usvi-on-line
Good dilemma, I know...
Good dilemma, I know...
We have our villas set for our next trip to St. John, and believe me I am very much looking forward to our return to the island. It can't come fast enough.
Well, I've heard about this dilemma from some forum folks here before but lately I kind of miss going to other places. While I'm thrilled with our 2009 trip to St. John, I regret just a "tiny bit" that we didn't decide to go somewhere else this time. I mean... I wouldn't change our decision to go back to St. John even if I could. I wish we could visit other places without agonizing about skipping a visit to St. John, but the fact is that we can only take a lengthy vacation once a year other than the visits to my family (a half way around the planet trip... too far, I might say) and to my husband's.
Lately I've found myself searching villas & fincas in Spain and comparing prices to the ones we stayed at a while ago. Then I realized "Wow... it has been nearly a decade since we were there." That really tells me how fortunate and happy we are to have found a place like St. John. It truly is a special place for us (and for a lot of folks here, I imagine). Still, something tells me that comparing accommodations in Spain, checking airfares, and often going through the photos we took there nearly 10 years ago (gosh, we look younger) are not signs of simple nostalgia.
I'm sure some folks here have been there and done that. It's probably lame for me to ask, but... how did you decide to go to other places when you HATE the idea of skipping a visit to St. John? And how did you survive the decision?
My husband would tell me, "St. John will always be there." That's true. I understand that's true... or do I really...
Well, I've heard about this dilemma from some forum folks here before but lately I kind of miss going to other places. While I'm thrilled with our 2009 trip to St. John, I regret just a "tiny bit" that we didn't decide to go somewhere else this time. I mean... I wouldn't change our decision to go back to St. John even if I could. I wish we could visit other places without agonizing about skipping a visit to St. John, but the fact is that we can only take a lengthy vacation once a year other than the visits to my family (a half way around the planet trip... too far, I might say) and to my husband's.
Lately I've found myself searching villas & fincas in Spain and comparing prices to the ones we stayed at a while ago. Then I realized "Wow... it has been nearly a decade since we were there." That really tells me how fortunate and happy we are to have found a place like St. John. It truly is a special place for us (and for a lot of folks here, I imagine). Still, something tells me that comparing accommodations in Spain, checking airfares, and often going through the photos we took there nearly 10 years ago (gosh, we look younger) are not signs of simple nostalgia.
I'm sure some folks here have been there and done that. It's probably lame for me to ask, but... how did you decide to go to other places when you HATE the idea of skipping a visit to St. John? And how did you survive the decision?
My husband would tell me, "St. John will always be there." That's true. I understand that's true... or do I really...
Re: Good dilemma, I know...
Pickle wrote:We have our villas set for our next trip to St. John, and believe me I am very much looking forward to our return to the island. It can't come fast enough.
Well, I've heard about this dilemma from some forum folks here before but lately I kind of miss going to other places. While I'm thrilled with our 2009 trip to St. John, I regret just a "tiny bit" that we didn't decide to go somewhere else this time. I mean... I wouldn't change our decision to go back to St. John even if I could. I wish we could visit other places without agonizing about skipping a visit to St. John, but the fact is that we can only take a lengthy vacation once a year other than the visits to my family (a half way around the planet trip... too far, I might say) and to my husband's.
Lately I've found myself searching villas & fincas in Spain and comparing prices to the ones we stayed at a while ago. Then I realized "Wow... it has been nearly a decade since we were there." That really tells me how fortunate and happy we are to have found a place like St. John. It truly is a special place for us (and for a lot of folks here, I imagine). Still, something tells me that comparing accommodations in Spain, checking airfares, and often going through the photos we took there nearly 10 years ago (gosh, we look younger) are not signs of simple nostalgia.
I'm sure some folks here have been there and done that. It's probably lame for me to ask, but... how did you decide to go to other places when you HATE the idea of skipping a visit to St. John? And how did you survive the decision?
My husband would tell me, "St. John will always be there." That's true. I understand that's true... or do I really...
