what is a good reason to move to the VI?

What you seek is less than 60 miles from where you presently live - with the exception of the year-round beach days, that is.

Here, I'll list all of the things that these islands offer that the rural areas around you don't: the weather, the beautiful seas,...uh...er...hmmm...

I would suggest a very serious PMV (pre-move visit) before you come because of your health care issues. Healthcare is not the most advanced here and many people, locals and transplants go to PR or stateside to see doctors and or for procedures/surgeries. You will want to make sure you can find a doctor that can deal with your issues and one that plans to be here for a while.

This isn't really a harmony with nature kind of island, well maybe st john or water island, but you gotta have the very big bucks for those places or a strong desire to sacrifice. Stx and Stt are built up and we also have plenty of deer, at least on stx.

It is not a slower place of life in the islands. It often takes much longer to get anything done. But people are generally more friendly then stateside.

Why not just move to a stateside beach town?

There is no rhematologist residing in the USVI.

I moved from the Baltimore area for some of the same reasons you stated. Yes, the weather here is MUCH better but, in my opinion, you'd be better off moving to Florida, Southern California, or even Puerto Rico, especially considering your children and your health issues.

Your "very comfortable quality of life" likely won't be that here.

Dear Changes in Latitude,

Many years ago a friend challenged me as to why I live in St. Thomas. I've lived here very happily for seventeen years. I have no children so they are certainly a real consideration for you. The reasons I have stayed are not the reasons I moved here.

1. There is little if any "keeping up with the Jones's" here. I drive a car I would not drive in the states. I live in an apartment I would be appalled by in the states - lizards, tree frogs running through it - but iit s clean, safe and comfortable for my needs. And at $500 a month it is affordable. It doesn't matter how much or how little money I make. I am not judged on the luxurious of my life style.

2. I have learned so much about myself by being the minority race here. Having been raised in a good southern U.S. family I would have told you I was not prejudiced when I moved here. Now I can proudly say I am not. It has been a real learning experience!

3. I've learned patience. Oh yes, lots and lots of patience.

4. My husband was very ill for a long time and passed away a year ago. While I have no notion of what health care in the mainland could have done for him (he did not want to leave) I was pleased with the care he received here from the doctors, the hospitals and the hospice workers. They were kind, respectful and generous in spirit.

And of course, the weather. You just can't beat it!

Think it over carefully and come stay for a while. It's not for everyone. But for those of us who love it here, there is literally no place on earth closed to paradise.

Pamela

the only things that are holding us back are that we have twin 2 year old daughters and it is scary to voluntarily give up a very comfortable quality of life for economic uncertainty. Also, I have some complex health issues and I'm worried I wouldn't be able to get good care if something happened (I have rheumatoid arthritis as well as autonomic nervous system dysfunction)

Review some of the other threads about VI schools and make your own decision about whether this would be a good move for your family. Specialized health care is a concern; you may or may not find the latest-and-greatest knowledge and services when you need them.

1) The weather here is god awful- rain, clouds, and COLD temperatures for 10 months out of the year.

It's not cold here (unless you're in the mountains, where high-60s with a breeze feels downright icy to me), but it rains a lot between May and November. Sometimes the sun doesn't come out for a week.

2) My husband hates his job and wants a change.

What does he do? What does he want to do? Will he be able to make enough of a living doing it?

3) I'm so bored with my current job I barely have the motivation to do my work.

We have jobs like that in the islands, too. Only here it is worse, because you will go outside and see the beautiful weather you are NOT enjoying because you have to work!

4) I have seasonal affective disorder and become severly depressed during the fall and winter from lack of sunshine

I can relate. Island living definitely helps with this, but we can have long periods of gray weather, too (see my answer to #1). It's not as bad as it is facing a winter in the states, but don't be surprised if hurricane season gets to you.

5) I have a poor relationship with my family as well as no extended family in Maryland so "family" is not a reason I would want to stay.

Will you still be obligated to your family in any way? For example, if a parent needs care due to old age or illness, will you be expected to return and help out? Make sure your ties are really what you think they are.

6) we are looking for a much slower pace of life. Life in the North East is sooooo fast. Everyone is in a hurry and extremly stressed because of overcrowding and the fast paced demands of living here. We want to live in a small community.

