Why?

Arizona Sue,

You state, "This is what I hear from "the board"...lots of bugs, named weather events, humidity, crime, bigger bugs,high cost of living, slow & corrupt goverment, unwelcoming native residents, inefficient city departments and services, poor public school system...etc, etc...I know it's beautiful there, but is that enough?"

The negativity you hear on "the board" is much like the negativity you hear when you watch the news; it is a part of one's life but hardly the dominating fator. The news reports war, rape, robbery, fires and traffic accidents but those traumatic events do not affect the entire viewing audience all of the time. Corporations will tell you that people write far more letters to complain about something than to praise something. I think the same may be true of those who post to bboards. Many people who live here choose to do so, evidence that the positive aspects of island life far outweigh the negative. I'll leave the enumeration of those positives to someone else...

Ariz Sue,
Where are you in AZ? We are in Mesa.
Yes there are some things wrong in the islands, but here in AZ we have impeached one governor, imprisoned another, gone through the BOB fiasco, etc, ect ,ect.
This year there have already been over 30 deaths from heat here in the valley, not counting the illegals comming accross the border. The illegal's in the island is not near as bad as here in the states.
So far on three trips in the past 8 months, we have not come accross any unwelcoming locals. That is one of the reasons we have bought there with the plans of retireing there. If you greet everyone with a friendly Good -( Morning, Afternoon, or Night) as is the polite custom, they are very friendly.
The food seems to be about the same to 25% higther. The cost of electricty is much higher per KW hour, but you don't need as much. We just came back this week, and this is supposed to be their hottest and most humid time of the year. We used the A/C for two hours when we first got there just to air out the place. After that we let the nice breeze do it's job.
Gasoline there trhis week was all the way up to $2.14 a gallon, BUT it's $2.62 here.
The crime seems to be about the same as in this area,percentage wise.
If you would like to get together somytime here in AZ, let me know. As we have just lost part of our local AZ Message board club. Beth and Tabra went to STX this week, and emailed us today saying they will not be back. They are having friends sell off everything for them including the house.
Terry

OH I forgot to mention, in the Puerto Rico airport on the way back, we saw the news about AZ. Man shoots two Wall Mart empoyees for no apperant reason. The sudden rains in Tucson had claimed a few lives from the flooding. And remember the deaths last year on the highway when the dust storms were so bad. How about the brush fires the past few years? Destroying hundreds of square miles.

We, as well, have scorpions, trantulars, ants, roaches, bees, wasps, hornets. But in addition to that, we have rattle snakes, coral snakes, black widow spiders, and brown reculse spiders.

Yes, I guess the school system isn't as good as in most of the states. It seems that a lot of people put their kids into private schools.

There does not seem to be the discrimination that you see here, but I'm sure some of it does exist.
Terry

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( o o o o o ) HALF FULL?
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================================================ TAKE YOUR PICK.

Beth and Tabra are STAYING! Way cool.

Terry,
when you talk to Beth & Tabra next tell them Kelly & Ava say congrats! Ava told me after we all had dinner that they weren't coming back. She just knew it!
We, on the other hand, are not going to be making the move. Not right now anyway. I will post our reasons soon as to why we've decided not to make the leap.

Kelly

Terry,

We live in a county pocket just outside Peoria. Far NW Valley, near the Wal-Mart. I know things aren't perfect anywhere. I just would like to see some people tell me why they love it in the USVI.

I started out in Chicago, moved to Dallas, then on to Michigan,then Northern Virginia on finally to Arizona. I am not afraid of moving, I just want to have all the info I can, so I can do the best for my family. I grew up telling my Dad my goal in life was to live on a beach in hut. Been island since I was a kid.

We would like to take a trip next March, what airline do you use to get there? quickest & most convenient.

Would like to talk with you!!

Sue, for some reason, the board won't let me send you a private message. Send me one, with either your email address or your phone number. Just click on the blue name "Terry", and it will take you to a place the will allow the PM.
Terry

Terry
I registered today at work. I then tried to log in and it was a no go, so long story short. I sent in my posting unregistered. I'll check my home email for proper procedures.
My home e-mail is Ssfamaz@msn.com if you would like to email.

Hello Sue,

When you register you receive an email from which you have to click on a link to activate the registration. Until you do that you won't be able to log in. If you have any trouble let me know and I can look into it.

Thanks,
--Islander

Sue,
Why do I love STX? Besides the obvious things like the weather and the water, Welcome to the 1950's. Life is a little slower here. People are a little warmer here. Things sometimes don't work perfectly here. It's almost an intangible that is impossible to explain. You have to come experience it for yourself. Not everyone likes it. Then, not everyone liked the 1950's.

Islander,

I activated last night.. just tried to use it and it will not access. I rechecked the automail with username & pin. They are right on. Help! :-0

Hello Sue,

Went in and checked your registration. Go ahead and try again.

Click on Log In at the top of this page in the Forum Tools.

Enter Username: Sue in Arizona
Enter your password. (it is case sensitive, so you have to enter it as you entered it when you registered... if it were Cloud then you can't enter CLOUD or cloud)

Hit Submit.

It should work unless you aren't typing the password correctly. In which case you can use the Did you forget your password field and get a new one sent to you - if you do this the password will be something our program assigns and then you can go in once logged in and change it.

(tu)

--Islander

will try, thx

WHY.

NO WALMARTS!

Less upitight anal retentive people per capita. The lowest in the world probably.

I lived in STX for over a decade and have lived in the "islands" all my life.

St. Croix is really SUPER misinterpretated. Just real island living. No pretentious people. I think most people get what they give when it comes to attitudes from the people here.

Be genuine and ye shall receive.

I for one am a water person. One week of shopping malls is all I can handle in the states. That seems to be the big thing.

Imagine viewing breath taking views on your daily commute.... isn't that enough?

I live on St. Thomas, have for five years, and love it. It is beautiful. The people are great. Much more sincere and friendlier than where I come from. Last week I went to Puerto Rico to shop and mentioned to my husband that we have been in St. Thomas a LONG time because the mall seemed to be SO SO SO SO noisy. And the hotel was noisy. And the traffic was terrible. We don't have those things here. It is surprising how much stress is relieved when you don't live with those things all the time.

Amen glynnswife.

Just got back from PR today. That is a tude check isn't it?

go to the mainland and be stiffled by all the rules, keep up with the joneses crap,mega malls etc.

I thank god daily for the fact that I can appreciate a beautiful place, plants, people etc.

Really live with your eyes open. IT can be done anywhere but it does not seem that prevelant up there in the metro areas.

Maybe Vermont style places/ wyoming/ etc.

Water, warm water ok with fish in it please. Those are my open plains and that is why I'm here.

i hear you both. i'm currently in vegas visiting my brother. i leave tomorrow morning for california before i return on sunday. as soon as i stepped off the plane yesterday, i told my brother that i was ready to go back home. there's just too darn many people. it is nice to be able to go shopping and get whatever you want, but i'll stick with the simpler way of life of getting what you NEED rather then what you may WANT. can't wait to be home on sunday. until then, wish me luck with the over-population of these major cities i'm visiting. too much traffic!

-adam

hey sue, is you from the dive shop?

Tina

No not from the dive shop. sorry 🙁