usvi-on-line
Would you really move?
From a practical perspective, no, I would not move, not right now anyway. John and I are close to our families, and most immediate members are right here in MA with us. His parents are aging. We are a big part of our niece and nephew's lives. There are law school loans to finish paying back. 
It would be nice to own a vacation property though!
It would be nice to own a vacation property though!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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chicagoans
- Posts: 1586
- Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:51 pm
- Location: IL
I think about this for when our kids are in or done with college. It would be great to live by the ocean or somewhere else geographically appealing (for us, Colorado.) But we're very involved with our community, church, and neighbors, so for me a part time split would be perfect.
When my husband bought his business 5 years ago, the man he bought it from started building his dream/ retirement home on the Big Island of Hawaii. (He's in his late 50s, I would guess.)
Believe me, it gave me some ideas!!
When my husband bought his business 5 years ago, the man he bought it from started building his dream/ retirement home on the Big Island of Hawaii. (He's in his late 50s, I would guess.)
Believe me, it gave me some ideas!!
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gymnastika
- Posts: 291
- Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:01 pm
- Location: texas
Great question. I ponder this almost daily. I go back and forth, but I think when I really get honest with myself, I don't think I could make a permanent move. I am a homebody when it comes down to it. We have both sides of the family here. Our whole life is here. I love my home that my dad and I built. I couldn't give that up. BUT, I want to be able to stay on St. John or Virgin Gorda for a couple of months a year while the kids are out of school. oh yeah--the price of private school in St. John--ouch.
Cypress Girl-- Lake Travis is a nice area! I would love to have a vacation home in the Frio Canyon area where Garner State Park is. If I can't be in the Caribbean, the Frio River is about as good as it gets in my books!
Cypress Girl-- Lake Travis is a nice area! I would love to have a vacation home in the Frio Canyon area where Garner State Park is. If I can't be in the Caribbean, the Frio River is about as good as it gets in my books!
I think we've all clearly given this some thought!
My answer: Yes. I don't have kids, close ties to my community or lots of family nearby that we see regularly. We'd miss only being 5-6 hours away from my husband's parents and 9-10 hours away from my sister and her kids, but we don't see them a lot anyway. My husband can work remotely and I don't really love my job as an attorney (thank god for public universities so my student loans are manageable). I could do title work in the USVIs or find something else to do (like make my jewelry a full-blown business). I think it would suit me, but right now we couldn't sell our properties in the States if our lives depended on it.
I live in the 'burbs of a large city and I think small town or small island life would suit me. I much prefer to be in a smaller pond where everyone knows everyone else. There is no sense of community where I live unless you have kids, and that makes me sad.
My answer: Yes. I don't have kids, close ties to my community or lots of family nearby that we see regularly. We'd miss only being 5-6 hours away from my husband's parents and 9-10 hours away from my sister and her kids, but we don't see them a lot anyway. My husband can work remotely and I don't really love my job as an attorney (thank god for public universities so my student loans are manageable). I could do title work in the USVIs or find something else to do (like make my jewelry a full-blown business). I think it would suit me, but right now we couldn't sell our properties in the States if our lives depended on it.
I live in the 'burbs of a large city and I think small town or small island life would suit me. I much prefer to be in a smaller pond where everyone knows everyone else. There is no sense of community where I live unless you have kids, and that makes me sad.
This is a question that I debate often internally and with hubby and friends.
I find that folks who are new to STJ (generallY, but not all) want to sell everything and move. While folks who have been going down for some time are content with visiting.
A friend of mine was an attorney and moved to STT to practice Maritime law. Just after he moved there, Hurricane Marilyn hit and devastated the USVI. No power for months, no running water and horrid conditions. That was his trial by fire and he stayed for 7 years after that.
It's one thing to go to STJ for vacation and it is entirely another to live there. Folks work multiple jobs just to make ends meet and often can't really take the time to enjoy where they live.
After 13 years of regular visits to the USVI I have to say that I am content visiting but would like to do so more often and for more extended periods of time. In all honesty I LOVE STJ and it's truly my favroite place in the world to be.
But I'm not sure that I would be as happy if I really had to make a living, live with the high prices for everything, deal with regular power outages and the occasional hurricane that can wipe out everything that you work so hard for.
In truth, STJ is about "being" and not about the material goods and I definitely would have to make that mental shift.
Now if I won the lottery and I didn't have to work for a living, -- all bets are off-- hell yes I would live down there at least part of the year (I'd live in Florence, Italy August to November)!
I find that folks who are new to STJ (generallY, but not all) want to sell everything and move. While folks who have been going down for some time are content with visiting.
A friend of mine was an attorney and moved to STT to practice Maritime law. Just after he moved there, Hurricane Marilyn hit and devastated the USVI. No power for months, no running water and horrid conditions. That was his trial by fire and he stayed for 7 years after that.
It's one thing to go to STJ for vacation and it is entirely another to live there. Folks work multiple jobs just to make ends meet and often can't really take the time to enjoy where they live.
After 13 years of regular visits to the USVI I have to say that I am content visiting but would like to do so more often and for more extended periods of time. In all honesty I LOVE STJ and it's truly my favroite place in the world to be.
But I'm not sure that I would be as happy if I really had to make a living, live with the high prices for everything, deal with regular power outages and the occasional hurricane that can wipe out everything that you work so hard for.