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line
good delima i know
we agonize too. A few times we gave in and went to other islands. I actually felt guilty!!! We always end up back on St John the following year, as we love it so. We do enjoy the other islands, but truthfully, none compare to the beauty of St John - in my opinion.
No guilt
We made our first trip to STJ in 1994, on recommendation of a friend and a serendipitous(sp?) ad for a house to rent in our local paper. One visit. I was hooked. Hubby enjoyed it, but didn't have quite the same "passion" for it that I had. We love to travel, and in our 35 years of marriage, have had the good fortune of being able to do some fabulous trips to great places. Except for Hawaii, we had never been to the same place twice. But after that first trip to STJ, we haven't been back to Hawaii. After the 4th trip to STJ, though, my husband declared that we "were in a rut". So, we joined a vacation club (basically a time-share brokerage thing), with the understanding that we would "branch out" a bit. We've made one trip to Acapulco and one to St. Maarten through the club. Both were really fun trips, and we went into them fully aware that we could never compare them to STJ... they were just different types of places. We fully enjoyed them for what they had to offer, and were glad that we experienced them. That said, we're headed back to STJ this Christmas... just because. To me, it's paradise on earth. I love going to other places, but as long as I am able, I hope to intersperse STJ as a destination at least every couple of years. Seems like this compromise position keeps us both happy! 
We are on the every other year plan so far and it seems to work out for us! I would love to do a trip on a boat at some point. It would mean taking a motion sickness pill most days probably but I think it would be worth it! I take one every day on cruises just in case so tell me the difference! LOL!
After not going to the Caribbean for 15 yrs, we’ve gone 4 times in 3.5 years. Although we “get it” and now we have a comfortable familiarity with the VIs, if you still have that “wanderlust”, there is something to be said for exploring new places. We still get a huge charge out of traveling to new places like we did first time to Europe (Switzerland) May 07. One thing that trip confirmed is that for the $$$ you drop going to the VIs, you can travel to lotsa other places for similar cost.Pickle wrote:Well, I've heard about this dilemma from some forum folks here before but lately I kind of miss going to other places. While I'm thrilled with our 2009 trip to St. John, I regret just a "tiny bit" that we didn't decide to go somewhere else this time. I mean... I wouldn't change our decision to go back to St. John even if I could. I wish we could visit other places without agonizing about skipping a visit to St. John...
I'm sure some folks here have been there and done that. It's probably lame for me to ask, but... how did you decide to go to other places when you HATE the idea of skipping a visit to St. John? And how did you survive the decision?
For us, stepping away from the islands for awhile might make a return trip all that much sweeter. For example, we have family in AZ so we've been out there a bunch of times, but we hadnt been in 4-5 yrs. so when we went back this past Easter, we REALLY enjoyed it.
Plus, it is important to us to expose our daughter to a wider variety of the natural beauty and cultures that the planet has to offer.
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
My husband and I travel to the Caribbean nearly every winter but have sort of the opposite dilemma: my husband insists we visit a new place each time. And that's what we've been doing. We've been to Turks & Caicos, Caymans, St. Lucia, Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Croix, Puerto Rico. Each time we would stay at a resort or all-inclusive. When we selected St. John for our 2008 vacation, we did something different and rented a villa. (We actually went in Dec. '07 'cause we got a great deal on the villa.)
We and our friends had such a great time, we've been talking about it all year. So now we start looking for our '09 vacation place. Nothing really interests us. Except St. John!! So we're breaking tradition and heading back to STJ in Jan. '09. And I have a very good feeling it won't be our last trip there.
We and our friends had such a great time, we've been talking about it all year. So now we start looking for our '09 vacation place. Nothing really interests us. Except St. John!! So we're breaking tradition and heading back to STJ in Jan. '09. And I have a very good feeling it won't be our last trip there.
I love this thread. Jigzmom, your history sounds similar to ours.... now I'm anxious to hear after 4 or 5 trips to STJ if your hubby gets that "in a rut" feeling and the wanderlust comes back. Sometime I'll have to PM you and get your input on those other islands. In my opinion, the "Villa experience on STJ" really spoils you for other venues. Not to say that other places and resorts can't be great. They're just not "the same".