usvi-on-line
Are your friends SO sick of "St John talk?"
I 'm not sure what anyone else thinks and I really don't care. We have worked hard for what we have and for us to be able to take this trip in april and not have to charge it is, is not something everyone can do. I'm greatful for my life and I do my part for society to give back, I just always make sure I save a little for my self.
Rocken Robbin gets her dream Honeymoon vacation in the Virgin Islands
My friends know I'm inclined to get overly enthusiastic about some things. My coworkers just think I'm nuts. Happily, my best friend and her husband left today (!) for their first trip to attend a wedding. When I found myself telling her which public restrooms to use and which to avoid, I realized I might be going too far, but she seemed to appreciate the hints, lol.
Fortunately, one of the guys at work is a Bonaire freak, so I do have someone on my side.
Fortunately, one of the guys at work is a Bonaire freak, so I do have someone on my side.
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Kentuckygirl
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Kentucky
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I think people also assume it is far more expensive, exclusive and glamorous than it is. I think they hear the SAINT and they think I am on St. Barths in Letterman's villa or on Beyonce's yacht.
I think STJ is a place you have to go to get. I've been all over the caribbean and there is no where like it. Other nice places for sure, but nothing so far that I have found that has the same lowkey, barefoot, come as you are vibe.
One set of friends that we brought FELL in love just like us. A set of their friends who they recommended STJ for their honeymoon HATED IT. Were terrified someone was going to break in to their villa in the night and took the ferry to STJ to get DVDs to watch the entire week. They went to 1 beach.
We try to keep the cost to a minimum and it is not cheap but like everyone has said definitely do-able without too much trouble if you save your pennies and plan ahead. Our share of the house this year for 2 bedrooms (3 adults and 2 kids) is around $2000 in the off-season, the car is $500, typically our flights are through frequent flier miles.
If I can swing the FF tix, the only increased cost over the Jersey shore in Summer is the rental car and getting from STT to STJ. You have to eat, you have to explore, you have to part with some cash on vacay.
For me the question is to vacation or not, not STJ or somewhere cheaper. Though we do take a cheaper vacation locally 1x a year (we have a timeshare
) I will not give up STJ until I absolutely have to do so.
Hubby and I orginally agreed to every other year, that rapidly accellerated to 1x a year, after this June trip we are not planning to be back until November 2010, so maybe 18 months is our compromise. We'll see if I can handle it.
I think STJ is a place you have to go to get. I've been all over the caribbean and there is no where like it. Other nice places for sure, but nothing so far that I have found that has the same lowkey, barefoot, come as you are vibe.
One set of friends that we brought FELL in love just like us. A set of their friends who they recommended STJ for their honeymoon HATED IT. Were terrified someone was going to break in to their villa in the night and took the ferry to STJ to get DVDs to watch the entire week. They went to 1 beach.
We try to keep the cost to a minimum and it is not cheap but like everyone has said definitely do-able without too much trouble if you save your pennies and plan ahead. Our share of the house this year for 2 bedrooms (3 adults and 2 kids) is around $2000 in the off-season, the car is $500, typically our flights are through frequent flier miles.
If I can swing the FF tix, the only increased cost over the Jersey shore in Summer is the rental car and getting from STT to STJ. You have to eat, you have to explore, you have to part with some cash on vacay.
For me the question is to vacation or not, not STJ or somewhere cheaper. Though we do take a cheaper vacation locally 1x a year (we have a timeshare
) I will not give up STJ until I absolutely have to do so.Hubby and I orginally agreed to every other year, that rapidly accellerated to 1x a year, after this June trip we are not planning to be back until November 2010, so maybe 18 months is our compromise. We'll see if I can handle it.
I know that my family is sort of sick of it. I just come to the forum or talk to forum friends like the SOTB sisters so I don't have to "burden" anyone with it. I have a few friends who want to go but I am not sure I would want them there. It's not what some would expect, an all inclusive right on the water, etc.
I really did think I was the only one on the board that wasn't loaded 
No really it is nice to have best friends that share St John with ya it sure helps on the talking about it. I never say much about it anymore at work feel like I'm braggin. It is funny how people think your loaded just because you vacation in the Carribean. I know there are coworkers that make as much or more than we do and say they can't afford vacations. It's all how ya manage it, Gawd I'm glad were not house poor like so many out there.