You will get a slower pace of life here, although we do have stress still -- just different things to worry about. As for living in a small community, have you ever lived in one? It might be more challenging than you expect.

7) We want to be able to go to a beach year round 🙂

We've got that. 🙂

8) I want to live where there is more harmony with nature. I pass atleast 5 to 6 murdered deer on the sides of the road everyday in the fall. It breaks my heart because I know it is a direct result of the over dense human population in the northeast. if they get close to a road they don't even have a chance.

Every day, I pass at least one murdered mongoose/iguana/bush cat along the road. This is a direct result of overpopulation and people driving too damn fast. No escaping from it. Also, as someone else pointed out, St. John and Water Island are the two areas where you will find more "harmony with nature", as you put it. If that is what you want, research those areas carefully. (Those roadkill animals I'm talking about are on St. John.)

9) It has crossed my mind every single day for the last 4 years that I want to get out of this over crowded hell hole and live somplace warmer and slower.

The place you are imagining probably does not exist except in your imagination. The USVI may come close or fall way far away from the mark, depending on what you are truly expecting. Keep doing your research, do an extended pre-move visit if it feels right, and make sure you are running TO something you want, not FROM something you don't.

Also, Aussie and Pamela both had great wisdom in their posts. The reasons you stay, if you stay, will probably not be the reasons you came. And what you seek can be found without moving to an island. Once the adventure wears off, the reality of living in the islands is not always better than a life you could have much closer to where you are now.

Of course that should have read "closer" to paradise!

Pamela

Ok here's my $.02 -

1) The weather here is god awful- rain, clouds, and COLD temperatures for 10 months out of the year.
Yes, the weather in the islands is usually good - we do get the threat of hurricanes and tropical storms.

2) My husband hates his job and wants a change.
There's no guarantee your husband will find a job he like in the Caribbean.

3) I'm so bored with my current job I barely have the motivation to do my work.
Same here - you may or may not like the job you find. FYI - jobs here usually pay less than comparable jobs "back home" so that's an important factor to consider.

4) I have seasonal affective disorder and become severly depressed during the fall and winter from lack of sunshine
Some people have difficulty dealing with the lack of season change in the Caribbean.

5) I have a poor relationship with my family as well as no extended family in Maryland so "family" is not a reason I would want to stay.
No comment.

6) we are looking for a much slower pace of life. Life in the North East is sooooo fast. Everyone is in a hurry and extremly stressed because of overcrowding and the fast paced demands of living here. We want to live in a small community.
Life is not "slow" in the islands. Things take longer here, for example it can take 3 or 4 days for the refrigerator repairman to show up and then another 2 weeks for the part he needs to arrive from the US mainland, you can wait for what seems hours at the bank just to cash a check, you have to visit multiple stores just to find a few groceries and there's never any guarantee you'll find everything you need and that includes staples like bread, milk, etc. - so if that's what you mean by a "slower pace of life", then you might be happy

7) We want to be able to go to a beach year round
Yes, you can go to the beach year around but you can do that in many places on the mainland.

8) I want to live where there is more harmony with nature. I pass atleast 5 to 6 murdered deer on the sides of the road everyday in the fall. It breaks my heart because I know it is a direct result of the over dense human population in the northeast. if they get close to a road they don't even have a chance.
Harmony with nature is what you make it. You'll live in harmony alright, we have lots of insects, lizards, and wildlife that love to roam all over peoples property and home.

9) It has crossed my mind every single day for the last 4 years that I want to get out of this over crowded hell hole and live somplace warmer and slower.
Island life can be just as frustrating. Unless you have an independent source of wealth you still have to get up everyday and go to work and earn a living, you still have bills to pay, a house to clean, a yard to mow, laundry to do, meals to cook, etc., etc., etc. Some parts of the VI's are crowded. Everyday life goes on, you can't escape the rat race because the rats still race here - it's just a different venue.

So what should you do? Simply, make an extended pre-move visit. Don't come for vacation, try living like a local, stay for several weeks or a few months. See what life is really like here. Then make your decision.

Good luck.

