alot of planning to do! I am so excited about it though..and talking to my friends on island helps too..it helps me stay connected with their lyrical accents ;0)

Hello all. I will be leaving for my pre-move visit on May 30th, 2005. Although it doesn't seem like a long time, I can't seem to keep my mind on anything else. I've been at work now for 4.5 hours and have done nothing but look at real estate! I'm having trouble finding long-term rentals or just regular 'ol apartments to rent. Any suggestions? We aren't going to move until April 2006, but we are trying to budget for an average rental apartment/home and can't seem to find one! We need a rental because we will be looking for employment once we arrive- hopefully we can find a short term (1 month) while we look for jobs and then we'll need to find an apartment/condo/house to rent longer term. (Plus, having a dog is making the rental search harder) Anyway, good luck to all the others who are "waiting for the day" and any links to long-term rental info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Cristy

Hey Meg -

I agree with you about Kenny Chesney's album - it seems to help me focus on what my ultimate goals are and why I'm dealing with the garbage and stress that I am right now... It is a really fabulous album 🙂 It has a way of taking me away to the islands without ever leaving New England.
I just can't wait until the end of June (wow - it really came up quickly!) when I can relax and be as I am!

Susan

Cristymarie,

Go to www.villafairview.com , to get a short term rental. My wife and I are going down August 28th, can't wait, Ronnie at Fairview set us up for two months while we look for jobs and a "real" place to live. We got this idea from others on this site...
Good Luck!

Does anyone know what the name of the cd by kenny chesney that a couple of you refered to??? i can't find one called "Songs from an old blue chair" is it new or an older one???
LeeAnn

"Be as you are" is the title, subtitled "Songs from an old blue chair". Never knew who Kenny Chesney was until I showed a co-worker pictures from St. John and Ivan's and he mentioned "is there a place called Cinnamon Bay"? This new one is all island, he really captures the feel of who comes and stays, how magical it is to those in the right mindset... hope it stays that way a bit longer. I play it when I want to "lighten up the load, drive a little while on the wrong side of the road".

Hello LeeAnn,

http://www.kennychesney.com/be/

--Islander

seriously, more than anything i love that CD...also, on his last album (I think its called when the sun goes down) there are a few good beach songs...old blue chair is on there again, and when the sun goes down, and outta here.

i cant wait to see him this summer when he comes on tour!

guys, did you also try reading the online newspapers? helps me learn about current events. www.virginislandsdailynews.com and www.onesource.com

i had a thought to set weatherbug to that zipcode, rather than it registering 48 degrees here all the time (this weekend it SNOWED and i almost cried)...haha but i think that would be going over the edge for me.

pre move visit this summer...cant wait!

megs

The cd is called "be as you are" and is his latest album. The subtitle is "songs from an old blue chair". It is the only cd that I have bought in probably 5 years (except for the kids). I have listened to it whenever I am where I can listen to music - everyday. It is so "take me away" calming and relaxing.

I think that the County Music industry is doing him a disservice by not promoting the songs from this album as much as they currently do some of his older stuff.
It was very raw (vulnerable) of him to put his soul out there for us.

Alright, I'm sold! I'll be adding his CD to my already long list of island obsessions!! I have never bought country music before, but I will be buying Kenny Chesney's CD immediately! Earlier this evening, I saw him on the cover of Country Weekly and I actually bought the magazine just to read a little more about him!

Kat