Help me decide....

There are sales opportunities here. With your background, send your resume to Marriott's Frenchman's Reef. They have a new time-share development plus you might be interested in the hotel sales division. Definitely send a well-written resume. I assume you'll be coming down to visit first & look around? If so, note in the cover letter of your resume when you'll be here.

You'll find crime here so you need to be watchful. Don't rent anything in an iffy neighborhood, use normal precautions & don't wander around after dark downtown after too many painkillers, etc. Most places rent furnished (of course, what many call furnished I think is unfurnished) so you don't have to move a whole lot. I came with 2 suitcases & had family mail me stuff later. Make sure you bring enough money for the usual first & last month's rent & security.

I know several single females who succeeded in making good lives here (including me.) I know some who left also. Nobody but you will be able to see if living here is for you or not but you won't know if you don't do it. If you do move here, get involved in activities that mean something to you. You'll make friends that way & if you can adapt to the pace & culture it's possible to have a nice life here. If you don't like it, you can move to what better suits you but you'll never know if you don't try. Best of luck!

I agree with Trade (AGAIN!) Bring enough money to keep yourself afloat for 3-6 months. Don't burn your bridges back home. Plan to stay a period of time (a year or so) and reassess your goals.

Also, there are many small businesses that need skilled and honest bookkeepers. You could probably build a pretty good clientele.

Watch out, East Ender. Next you'll be singing Feliz Navidad to me again. 🙂

Thanks for your help (both of you) I do appreciate it.

What area of the Island are NOT safe? I am so excited to try this, I think once the fear has left me...I'll be fine.

Any other tips?

Parts of just about all of it can be unsafe so one can't just say, "stay away from ***." Just look at the neighborhoods when you get here and ask around.

dst, set aside time to read this forum everyday it is an invaluable source of information. Since nothing much changes on the island, the information that is a couple of years old will still be almost completely relavant. You will find all the tips you want by reading this board. Good Luck.

dst: The reason people talk about "pre-move visits" is to do just what we are talking about. Look at neighborhoods, talk to potential employers and potential landlords, scope out the costs of things. Life is very different here. Only you can decide if it is a difference you want to deal with or not.

Things *do* change here, possibly more slowly than they do in the states. Change is always a bone of contention, no matter where you live.

And Trade, I promise never to sing THAT song! 😉

Why, thank you, EE. I can now enjoy Christmas without earplugs. 🙂