Reality vs negativity????

Good luck on STX when you get here!

I wish I had known how much maintenance there is in owning a home here.
The weather is what keeps me here.

I also find myself wondering if a few of the posters on here whom I assume live in the USVI are realists or very negative? With that being said why do they still live there?

In these two questions, I would say that a lot of the negative you may see either comes from long time residents who still live here, or others that used to live here and do not. A lot of the negative comments you might see/hear are because a lot of us have seen countless number of people come with unrealistic expectations of living here and see them leave not long after. For me personally, I have seen a lot more people come and go in the last 15 years than I have seen stay. Some of the comments might seem harsh, but I think that most people are just trying to give you a heads up on some of the various reasons people end up not finding a forever home in the USVI. I love it here, but it is NOT stateside living. Read the posts, come to visit, make the leap and move, there is no one better than you to judge whether or not it's for you.....you can always move back if it isn't.

(tu)(tu)(tu) stjohnjulie.
Well said.

i second what stjohnjulie said.

just remember reality for that person is just that. if it has a negative vibe it is for a reason. but was it said to be negative or to just let you know?

come and enjoy.

I've been here three years, lost the job I came for and I am working again. When my daily life frustrates me or general island living and dealing with inept, unqualified, lazy government officials, poor customer service, blatant corruption, the next thing I deal with is a stranger saying "good morning" and having a 30 minute conversation, a wave and smile from a passerby, a fist bump from a little kid who doesn't even know me at the grocery store, chatting with friends for an hour at a gas station, the list goes on.
Yes its frustrating, challenging and amusing all at the same time but the people are what makes this place home. As a friend told me, "you will never have friends like your island friends". Every day I see the ocean on my drive home, geckos in the living room which is a good thing, palm trees, banana and mango trees in my yard (might as well be daiquiri trees) STX is my home and to quote the band Dicks Garage, The Crucian life is the life for me..

Most of the negativity here is intended to warn unsuspecting newbies. Some say that the negative postings are just being realistic, but I say the negativity is far out of proportion to reality. The tone and quantity of negative postings make it seem far worse than it is.

I am grateful that this forum was far less negative 10 years ago, or I would have gotten the wrong impression and I might not have moved here. I stay here because of the weather, the beauty, the quiet, and the people.

stjohnjulie gave a great response that explains what some people may regard as "negative" attitude.

To answer OP's question as to why some of the "negative" people still live in the USVI's - in some cases it's not that much different than why people who are unhappy with where they live back on the mainland don't just up and move.

Perhaps they don't have the money to make the move - many people have to work 2 or 3 jobs just to get by let alone put aside enough to move. It's just not the cost of an airline ticket back to the US but also the money needed for relocation expenses (rent, security deposits, living expenses, costs to ship belongings, etc.)

Or, they worry about finding gainful employment in their new home so they can support themselves and family.

They want to be near other family members.

It's never easy to relocate anywhere and even more difficult to relocate somewhere "across the sea".

These are some of the reasons why most of us who live in the islands recommend a Pre-Move Visit . It's not that we don't want people to come but rather life in the islands is very different than most people imagine. Better to spend a little money on a PMV than spend a fortune relocating only to find out you our your spouse don't like island life.

I've lived on St. Croix for 25 years. Overall the preponderance of views expressed on this b/b do not reflect life here as I've known it. Also, on the few occasions I mention something from this board in a face-to-face conversation the person I'm speaking with almost always says, "VI Moving Center? What's that?" That's not meant to take away from the value of this site, but it should point out the narrowness of the cross section the discussions here represent.

Above I said 'overall' and that is true, but I have at times shared momentarily the negativity that people often portray here. Since moving here my business was broken into once, I've been mildly assaulted once. That's about on par with the experience of other members of my family over 25 years in various, generally upscale parts of the country. But in the aftermath of those events in my life I was loudly critical and negative about things here until I got some perspective.

The blessing of bulletin boards like this is that they can be sounding boards for people coping with the small traumas that life brings. The curse of these boards is that they tend to freeze those moments of passing anxiety into an permanent archive of trauma that would put off anyone looking for a reasonable place to live. Surf with caution.

Thank you everyone! I will proceed with caution on maintain expectations. Have a wonderful day!

It's true...there are really very few of us who blog here regularly, less than 12 I'd guess. I can be negative from time to time but I try to be realistic when I'm posting opinions. There is a lot to be negative about for sure, but I'm not planning to move off island anytime soon. Once you've been here for a few years, you find ways to get around the roadblocks.

jostvandog ....Enjoyed reading your comments about why you stay. It is always about people and experiences we have with others, that makes a place feel like home.

I am in search of mango trees.

"The Crucian life is the life for me.."

Thanks for your post

There is a long tradition of warning newcomers. When I moved here 20 years ago several of the people I met on my look-see visit (PMV was a term that had not been invented yet;) )tried to tell me all the reasons I should NOT move. Once I got here, they completely changed their tune and tried to help me. There really are many people who come and go in 6 months to a year for a variety of reasons. Ignore the really negative people, but heed some advice. My favorites are: Come for a long visit. Don't cut your ties back home- don't sell your house and all your possessions. Decide to stay for a period of time and if it isn't working, it's okay to leave.

