We can't find a reason not to!

Have fun and welcome to the forum any questions, just ask

Welcome FrozenfromGRB! Good luck on your move.

Welcome from GRB (?) and best of luck on your stay!!! Ask your questions and we will try to answer....

Thanks for the welcoming thus far. GRB stands for Green Bay, WI and considering we're just starting to get past a winter of 50+ days below zero I went with FrozenfromGRB. Yes, 50+ days... Wrap your head around that one islanders. We literally live in a place where the air hurts our face. Not for long!

"We want to be able to expose and raise our kids in a culture much more open minded and accepting than that of most areas in the states".

If you don't mind me asking, what is your affliction? Yes, the islands are laid back to a degree, but there are still some of the same bigotries and intolerance's as any where else, some less and some more. So don't go with that mind set or you may be disappointed. I can think of several reasons for a married couple with two babies not to relocate to the islands, but I will keep them to myself and just say Have a nice adventure and enjoy yourselves while it lasts.

No place is perfect mtdoramike. I'm sure you can think of some reasons not to and I'm sure I'd dispute with keeping a better attitude and being more open minded. My wife and I both grew up in the northern Midwest and it wasn't until we both joined the military that the rest of the world was opened up to us. We want to expose our kids and show them so much more than what we knew growing up. If you have a general reason why people in our situation shouldn't move than let us know that's why we're on here. I have a great job and phenomenal housing already set up which from what we understand are the two harder things to deal with. There's plenty of parents on here that have done the same thing we are planning on and are saying its the greatest thing they've ever done. I know there's some that are the opposite. I've worked and lived on an island once before in the Pacific. This isn't an entirely new concept or idea to us

Sounds like a great opportunity, Frozen! A lot of couples do leave and return to the mainland when their kids get to school age as they see better opportunities generally there where education is concerned and can't afford the high price of the (excellent) private schools here.

On which part of the island will you be living?

There are tons of community activities to get involved with and I'm sure you'll settle in quickly and enjoy living here very much for however long you stay. My 30 year anniversary comes up in a few months and never did I dream all those years ago that this would end up being the place which would become my permanent and likely last home ... !!

Welcome!

Nothing like kid's birthday parties on the beach!
Welcome to STT. Hope you will enjoy and prosper.

Hey oldtart and Alana thank you, we will be living in one of 3 condos and one is near Magen's bay and the other two are by cowpet bay. I don't think we have a whole lot of choice but it will be one of those 3. We're happy and excited for any of them.

Welcome aboard! VIMSIA is near the condos at Cowpet, and a great school.

Thank you! When those of you that moved to the islands told your families how did they take it? My side is anti this love and my wife's family says we're dumb if we don't go for it and at least try it. We want to do this and move to St. thomas but it is hard when some of the more important people in your life are so unsupportive. I'm sure some of you experienced the same.

The anti move people will be the 1st to tell you they are coming down for a visit - [Do you have room for us?] and expect you to drive them around and show them everything.
Even if the move turns out to be wrong for you and the family the decisions should remain with the people who are actually moving - unless you are dependent on the parents for financial support their opinion has value but you must decide your own fate.

Thank you! When those of you that moved to the islands told your families how did they take it? My side is anti this love and my wife's family says we're dumb if we don't go for it and at least try it. We want to do this and move to St. thomas but it is hard when some of the more important people in your life are so unsupportive. I'm sure some of you experienced the same.

It's called parenting and no matter how old your children get, you just can't help but try and steer them into a different direction, especially if you see them making what could possibly be a mistake even if they don't. Also I'm sure they hate the idea of their grandchildren being ripped away from them and spirited off to some exotic location and if lucky get to visit maybe once a year or every couple of years. So you have to also take their trepidation with a grain of salt as well. But you and your family have your lives to live and this is the way YOU have to approach it whether they like the idea or they don't. By the way, it always make things a lot easier when HER family is more supportive than yours.

As for family that is against the move, it is normal for some relatives or close friends to object. Their objection is usually because they would never consider such a move because they would stay within their comfort zone. If they travel, it is primarily just tourist related.

Since you have a job and condo available to you, it would be an adventure that you SHOULD take advantage of. If you do not, you will always wonder what you missed. You can always return to your stateside life, but you would have the memories and experience of island living.