No really it is nice to have best friends that share St John with ya it sure helps on the talking about it. I never say much about it anymore at work feel like I'm braggin. It is funny how people think your loaded just because you vacation in the Carribean. I know there are coworkers that make as much or more than we do and say they can't afford vacations. It's all how ya manage it, Gawd I'm glad were not house poor like so many out there.What good timing for this post djmom.I have always been real open with friends and co workers about our St.John obsession but like a lot of the post's here I think people started to think of it as bragging and that we were loaded "which we are not".We don't do a whole lot but work and look forward to our vacation's on St.John. So I just have waited for them to ask and keep it a little shorter with the answers, because it's not hard for me to get worked up with my answer when people start asking about the island.Especially the one's that say we are thinking about a vacation to the caribbean what island should we go to.
It's a given at work that I'm obsessed. I was discussing travel with a co-worker. When I mentioned I was going to St John he said, Oh, Jim's going there too, this weekend I think.
I quickly hung up the phone, called Jim (an engineer) and left a voice mail message telling him to call me. He thought there was a problem with one of his projects. Nope - I need details buddy, and I need 'em now. Jim called me within 45 minutes.
J: Hi Katie it's Jim.
K : Hi Jim. This is a completely non work related call. I heard you're going to St John tomorrow
J: Well, we're actually leaving Saturday
K: Where are you staying
J: I'm not sure.
K: Thinks - how the hell can you not know where you're staying?? OK try again: What part of the island are you staying on?
J: I think it's the east end. No, maybe Cruz Bay.
K: Well, is it the busier part of St John , or the quieter part?
J: I'm not sure. Is Cruz Bay West?
K: Yes Jim, it is. OK I've got some websites to send you, ferry schedules, do you have your car reservations, actually you'd better make that a Jeep,
etc. etc.
THe next day he sends me an e-mail - they're staying on the east end.
Where, I ask.
I don't know, he says. It was St John or Tortola.
Sheesh!
I come here to feed my obsession
I quickly hung up the phone, called Jim (an engineer) and left a voice mail message telling him to call me. He thought there was a problem with one of his projects. Nope - I need details buddy, and I need 'em now. Jim called me within 45 minutes.
J: Hi Katie it's Jim.
K : Hi Jim. This is a completely non work related call. I heard you're going to St John tomorrow
J: Well, we're actually leaving Saturday
K: Where are you staying
J: I'm not sure.
K: Thinks - how the hell can you not know where you're staying?? OK try again: What part of the island are you staying on?
J: I think it's the east end. No, maybe Cruz Bay.
K: Well, is it the busier part of St John , or the quieter part?
J: I'm not sure. Is Cruz Bay West?
K: Yes Jim, it is. OK I've got some websites to send you, ferry schedules, do you have your car reservations, actually you'd better make that a Jeep,
etc. etc.
THe next day he sends me an e-mail - they're staying on the east end.
Where, I ask.
I don't know, he says. It was St John or Tortola.
Sheesh!
I come here to feed my obsession
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BeachKitten
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:00 am
What a weird post after the comments I've heard the at work the last couple of days, when I finally broke down and said out loud where we are going for our summer vacation. Didn't want to seem like I was bragging.
'Must be nice to be rich.'
'In this economy, must be nice to blow money, and not protect yourself for the future.'
'I'm obviously not living right, do you pay for it with sex?'
WTH?
We are not rich, we live frugally, and have saved up the $$ so we can pay in cash as we go, and as stated, don't live in McMansions and drive loans around in the form of a car. And I SO won't go into how I watch them blow their $$$$$$.
BTW - Yes, hubby paid for the trip with sex, so it was worth it, how do you think I earned the name Beach Kitten?
Snicker (And ya'll will have to figure out if that is sarcasm or not!!)
'Must be nice to be rich.'
'In this economy, must be nice to blow money, and not protect yourself for the future.'
'I'm obviously not living right, do you pay for it with sex?'
WTH?
We are not rich, we live frugally, and have saved up the $$ so we can pay in cash as we go, and as stated, don't live in McMansions and drive loans around in the form of a car. And I SO won't go into how I watch them blow their $$$$$$.