Health care: To reiterate, there is no rheumatologist. There is one neurologist on St Thomas, don't know about St Croix. If you have special needs and want stateside services, you may be disappointed. Many of us are like Pamela, we learn that we don't need the bells and whistles.

Education: There are some very good schools here. I have small friends at Montessori who are wonderful human beings and are learning and succeeding. Check out their Casa (?) for young bambinis...

Hate or bored with job: DO NOT move to escape something.

Slower pace of life: Hmm, be careful what you wish for... "Sure, Miss, we will get your phone installed two weeks from next Thursday." "Oh, no, there is no one to repair your internet this weekend. The union workers are off and the supervisors aren't allowed to fill in." " We will ship that to you USPS ground." (Goes by boat and takes a world tour) "We will ship that to you Priority." (Goes by plane and takes a world tour.) "No, the container didn't come in, so there is no..." (something you really wanted or needed.) "The camera is broken, so you will have to come back to get your driver's license next week." These are all true events.

Harmony with nature: What about dogs and cats who get hit by cars and sit in the road for days? Cock fighting? Dog fighting? CHICKENS all over the place...

If you really want to consider your dream: Come down for an extended visit and live like a local. Shop for groceries, cook your meals, go to the bank, K-Mart, etc. Visit the schools, look for work. Talk to everyone and tell them what you want to do.

"Where ever you go, there you are." Different place different problems. Best of luck , Justin

hi
i am from md too. i know it is not cold 10 months out of the year. spring and fall are wonderful up there. summer can be way too hot. we do get a lot of rain here. it is usually nice though.
can you afford 48 cents per killowatt for electricity-check your current bill for usage and times it by 48 cents.
if you need specialized care for a health issue, might not want to be here or you could end up making a lot of trips back north. if you come with no health insurance, you can not get individual policies here right now. not all jobs offer health insurance. some jobs do not even take out taxes. pay is not as high as in the states.
it can get downright boring here too. we can not go to the beach year round. it gets too cold for that.
food is more expensive here also. gas is about the same or higher that some places in the states.
most state sides do not want to send their kids to public-research the board for this. private school is about 13 thousand per child.
it is good to have dreams but you need to be realistic about it.
research researc and PMV

You'll live in harmony alright, we have lots of insects, lizards, and wildlife that love to roam all over peoples property and home.

So funny!

OP, listen to what everyone said. If life is so bad, make time to come here, I'd say for a month, and see how it all fits. But buy a round trip ticket! Go back home and then re-assess based on what you experienced here. Then make your decision.

Lots of good stuff in this thread. Shame about the dog fighting and such, I've heard it's really big down there. Breaks my heart.

To the OP, sounds like you need a better diet and yoga, maybe even a nice long vacation.

Ok...just to address a few issues:

I lived in Baltimore for a few years. Winters are not bad, but the summers are hotter than they are here.

Have lived in upstsate NY for 22 years. Compared to Baltimore the winters ARE brutal. Very cold and alot of snow!!!

I have never have to travel from store to store to find groceries. The only thing I couldn't find was fresh basil....which I found yesterday!

Harmony with nature: What about dogs and cats who get hit by cars and sit in the road for days? Cock fighting? Dog fighting? CHICKENS all over the place...

Yeah. No one told me about the roosters. Stoopit fluckers. Noisy as hell starting at 4AM and continuing through the eternal dawn that exists in their tiny rooster brains. I've been here ten years working as a professional and I still have to explain to people stateside that, yes, I am in my office in C'sted and, yes, there are in fact roosters crowing outside.

What is a GOOD reason to move to the VI?

Anything that works for the person in question is a perfectly good reason. We all have different needs and desires and expectations. The most important thing I've encouraged potential newcomers to do is to look into their motivations and then evaluate to be sure they have REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS of what they will find in the islands. Too many people think they will come here and live in a 5-star resort with the cabana boy bringing them froufrou drinks every few minutes. That is far from the reality.

I moved here largely for the weather. For some of us, that's enough of a reason and for others it's not. It's truly wonderful to wake up WARM each and every day after a lifetime living in the cold, rainy, dreary weather of the Seattle area and all the colds and viruses that kept me sick most of the year for my entire life, so I fully understand your desire to leave your bad weather behind. But will it be enough?