I never came on a PMV (unless a long weekend visiting friends who'd moved here counts!) although it was a sort of "look and see because we think you'd love it here" deal. "PMV" wasn't in anyone's vocabulary then either but then neither were internet forums around - or the internet at all!

I moved around a lot throughout my life so fitting into a new environment wasn't anything new and I think in retrospect I had a pretty good advantage there. My first job was a disaster and ended after only 3 months but it was total serendipity that I found a wonderful position which I subsequently had for 10 years. I think in retrospect that another advantage I had was working from the get-go amongst locals. I was like a sponge sopping up everything and every day brought something new to learn - including the first local cuss words.

I'd been here just six months when I finally had the opportunity to test them out. A skeevy couple of local creeps tried to cut me off at an intersection where I had the right of way. As I accelerated to stop them from doing it I got the hugest kick as, for the first time and as I passed them, I tried out a string of local invective I'd only recently learned to master. The expression on their faces of total disbelief at hearing such words spewing from the mouth of a blonde chick was - well, priceless.

I never thought for a minute that over 30 years later I'd still be here but it's been a wonderful ride (not without some REALLY bad experiences, for true) and at this point in my old life I can't think of anywhere else I would want to live so presumably my ashes will eventually end up with the fishes in the beautiful Caribbean sea which has brought me so much joy.

It's good, bad and ugly all wrapped together in a big bundle - but it's home and I love it for all its idiosyncrasies. Come here with an open mind and an open heart. Don't harp on what you don't have but embrace what you have and all that you don't know. You can learn to live very happily without Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Starbucks and all those other things you think are just so vital to your existence.

That's a lovely post, OT.

Very good posts yall! Our biggest draw is we don't want or need those things in our lives anymore. I love the stories of folks talking to one another and greeting one another. And hell I am a stickler for new bad words! Good times and life full steam ahead!!!

Thinking about relocating when I tetire. I love these comments because it gives us a better understanding on what this move is going to be like and what to prepare for. My friend Terry seems to be right, I will keep my home in Florida and we are just going to rent for a full year and see how we like it. Wondering about the differences and the good versus bad between STT and STX... Any pluses and minuses??
Thank you all for the wonderful inside information... Can't trust them travel agencies flyers...LOL

In my opinion one of the biggest differences between STT and STX are the cruise ship passengers. When you have thousands of people arriving three or four days a week, staying a few hours and then moving on, I think it effects a place as small as these islands, for good and I'll. (I can't decide if the correct word is affects or effects - I need to go to bed!!!)

I compare the two islands as the difference in city living (STT) and country living (STX).
I haven't lived on STT, but have been many times to visit, I just prefer the slower pace of STX. Thousands of people arriving on an island in a short period makes for one giant cluster-you-know-what!

rosiesland, that is what i think about the difference too

My perception of the difference between the two has nothing to do with cruise ships or "town versus country". Most people who visit St Thomas pretty much stay in and explore the "busy" areas of town (Charlotte Amalie) and the East end and their connecting main roads. Most don't see the North side and the West end so have no idea of the island's diversity.

The huge difference to me is the topography. St Croix is very flat compared to St Thomas and it absolutely has more of a rural feel all over. Because of its topography, St Croix in a sense has more of a stateside feel with real "neighborhoods" and houses separated by fences on flat ground - something which just isn't the norm on STT with its mountainous extremes.

All the islands have their own unique character but I'm glad that St Thomas became my home for the opportunity to "island hop". With ferry service between STT and STJ and the BVI and with everything so relatively close, even a one day sailing trip affords one the opportunity of going to different islands and enjoying the multitude of beautiful beaches on every one. My fondest memories will always be 3 and 4 day sailing trips, anchoring overnight in different areas on different islands. Just that accessibility is a real plus.

In my younger days the hustle and bustle was much more appealing than it is now - but it's there if I want to be involved with it. But on the rare occasions now when I need to go into town it's heaven after a few hours to be back home in 10 minutes to the utter peace and tranquility which is now my preference.

OT. May I back you into a corner without meaning to embarrass: As a talented writer with a vast knowledge of living in the Virgin Islands over the past thirty years and blessed with a sense of humor and wit, have you ever thought seriously of finishing the book you promised? 🙂

OT. May I back you into a corner without meaning to embarrass: As a talented writer with a vast knowledge of living in the Virgin Islands over the past thirty years and blessed with a sense of humor and wit, have you ever thought seriously of finishing the book you promised? 🙂

I have three almost ready for self-publishing but, because of an accident over 3 years ago which has seriously set me back big-time, the $$s aren't available. Everything is on the back burner for now until such time as some resolution comes about - hopefully sooner rather than later as I ain't getting any younger! 😀

I have three almost ready for self-publishing but, because of an accident over 3 years ago which has seriously set me back big-time, the $$s aren't available.

I thought that no money is needed for self-publishing. Is that not the case?