BTW - Yes, hubby paid for the trip with sex, so it was worth it, how do you think I earned the name Beach Kitten?
Snicker (And ya'll will have to figure out if that is sarcasm or not!!)
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cypressgirl
- Posts: 2178
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:42 pm
- Location: houston
I only tell my mom and kids (the ones that can't go, for one reason or another), and my BFF, who thinks I'm nuts for going to the same place all the tine. I "splain" it like anyone who has a lake or mountain home, I just rent, instead of having the headache of owning and upkeeping a home. I do enjoy seeing other parts of the world, and after Waterguys's photos of Italy, that is on my list, but I can go to STJ with FF miles and share a villa and eat cheap and it's not nearly as expensive as it sounds. I could spend as much in a week on Lake Travis in Austin, 3 hrs. from home, driving.
We’ve gotten burned before by over-enthusiastic recommendations of fill-in-the-blank (restaurant, movie, trip destination, etc.) so we’ve implemented the “lead pipe rule”. If any of us start going on and on about something, the other family members are supposed to hit the over-zealous one upside the head with a lead pipe to get them to stop - metaphorically speaking of course - we just whisper “lead pipe” to get them to stop and/or tone it down. Nicer than a kick in the shins under table.
Friends and family also know about my 30+ yr photography hobby so they ask to see my photos. That often gets them all charged up about the places we go more than words can, so I have to reel them with disclaimers like “well, its not for everybody” and “you are just seeing the best of the best” etc.
I am a such severe editor of my own photos that I cringe when others show me a stack of vacation photos that include the crappy out of focus, crooked, under/over exposed, what is the hell is that? shots. And dont get me started on being subjected to un-edited vacation videos...
Friends and family also know about my 30+ yr photography hobby so they ask to see my photos. That often gets them all charged up about the places we go more than words can, so I have to reel them with disclaimers like “well, its not for everybody” and “you are just seeing the best of the best” etc.
I am a such severe editor of my own photos that I cringe when others show me a stack of vacation photos that include the crappy out of focus, crooked, under/over exposed, what is the hell is that? shots. And dont get me started on being subjected to un-edited vacation videos...
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
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piscesgirl0314
- Posts: 598
- Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:31 pm
- Location: Chesapeake, VA
My dad made the comment the other day "why do you keep going to the same place..." Why do YOU care. We save our money and pay cash for EVERYTHING...we are financially in a good place...My parents have sailed the BVI twice but have never stepped one foot on St John. As far as I'm concerned when it comes to St John...he has no opinion...Thankfully our best friends have gone with us on every trip. So, we have people in our lives that "get it"...like a lot of you, I try not to talk about our trips until we get back.
I can relate to so many of the responses.
A lot of our friends don't get the appeal of returning to the same place more than once.
Aside from the ease of our STJ vacations, there are still things I would like to see and do on the island after 13 years.
Concerning money and paying for vacation - What really makes our friends scratch their heads is we don't exchange gifts in our family.
We do give gifts to our son but at a much lower level than most parents I know.
DH and I relax thru the holiday season and look forward to our winter trip, which is our gift to our family.
A close friend of the family booked his August honeymoon for STJ after hearing us rave about it.
I think he made a big mistake.
He is not the type to jump in the Jeep and explore and his wife is definately more of the big resort, sit by the pool type girl.
The only beach they visited was at the Westin where they stayed and I got the impression his wife did NOT like STJ one bit.
A lot of our friends don't get the appeal of returning to the same place more than once.
Aside from the ease of our STJ vacations, there are still things I would like to see and do on the island after 13 years.
Concerning money and paying for vacation - What really makes our friends scratch their heads is we don't exchange gifts in our family.
We do give gifts to our son but at a much lower level than most parents I know.
DH and I relax thru the holiday season and look forward to our winter trip, which is our gift to our family.
A close friend of the family booked his August honeymoon for STJ after hearing us rave about it.
I think he made a big mistake.
He is not the type to jump in the Jeep and explore and his wife is definately more of the big resort, sit by the pool type girl.
The only beach they visited was at the Westin where they stayed and I got the impression his wife did NOT like STJ one bit.