If it were just you and your husband, many people here would encourage you to give it a try as you're adults and can make the most of it or leave and try life elsewhere if things just don't click for you. The two small children make it trickier to respond with a whole hearted, "Come on down!" While people do have children here and most of them are very happy and enjoy being island babies, there are some serious differences in what's available for children of all ages versus what's available on the mainland. This is true about schools and activities and even food products. While adults on an adventure might not mind living a bit rough and frugal, it's harder to change a child's standard of living to less than they are used to without feeling a bit guilty about it. I brought my sons here when they were teenagers, so I AM speaking from experience. Check to be sure you are ok with the expected educational prospects for your children and consider how the move will affect their life in decades to come.

You might find you have better health here in the more hospitable environment, but there's no guarantee. Spending a month or two here on an extended visit would likely tell you what to expect of your health, as well as give you the chance to view the island as a hometown rather than as a vacation site. You need to fully understand what is and is not available. Some people feel isolated on an island and others enjoy it greatly. There's nothing like personally experiencing it to answer all your questions.

Many people who come never plan to stay forever. Some do and that may or not turn out to be what happens. No matter how long you stay, don't let anyone try to sell you on the thought that you somehow "failed" if you choose to leave sometime later. I didn't fail in the location I lived in before moving here and if I opt to move elsewhere in the future, it has nothing to do with success or failure in the islands. The type of personality who moves to a tropical island is usually an adventurous one and such a person might want to see other places in the world after they've experienced this one for a while. Just as college students often try out half a dozen majors to find the right fit, there's nothing wrong with trying out multiple parts of the planet to find the right fit. All the research in the world won't give you the answers you will get by giving it a try in person.

Personally, now that I'm old enough to meet the immigration requirements, I am considering moving to Fiji. But I certainly won't make a final decision until I've spent several months living on the island I'm looking at. Even being used to island life in the USVI after 8 years on St. Croix, I know that another island elsewhere won't be the same and might not be a good fit. You might find that you like one of the islands here in the USVI more than the others. Most people do find they have a preference if they take time to check out all their options.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide.

1) The weather here is god awful- rain, clouds, and COLD temperatures for 10 months out of the year.
2) My husband hates his job and wants a change.
3) I'm so bored with my current job I barely have the motivation to do my work.
4) I have seasonal affective disorder and become severly depressed during the fall and winter from lack of sunshine
5) I have a poor relationship with my family as well as no extended family in Maryland so "family" is not a reason I would want to stay.
6) we are looking for a much slower pace of life. Life in the North East is sooooo fast. Everyone is in a hurry and extremly stressed because of overcrowding and the fast paced demands of living here. We want to live in a small community.
7) We want to be able to go to a beach year round
8) I want to live where there is more harmony with nature. I pass atleast 5 to 6 murdered deer on the sides of the road everyday in the fall. It breaks my heart because I know it is a direct result of the over dense human population in the northeast. if they get close to a road they don't even have a chance.
9) It has crossed my mind every single day for the last 4 years that I want to get out of this over crowded hell hole and live somplace warmer and slower.

None of the things listed is, IMHO, a good reason for moving here.

So what is a good reason, you ask...

Well, I would say, a desire and ability to live like a native Crucian (can't speak for St Thomas, etc...)

you get up early Mondays through Fridays to go to work. You may live in Frederiksted and work in Christiansted, or vice versa. You grab some breakfast, or maybe you forgot how to fry an egg so you make plans to stand in line for half an hour for "fast food". You run over a couple of stray dogs, a cat, five or six mongoose, and a deer during your drive to work. As you get closer to town, you fuss because the traffic is so congested. You finally reach your office, and settle down to the daily drudgery. At lunch time, you pay another visit to the "fast food" joint and subsequently arrive back at the office late. After work, you drive home in horrendous traffic along with some 20,000 or so co-sufferers. You try to ignore the animals that you ran over earlier, which are still laying on the side of the road. When you get home, you realize that you have no power because there was a brief rain shower which caused a tremendous explosion at WAPA...they consequently raise your LEAC (which you never heard about until you moved here), while simultaneously lowering the quality of service. Nobody told you that you would need a generator, so you sit in darkness for twelve hours while the food in your fridge rots. Before you know it, the roosters in your neighbor's yard are crowing that it is TIME TO WAKE UUUPPP!!!

