How Do You Do It??

hi. if you really want a tip on how to "find the courage"- find Jesus.

you say you have a lot going for you and a lot of nice stuff that you would easily walk away from. are you sure about that? if you are, then it sounds like you're trying to simplify your life. and nobody has anything going for them that isn't walking with Jesus. I'm not saying run to your nearest church and start praying for the courage to do this (though that might help). but if you are really willing to drop the "useless" things you have for something you truly feel will make you happy, then that's exactly what you should do.

in the Word it says "do unto others what you would have them do unto you". if i asked somebody the same question you asked, i would hope they would tell me to follow my heart. drop the things you "think" make you happy and go find what really makes you happy. and when you're truly happy, you will make others happy.

about the job thing... i haven't a clue. but as they say, and it's been said plenty of times throughout this board, "where there's a will, there's a way." good luck bud. hope you follow your heart.

Well here is the other side, God will not help you with this move one bit. Roofing is different here, if you can adapt, there is lots of construction going on and I am sure roofers do well. For the owners of the business at least. There is not a big demand for fire fighters but maybe for paramedics, but I don't know much about that. You might find a new line of work here to, many do.

You wouldn't have to sell everything. Rent out your house & you say the other property is already a rental. Save some $$, come down & try it out for a while. At 26, what have you got to lose that you couldn 't make back up & if you don't do it, you'll always wonder if you should have.

I say if you want to find the courage, find Atheism. STEALTH Atheism!

Hi, It sounds like you got island fever. Jobs are here, although the pay is lower than the states. My son worked for Rooftops, STx biggest roofing company. He was making $5/hr with some benefits. Hovensa, the refinery usually has work relating to fire protection.
Maybe take a month or two live her and see if it works for you.

We took on the challenge of moving to STT and lived there two years. Honestly not much can prepare you for life on island. It is a different experience for everyone, but it will be an experience you will never forget and meaningful to you. Island life didn't work out for us, but we are still very connected to the island and our friends. We did it with three kids as well. It is difficult and a lot of work, but truly I don't have any regrets.

How do you do it? Well, don't cut all ties where you are. You may need income from rentals as even a simple lifestyle on island takes money. We took everything to island and back off island. It was more work than necessary. We really could have just rented a garage from a friend or storage unit and just went to island with clothes and a few necessities and done just as well.

In my opinion, a lot of living on island is just psychological. Many people dream of living on a tropical island watching the sunset on the beach with a cool drink in hand. While you do get those moments, you also have 20 challenges to overcome to get that moment. Working a job or two or three just to pay rent for one. My husband had one full time job. I had two part time jobs and we used all of our savings just to get by on island for two years. We had a large apartment, but no air conditioning which was brutal despite the idea that you can get by with the trade winds (are they a myth???). We got to go to the beach maybe once a week and by the end, once a month. That isn't uncommon. My brother who is young and single came down and stayed with us for a few months. He had free rent, no car, and a full time job, but went to the beach maybe two or three times during his whole stay. It isn't like a vacation in other words. Well that is enough rambling from me, unless you want me to talk religion...

Teresa

Firewater1243,
The calculus of consequences caused by Island fever must be considered!

firewater you'll be fine, cmon down but just remember life here is a challenge for people used to the states and all that convienence, you'll have to work hard if you want to live well and there is a difference between living and living well. do not burn your bridges back in florida keep all your options open, you may hate it here or turn into a drunken coke addict, you may be one of the few to thrive here, just keep those florida options open and remember while jesus may inspire courage he does not pay the bills.

Wow!! It seems like there is a whole lot of different views and opinions and I appreciate them all. I am glad I found this posting cause its helping alot.

I'm planning a trip back to the islands in a few months to try to figure it out some more. Although I do have full support of my family and friends, its a choice that I will have to make....and I think I'm ready.

If there's any more help or advise out there, its all appreciated....Thanks again

with firefighting and paramedic skills, try approaching the HR department of the refinery to see if they are looking for anyone with those skills. Hovensa employees work long hours but they are well paid and get benefits. They do get time off and are often better able to afford to have a great time with their free days than others working several part time jobs. It's not bad working hard at a regular job if you know you have an island style vacation awaiting you on your off-day each week and not just a week or two of official vacation time each year. Sometimes Hovensa helps with moving expenses and may even pay a housing allowance, depending on the job they are filling and how badly they want to hire a particular applicant.

There are also construction jobs available and more in demand all the time. You sound like you have your life in order and would have a better than average chance of doing well in the islands.

Sorry, My son was making $15/hr.

serenity builders is always looking for smart and accurate construction workers on both islands and they are incredibly busy pretty much all the time

If you are skilled, your minimum would be $20 and then on up to $30 or more, depending!