Reasons for Mainlanders moving to STT...

Hi Steff,
My husband has always dreamed of living in the Caribbian since he was on shore patol on St. Thomas in the Navy way back in 1957. He's now living his dream. If you heart is in it and you can do it, come for a year, then decide. Life is built on experiences. So, investigate, explore, experience, then decide.

Best of luck to you.
Rita

Steff,

Rita has it right on the money, if it is in your heart you can do it. It has taken me 11 years to make it happen. I sold my car yesterday, I'm packing on my days off, I leave on the 25 of September. I never thought it would happen and now it is. I didn't have the courage for it for a long time and someone else inspired me to believe in myself and my dream enough to do it. Not all family and friends have been supportive, especially since I'm leaving a job I have been at for 10 years and I don't have one there. But, the loved ones who know me and know my dreams and what it has meant to me have been very loving and supportive.

The actual reasons I'm moving are to numerous to put on this post, but I am aware that vacationing and life are two different things. Yes it is "paradise" but it is important to remember that it is still day to day living with all of it's frustrations, hassels, laughter, and contentment. Life is what you make it. If you want it bad enough Steff, it is yours for the taking.

Keep your focus on your education and not the party. Islander will most likely explain that comment in more detail based on experience that I don't have.

My husband and I moved to St. Croix 3 months ago. Our reasons were warm weather and beautiful water, (we are divers). We spent many vacations in the carribien, but had never traveled to the Virgin Islands (Big mistake). We love the island and what it has to offer, we are looking at retirement and hope to open a small business for the retirement years. If you haven't been to the islands I suggest you visit, you are in for a culture shock. As much as I love the island the people and their cultural differences sometimes seem harsh, I am from a very loving, friendly, low crime community. That is not what you will find here. Something so simple as asking for assistance in a store can get you a rude stare, followed by an even ruder comment of I dunno know, a phrase that seems to be as common as a two year old saying NO!!! We are still in a period of adjustment and have met some wonderful people, this message is not to discourage you, but to help with the reality, something we were not prepared for. Good luck to you!!!!

Steff, lots of transfer students come down.. some come for a year just for the experience (like others said thats part of growing and of life) and then go back to the states and a few stay here and make it. Decide if you want just the experience or if you want to live here... plan on going to school; you will meet others your age so will have a support network - much different then if you were just moving by yourself to work... there will be other students just like you so there is a safe zone for making the transition... if it doesn't work out, you don't like the islands... I would hope your family would be welcoming you back home where you can start something else and continue your education there or get a job there.... but you will have the experience... rather then saying wish I had gone to St. Thomas... And who knows perhaps in 4 years you will be a researcher at Coral World part time, teaching junior high biology full time... :-). Moving here would not be a destination or vacation it would be a journey... and like elle rock said - its life... day to day frustrations, dealing with people, buses and traffic, groceries... like anywhere else.

All the best as you make this decision.

--Islander

Hi Steff,
We too are also moving to st. thomas very soon, oct 1rst. I agree with you, when I have told people where im moving they say things like, "you CANT move there, you'll get bored of all the nice scenery, why are you leaving everything you have here?" the last thing they say after all that flak is "ummm...when can I come visit you?" Ive even had people say "why would you want to move there?" and keep in mind, I live in Alaska! 8 months out of the year its very cold (gets down to 50 below) very dark ( the sun comes up at 11 am and go's down at 2 pm ) Of course, everyone has the place they want to be no matter what the weather conditions or job situation or what ever it is they feel they need to be happy. You are young and can go anywhere you want and do just about anything, that makes people jealous and they dont want to see you go off and do something they wish they could do secretly inside. A good friend of mine about a year and a half ago took off to china to study martial arts at the great wall at a place he found on the internet, you shouldve heard the things people said to him! he was 22, now he's going to meet up with me in st. thomas after hes done touring asia, and he wasnt rich by the way. he did the whole thing some how on about 4000 dollars! I wouldnt say move somewhere because your not happy, you will only be as happy with yourself as much as you are wherever you are (yeah, im so philosophical!did i even spell that right? ha ha) We are moving there because its warm,has sunlight and no snow! All the other fun stuff we may have to deal with is nothing new. trade donkeys for moose, cisterines (sp?) for holding tanks, rude people for rude people, miles of nothing for miles of sea, Any way, Im sorry this is so much about me, your post hit a chord with my situation. On a final note, my brother who is 3 years older than me ( im 36 )had never lived where he wanted to live, never known who he wanted to meet, never had the job he wanted to have, went to the docter 6 months ago and he just died of cancer 2 weeks ago. I knew him his whole life and i know he never did anything he wanted to do and now its over for him. Do what you want NOW, go NOW, live NOW, Love NOW steff
thats all I can say,
Tony