You smile, look at the glorious sunrise, and realize that you love it here.

Now that's a good reason.

Another good thing to remember is it can be much harder to find a job that offers health insurance. Some of the health insurances that are offered are pretty bad/bare minimum down here. And you can not buy your own right now. So that could be a important issue also if you have health issues. Start writing lists of everything you have and pay bills for and figure out what you are willing to live without. The odds are good you will live with less down here. It's usually easy then most think to give up the material things, the beauty salons, the shopping, but things like insurance are hard to live without.

I saw a help wanted ad in the most recent Island Trader that offers
medical/dental. I was very surprised.
It's for a store clerk in a Marine store in Red Hook.

A few good reasons to move here...
You have lived here before and are still in contact with your friends, old landlord and employer.
You have extended family and friends here who can help you get settled.
You have no ties to where you are currently and are already accustomed to landing on your feet in a new environment because you are known to just up and move to a place you haven't ever been (like the time you spent backpacking all over Nepal or that summer you spent in Nicaragua.)
You love the beach and all things water-related. (This one should really go with one of the above reasons, any of them.)
You have the ability to enjoy your life, no matter where you are or what you are doing. (This one should also accompany one of the above reasons.)

The islands are not for everyone. Take the advise you will see repeated OVER AND OVER on this forum. Come down for a pre-move visit, an extended one, for at least a month, longer if you can do it, live like you LIVE here and you will know if it is right for your family.

Ok...just to address a few issues:

I lived in Baltimore for a few years. Winters are not bad, but the summers are hotter than they are here.

Have lived in upstsate NY for 22 years. Compared to Baltimore the winters ARE brutal. Very cold and alot of snow!!!

I have never have to travel from store to store to find groceries. The only thing I couldn't find was fresh basil....which I found yesterday!

I don't have to travel from store to store to FIND groceries, I have to travel from store to store to find LESS EXPENSIVE groceries. I could get everything from Marina Market, but I don't want to pay $10 a pound for bacon. I can get bacon for $4 a pound at PriceSmart, but I don't want to buy 30 pounds of pork chops from PriceSmart (especially since they are clearly marked "previously frozen") so I go to Food Center for pork chops. I don't want to spend $3.50 on a roll of paper towels from Food Center (and I don't want to buy 6 months worth of them, either, at PriceSmart) so I go to KMart for a reasonably priced four-pack of paper towels. Get it now? I CAN go to one store and get everything I need, for $500! OR I can take the day and go to three or four stores and get everything I need for $300. I am sure when you lived in the States, you did something of the same thing. One store where you got paper products, canned goods, then another store for their fresh produce, another for their meat department.

i am totally conservative when I buy. If I am paying more for paper towels I use less. Actually use less of everything! It is not worth the gas money to chase after sales....even in the states!

PS....I only happened to find the fresh basil I had been looking for, but did not drive allover the island to find it!

Not much to add to what has already been said, but the 2 biggest things are the children's education/life experience, healthcare, and employment. If your husband doesn't have specific skills that are in need right now [high finance, medical, etc] you may find that he cannot find work. I've been looking for a business to business sales/marketing job for 6 months and am finally giving up and moving back to the states. And I have been here for 2 years and know MANY people who were looking out for me and mentioning my skills to other people they work with.

Be lucid about what is possible, more importantly what is likely to happen once you get here. Moving expenses are great and you'll need a sizeable nest egg to come down here. Rents are first, last, and deposit, so have 3 months' rent in cash ready to go. Since you need at least a 2 bedroom, count on rent being $2,000 per month or more for a decent place. Private schools [which you WILL want in the next 2 years] are $10-12K per student per year. What line of work are you in? Will you be able to find a job here or will you end up doing an even more boring [and FAR less paying] job than you have back in the states?

Not being negative, just really hope that you heed the advice on the board here, think it through and try to get yourself here for a long time to see what it is actually like to live here...it is expensive and at times annoying and much more challenging to live here than most people think. I will miss this place and I would stay if I could find gainful employment doing something I'm good at that pays the bills but it's just not working out that way for me.

Best of luck