In truth, STJ is about "being" and not about the material goods and I definitely would have to make that mental shift.
Now if I won the lottery and I didn't have to work for a living, -- all bets are off-- hell yes I would live down there at least part of the year (I'd live in Florence, Italy August to November)!
*Another fine scatterbrained production
There was a time, 5 or 6 years ago, when I would pour through the business listings on the realty sites in St. John, and I would read the USVI relocation forum, seriously thinking about it. I remember reading the listing when Ellington's was selling its business at Gallows Point (later to become Zozo's) and I told Janie that was the perfect restaurant location. But I've given that up (except I did look at that Island Blues listing more than a few times:)). Sure, in a fantasy world, where I have enough money for a St. John villa and I don't have to work, I'd love to go to St. John for 6 months a year or even live there full-time. But in the real world, where I will have 3 daughters in college who depend on me, a good job, and lots of friends and family from a lifetime of living in the same place, and no skills that would be readily transferable to a profitable job in St. John, its unlikely I could pull up stakes----I've become too entrenched.
But ask me again in 6 months when its 10 degrees below zero in Des Moines----I might have a different answer!
But ask me again in 6 months when its 10 degrees below zero in Des Moines----I might have a different answer!
---Jim
Welcome Rebubula! I always say "Paradise isn't Paradise when you live there.." As much as I love STJ the idea of going to STT to get cheaper toilet paper (as I've been told they do) does not appeal to me. I like being to able to get things when I want them. So I would love to have a winter home there but come back to Pa. I love the change of seasons.
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TropicAtHeart
- Posts: 180
- Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:37 am
- Location: Ohio
We've had two opportunities to move to St. John to live and work. Both times turned it down and glad we did, even though being relocated at a company's expense was tempting. It's a great place for a vacation, but we know our lives were not meant to be lived out solely there. Other priorities in life make us committed mainlanders. But, we enjoy traveling to different places when we can. My father turned down a St. John relocation job offer back in the late 70's. A company wanted to move our whole family to St. John. He never told us kids until we got older and I'm glad he didn't because we would have pressured him to do it. Our lives would not have worked out for the better if we had moved. But, that's just our own personal experience.
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designbyroe
- Posts: 1348
- Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:27 pm
- Location: Chilaxin on White Bay at least in my mind
I did live on St. John for 2yrs as some of you may know. I just moved back when my mom took ill with lung cancer.
I would go back in a nano second.
I taught pilates, worked for the tradewinds and had private clients.
I loved my life on St. john
Yes, Myrah Keating clinic is not the greatest healthcare but Dr. DeJames is wonderful.
Yes, it is $$$. First I rented in Coral Bay then Gifft Hill and finished my time there living up the Tradewinds.
The school system is $$S too.
We will have a public school hopefully within the next 2 yrs with good teachers
I had my committment ceremony there
I met my heart and soul for the first time on St., John
I have been visiting the island since 1981.
I have no kids and nothing really that has to keep me stateside.
What keeps me here right now is getting debt paid off and getting more training to teach.
Once that is completed (hopefully end of 2009)
I will seriously consider going back provided I could get a decent place to live.
My dream is to have a studio on St. John.
Heck I am even working on a business plan
I would go back in a nano second.
I taught pilates, worked for the tradewinds and had private clients.
I loved my life on St. john
Yes, Myrah Keating clinic is not the greatest healthcare but Dr. DeJames is wonderful.
Yes, it is $$$. First I rented in Coral Bay then Gifft Hill and finished my time there living up the Tradewinds.
The school system is $$S too.
We will have a public school hopefully within the next 2 yrs with good teachers
I had my committment ceremony there
I met my heart and soul for the first time on St., John
I have been visiting the island since 1981.
I have no kids and nothing really that has to keep me stateside.
What keeps me here right now is getting debt paid off and getting more training to teach.
Once that is completed (hopefully end of 2009)
I will seriously consider going back provided I could get a decent place to live.
My dream is to have a studio on St. John.
Heck I am even working on a business plan
There's no $ sign on a peace of mind, this I've come to know
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Teresa_Rae
- Posts: 2053
- Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:44 pm
- Location: Downstate IL
I don't think I could do it. We always talk about it but I don't think we'd ever take the plunge. It would be hard to be far from family and friends and I don't think you get to regularly enjoy the best things about STJ when you live there. I've had many STJ residents tell me that they very rarely go to to the beach...
But I'd love to have a second home there and spend several months a year on STJ...that would be wonderful!
But I'd love to have a second home there and spend several months a year on STJ...that would be wonderful!
Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.
- Mark Twain
- Mark Twain
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TropicAtHeart
- Posts: 180
- Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:37 am
- Location: Ohio
Being in the telecommunications business, my father was in demand as the islands were in need of engineers to draw up plans and supervise installation to get lines to new homes and businesses. He even turned down a raise that would go along with the relocation deal. But, he had just received a better offer for a switch into a new field so his mind was already made up.iowaguy wrote:TropicAtHeart---Thats interesting---I don't think of St. John, particularly in the 1970's, as a "corporate relocation" kind of destination. Now if my employer came to me and BEGGED ME to move to St. John and gave me a relocation allowance, that would be something entirely different.