Tony,

Got me pretty choked up there. But you said it with eloquence and conviction. I have been watching your posts. your Home Depot right? I will be at the Villa Fairview around the same time you and your wife are. I look forward to meeting you both, because like you, Steff struck a cord with me as well. Other people's opinions can weigh so heavily on our lives and decisions. Leaving security for the unknown is frightening. But people do it everyday and they also succeed everyday. I'm just putting my faith in the God's who ever you believe them to be, because in the very depth of my soul, I know that I can't wonder about it anymore. It has been with me for too long and the time is now. So ready or not, here I go.

I wish you all success and happiness on your journey and to everyone else as well. Potential movers, transplants and islanders alike, you have all been so important in giving us information and allowing us to participate. Thank you for your wisdom, insight, and all the great questions and answers. What has been put out on this board is more valuable then life's tangables, it is learning, living, education and most importantly kindness and helping, which these days, can sometimes seem rare. Thanks.

Thank you so much everyone~ for all your support and love. To Tony~ I am so sorry about your brother. I have three brothers, two older and one younger. When one left to Africa for Marine Corp duty, we were so scared for him, but luckily he made it back. Thank you for your inspiration and strong words of kindness.
To Islander~ Thanks so much for all your generous and kind words, we appreciate you so much here! To Newbie~ Thanks for the realism, I need to know that kind of stuff, it's just as important to get grounded in your dreams as it to have them, and critical into making the descion to get out of where I am and to go somewhere new.

To everyone~
Thank you for the information, and know that I'm usually talking myself out of doing things that are far away, risky or life altering. So many times I have done this, that I am sick of it. I research stuff to death until I could write a book on it, and something like this would not be rashly done. I am currently trying to persuade my mother, the only one who would go or understand me and not think I was a foolish nut (though at times she does get annoyed) to go down to St. Thomas on vacation for Spring Break 2004. But it looks like it won't happen. I am desperately trying to figure out a cheap way to get there and back for a week or so. So thank you all so much for your support and kindness, it helps so much : )
~~Steff

Steff - sign up for American Airlines specials... visit their site often and look for a deal. (There are other airlines too - but AA works for me....) USAir, Delta, United Airlines and Continental are the others... check their sites for good deals... they do happen... didn't catch what state you are in... but East Coast to USVI usually get good fares every now and then. ..see if you can find a good deal and then maybe you can come down and check things out with a friend or on your own. ???

PS. Its great to hear/read once in a while that so many of you gain insight and appreciate the information you gather here. Glad to hear it!!!

--Islander

I'm moving to St. Thomas on September 6th and everyone out here in Cali thinks I'm crazy too. The only difference between me and you, Steff, is that I just finished college. At least you'd still be studying. My friends and family think that moving to St. Thomas for a year or two is a waste of time and will put me behind in starting my "career." My dad is saying "I give you 2 months" and my mom is betting I'll last one month. But I just say, maybe they're right, but I'll never know unless I try. Steff, you don't want to be older, married, with kids and a career and regret that you never lived on an island when you had the chance. So do it. You will always have the memory of it.
Roxy