...well, that didn't last very long 🙁

Hello Wendy,

Thanks for the update. Sorry it didn't work out. Was there anything about living on St. John that you encountered and didn't expect or hadn't heard about in your research? Any feedback on your experiences finding an apartment & job? Your remarks might help others who are researching moving to St. John.

All the Best with your future plans!

--Islander

You'd have never known unless you tried. Good luck!

MSU Grad-

Good luck with your return move - sometimes it just IS overwhelming - and sometimes you find home in your own back yard, so to speak. You were starting a lot of big changes at one time....I hope what you want is in Michigan (cold, COLD Michigan, lol!) - you're going back in time for a MI summer, and I think you come from a beautiful state! Good luck, and please do stay in touch. Maybe you just tried at the wrong time in your life - who knows, you may be back?

"As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do."

Many variations on that quote, but they all come down to the same meaning, have no regrets.

I am pretty homesick right now. I've been here 5 weeks. I am hoping that the homesickness will be alleviated when my friend comes to visit next week. I miss my family and friends terribly. I miss Pepper, my gorgeous black lab. She won't be here until September.

Wendy -

I am sorry, I misread your first post, I didn't actually realize you'd already left - so for college grads moving to the islands, without the boyfriend story (LOL!), looking at it in retrospect, what could you have done to make your transition more successful? Would just time have helped with personal growth before taking on something so new? I'm sort of echoing Islander here, but I'd like to know since one of my kids has vaguely talked about moving to the Caribbean himself - he didn't think there was enough to do on STX and is several years older than you, but I'm not sure he is really grasping the entire concept just yet. He knows for a fact it would have to be PR or STT or STJ, but thinks STJ may be too slow for him as well.

Maybe too much time with boyfriend IS the whole story, but we won't go into that! In the meantime, anything you care to relate, including posting a moving story, would be much appreciated by those who will come after you.

Becky: I don't think that moving back means that the move down here wasn't "successful." It isn't a competition. But it is important for people to remember that there are a lot of folks who move here, stay for a while- sometimes a very short while ;)!- and then continue somewhere else.

Wendy: You came, you saw, you learned a little something! That is not too bad for a life experience. Best wishes for your next adventure! 🙂

Wasn't saying she "failed", EE - I've been around a while, you know my views on that! Just asking, albeit a little strangely, if there was something more that she could have prepared for - see my first response to her and her statement that it was too much change at one time. It's a learning curve for everyone - just trying to help the next person along. Everyone stays or leaves for their own reasons - I think it's interesting to explore those reasons. I know what I personally did "wrong" and how I would compensate now. Maybe Wendy has some great ideas to share!

Things I would have done differently if I could have...:

Waited until I had a cell phone plan that enabled me to talk to my friends and family at home.
Forced myself to go out into town and mingle, look around more (during the day).
Defn. would have seeked out people people my age from my culture, that didn't already know my boyfriend.

Not moved directly after graduating- Now that I'm back I'm finding that a lot of people I know who just graduated and are done with school are going through some kind of shock - post-graduate depression

A big thing was that I was in a relationship- this helped in a lot of ways : getting a good job, having a place to live, having food to eat, having a car, knowing who's who and what's what.

But really I think that all worked as a disadvantage for me in a way : I didn't know many people but it felt like everyone knew me, because of my boyfriend - I'm trying to describe it... It was like my identity was intertwined with his..

Plus I didn't HAVE to go out and meet new people I already had a whole set of "friends" through him.

I think moving to the islands is a great way to get away and find yourself- When I came back people said wow- somethings different about you (I'm more mature, less manic) - and I was only there for a couple weeks. I defn. came back more clear headed about what I want, and what I value.

As far as encountering things I didn't expect - I really didn't, seriously I'm thinking really hard. The first thing people say is I know you couldn't stay on that tiny island long, and my first response is it was NOT the island that caused me to move back - I still maintain if I had been single I'd still be there. I think the island is only as big or small as you make it. Especially when you're first moving there.

I am really glad I did it. Besides the fact that I so spent about a grand for the whole process of moving and moving back - like many of you mentioned - you never know until you've tried, and it's so true.

As far as advice for other college grads moving down. I don't think I'm much of a help. My experience is kinda unique I had a lot of interesting elements I was working with. Being in a relationship with a "local", dealing with the Latin culture, and being "african american" - If another grad is moving down under similar conditions I'll be very happy to help out - to any one else I'm afraid my experience would be very misleading.

Sorry I rambled-
If you do have any specific Q's I'd be happy to try and answer. Send me a PM- since I do plan on coming back to STJ in the future (c'mon who can leave forever??) just to visit though... I'll wait until things cool down first though 🙂

Thank you for your very candid reply. I think you probably helped more than you will ever know!

I get that feeling Wendy.

When I moved to Grand Cayman back in 2002, I came into a situation that wasn't really one I had chose. A friend of mine who had moved down and was having a fantastic time got me to move down and a job at his company...he took me out in his car...to meet his friends...at his favorite hangouts...I even had a room waiting for me at his house. You get the idea. The chance to make it my own was rather hard.

I think you hit the nail on the head for why I have done well here on STT. No one had done it before me, so this was mine to experience and learn from and I have had a lot better time down here.

So sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. But who knows, in time you may get the craving again, as I did even though I came to a different part of the Caribbean.

Cory

Thanks Wendy for the followup.

--Islander