moving!!!

Debbie,

Please write me off-board for some specific information in addition to what's below.

You should have no trouble finding a place where Sally is welcome, as long as you are up-front with landlords. Some will not allow dogs, and by being upfront you will save your time and the landlord's. Don't bother with condos; almost all will refuse Sally (some would be OK if she's really small). Five weeks in October / November should give you a very good feel for housing options.

You should bring your Cherokee. Review the archives for valuable information regarding shipping vehicles.

If it were up to me, I'd say get rid of your jet ski. Use the money to pay for shipping your vehicle and your first month's deposit. But to be fair, it's not because you won't use it here, it's because I hate the darned things. That's a whole different topic; please don't take it personally.

Good luck; and please write!

Hello,

I agree you will be able to secure work with your qualifications and that also applies to your husband.

For housing - you will find something in that 5 week period you are coming down for - for sure! There are quite a few apartments and some homes/cottages for rent on St. Thomasl; with Sally you will spend a bit more time looking because as mentioned some folks don't want dogs. But you will find something. Use the weekly Island Trader to call and inquire about housing - it is a newspaper basically filled with Classifieds.

Bring the Cherokee... if you like the water - perhaps consider buying a small boat when you get here; the jetski is fine - but do consider you will have to be driving around hilly roads, lots of corners so it might be more difficult to take it to and from the beach - but others that live here do it - not that many but some all the same. Some beaches, primarily the resorts, will not look favorably on you coming in with your jet ski... So you will have to learn which beaches you can play at, although all beaches are public... . Hull bay has a boat launch... the other beaches do not.

--Islander

I cannot tell you how wonderful your replies are!!! We are so very excited!!! I have also heard from a number of people thru this board and other places and everybody has just been SUPER.

I know the general feeling about jetskis. We live on a big lake here and believe it or not I despise them too!!! People fly by and just rock our dock with them. But mine has been great to just putz around the lake on. I'll probably just sell it.

Sally is a love bug. She is 19 pounds of black and grey fuzzy friendliness!!! She looks like a little bitty sheepdog and everybody just loves her. I really want to bring my cats George and Louise too, but I doubt that we will. They have never known any home but the lake and the man who is buying our house said he will keep them. George roams the dock daily praying in cat prayers that a fish will leap out of the water and into his mouth.

I am not nervous at all about this whole thing. I sure do appreciate your comments.