Helppp!!!!!!!!!

Yes, of course they have. But, many have done this and regretted it, too. I think your hubby is right. The best thing to do is come here first for an extended vacation -- a few months or so. That way, you'll be able to see what everyday living is like here and you'll be able to see if it's for you.

There are plenty of threads here just like this. Find 'em and read 'em.

"My question is this, had anyone left everything behind and moved to the usvi with a suitcase and the clothes on their backs and had it work????"

Yes and much older than you but I didn't have a husband saying no. One is never too old for adventures but only you can say whether it's a sensible idea or not. Get your facts together & research what it costs, if your job skills are transferable & decide if you have the patience for the way things are done here. Can you adjust? It's probably quite different in the day-to-day aspect. Your husband has the right idea about saving money before coming down.

MANY couples who come down together break up over whether to stay, one person likes it a lot and wants to stay and the other hates it and can't wait to leave.

Come for an extended vacation and see how it goes. And save your money!!!

I met two different couples on this board. The first couple were from AZ, and already in STX for a year. When we met them in person, we found out that she HATED it and couldn't wait to get back to AZ.
The second couple we met here in AZ after talking on the board. They went down for a two week PMV, and NEVER came back. They had friends sell their stuff and house, and bring back their cats.
It's not for everyone. It seems that there are as many people leaving as coming. Otherwise it would be too crowded. Linda J is right, go for a visit, check out everything and then decide.

You are not crazy...I am in Washington state, 32, and want to do just what you are saying. I have no kids though...I did my research and figured that the amount of money I would need to go with a suitcase and the clothes on my back would be around 5275...thats an all inclusive figure....good luck. Follow your dreams the worst that can happen is you have to wake up.

$5275 won't last long. That might get you into a small rental apartment plus purchase the most basic "island car". You still need $$ for food, gas, insurance, utilities and sundries until you have a paycheck coming in, which can take a month or more even if you find a job right away.

Have you been to the USVI before?

I absolutely understand the feeling! When we made the decision to move and ever since then I have wanted to leave immediately. Fortunately, I've listened to all of the advice on this board and we put off our move for 1 1/2 years while we paid off our debt and put aside the money we need to move.

We still have a couple of months until we move and every day I wish we could leave right now but I am so thankful that we're waiting because I know the transition will be much easier being in a more sound financial place than we would have been if we had left a year ago.

Bry

Hey thanks for the heads up on the amount...one can neverbe too prepared, have to much money...or good experienced advice!

Collect as much info as possible (from this board), put it into a simple spreadsheet format, and weigh it out...one thing to think about is, if you gain "peace-of-mind" what is that worth? Good Luck!

Hi,

The idea is ok and we did same thing just about 3 months ago. We moved to St. Croix from Istanbul with just our personal belongings. We both are very happy what we did. I sold my car in Istanbul for 32 K and we didn't have big problem about money but somehow we had. He began to work 10 days later we arrived here as he applied and already spoke to teh company about the job position before we flight here. I mean you won't be ok with that amount nearly for sure. It will take time to find a place to stay, job, and money goes so quick in this island even you try to be very careful. You may not find any help when the money run out. Good Luck!

Sermin

sermin, if you ever get homesick for someone from turkey there is a lady on st.thomas that runs a bar with her husband called sharkeys the telephone number is 714-2618,777-2617, she is one of the nicest people i've met on st.thomas, she has a son thats 7 or 8 i believe

Hi Lmays28,

YOU ARE NOT INSANE, as long as there are not kids invloved. If you have kids, I would not suggest it. If it turns ugly, you don't want to expose your children to the heartache. Having said that, my wife and I have been vacationing here for years. We got married here back in 2001 but didn't decide to move here until Oct 2006. Once we made the decision, we closed our business on Martha's Vineyard leaving us only 8K after paying off all of our bills. We packed some clothes, our cats and gave everything else away. Caught a flight the day after we closed our store for the last time and never looked back. We have been here only 3 months but we found a place to live two days after we landed. Spent 2k on a decent "island car" and I found a job making $20 an hour within a month. If you want it, you can make it happen. If you do decide to come, PM me and I'll give you my cell # and we will help anyway we can. Good Luck!

Mike & Rose

P.S.

Adventure knows no age limits, we did this and we are in our forties.

Regarding the OP, it sounds like you're wanting a bit of escapism. This doesn't have to do with location as often as people think, though. SOMETIMES people move and once they get settled in, all their old problems (and maybe even new ones) creep up on them. Honestly, I think if you can't be happy in Hoboken, you can't be happy anywhere. (That's my way of saying it's more about perception than external forces, as Hoboken is about the last place I'd like to live.) I'd also caution you about your priorities, as it sounds like you've got a level-headed husband who you might like to try and keep! If you were to force him to make a rash decision, and it didn't work out, there might be significant resentment there. Just something to think about.

PhillipPetty27,

Haha, I thought the response to your post was funny because when I first read it I thought, "Wow! That's a lot!" It really depends on what your living standards are. This issue was discussed in this thread:
https://www.vimovingcenter.com/talk/read.php?4,72638,72638#msg-72638

Best of luck all.

with good qualification and planning you can do it , its like moving out to california, where the gas might be sky high for your vehicle, or taxi fares might be a little expensive, here good morning ,good afternoon ,good night, will take you around the island in a flash with a great smile . people will help you . try to get a job first and plan to come with your first 3 months rent and cook your own food , do less spending for pleasure and you will be alright untill you get settled. good luck.