There are many opportunities for parents of infants and toddlers to meet in groups. Thus, it will not take long to find friends.

as long as you have money set aside for a return trip if things dont work out, what have you got to lose

Thanks for the quick response all! We are doing this and would rather go for it and find out it wasn't the right choice than look back in 5-10 years and say "wish we would have atleast tried." I was just looking for other people who experienced the unsupportive families. By the way, I'm from a SMALL town in Wisconsin and most people don't leave the state for vacation let alone move out of it.

My tenants, a nice young couple from Wisc. relocated here due to hubby's job offer. They'll be renewing their lease to stay for their 3rd yr. this summer. They moved with furnishings, car and 2 huge Great Danes. They seem to have acclimated very well and do not miss winters.So come on down and see what it's all about. If you don't like it you can always go back home but in the meantime enjoy our beaches, warm waters and wonderful water sport activities. Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained as they say.

Thanks for the quick response all! We are doing this and would rather go for it and find out it wasn't the right choice than look back in 5-10 years and say "wish we would have atleast tried." I was just looking for other people who experienced the unsupportive families. By the way, I'm from a SMALL town in Wisconsin and most people don't leave the state for vacation let alone move out of it.

GO FOR IT!! The two biggest reasons not to (money to move and a job) do not apply to you. You're kids are not even technically school age yet. The reasons your family is unsupportive are selfish ones - 1) they don't want to miss time with grandchildren (understandable) and 2) Having you choose this and like it means their fear of the unknown means they've lived half a life when they didn't have to.

This was the realization we came to a year ago, living our whole lives in Michigan. In the summer we played, we danced, we soaked up every moment in time and enjoyed life. Then, every year, from October 15-April 15, we and everyone else around us hibernated in our caves. One day we realized we were choosing to live only 1/2 a life, the other half spent hibernating with everyone else in our individual caves.

We had family down to stay with us twice (two sides) this winter, and in both cases they remarked that they spent more quality, real time with us than in an entire year of birthday parties and Labor Day picnics the twelve months before. You have been given a rare opportunity. Seize it! You're not signing a 4 year commitment to the Army; give it a year and if it's not for you go back with a very interesting experience, and never live with the doubt and regret that comes with letting fear of leaving your boring safe place keep you from rightfully exploring the world.

ChrisMI.... My wife and I just read this together and what a powerful post. Your response means a lot. We have said the same things about spending quality time together over a week or two compared an hour here and there like when we were both in the military. Every winter here people all say "why do I live here?" And "if it wasn't for family we wouldn't be here". My wife and I both have the view that IF this is our one and only life we don't want to spend it inside 5-6 months a year. We both know we would regret this greatly down the road if we never took the opportunity. It's great to hear from someone that knows what it's like to live up here and to understand the majority of the kind of people up here that are just afraid to do anything outside the norm. Thank you.

Half a life.... Unreal. Mind blown. No more

LOL, I can totally relate to this thread even though I don't live in the Virgin Islands (yet, wink).

To make a very long story short, I work in the hospitality industry. My daughter and I have relocated cross-country several times and have lived in some intriguing tourist destinations. Unfortunately, her father and his family members don't understand that we can't instantly drop our work and school commitments to play tour guide just because they've decided to visit.

I concur with the people who suggest that the relatives who complain the most will be the first ones to show up on your doorstep looking for cheap vacation lodging. Stick to your guns and follow your dreams, and maybe we'll see you in St. Thomas -- best of luck to your family!!

GB, We're in CB (Crested Butte) and totally identify with your freezing state! Very much the same--- we realize that we have such a better time with our girls and other friends when it's warm and we can be outside. Taj wants to get back into stand-up paddleboarding, Randy is a master scuba diver, and some of the best memories with the girls are building sand castles, or hanging out under umbrellas and trees just talking and laughing. We've been hibernating since October- and other than a few jaunts to Las Vegas and SoCal....which really contributed to our feeling we should do this....we're just tired of the cold and shoveling snow.

Kudos to you for giving this a shot--- and we have not mentioned a WORD of our hopes to extended family--- we figure at this stage we'll just send them a post card when we get there!