So why don't we live here?

[msgcolleen]

Sorry I don't chime in too often, but it seems like we all come here daily to get our St. John fix before we head out into our ho-hum everyday routine.

So why don't you live in paradise?

I have some obvious reasons but wanted to hear from other STJ addicts!!!

. . . My name is Colleen and I am a STJ lover from Texas planning my 5th trip to paradise in August.

[flip-flop]

Simple reasons:

1 - It would require way more money than I have to live in the style to which I have become accustomed

2 - I think that St. John would not be NEARLY as charming to me if I actually had to deal with the day to day reality of living there.

[Anthony]

St. John would not be NEARLY as charming to me if I actually had to deal with the day to day reality of living there

This is true of most places... NJ had the same effect on me after 25 years

[LandLockedBeachLover]

Great question!! Hubby, kids and I would move in a minute if we could resolve the following:

1) School systems in the VI are sub-par (my opinion).Our kids are 8 and 10, so this is a huge issue.

2) We would need to go to court to get sole custody of our two kids & permission to relocate (both me and my ex share joint custody now in St. Louis)

3) Career. I work in the chemical industry. Fortunately for the VI's, this is nonexistent there. I would have to take a really bold move to completely switch career paths. Either that or financially be in a place to "throw caution to the wind." Which I am not.

[lpowmacback]

Exactly what flip-flop said!

[mrsb]

I'm gonna be asking myself this question all day. I like where I live most days. Four seasons, beautiful land and jobs. I did my time waiting tables and I can't see doing that again. Someday...when I am independently wealthy I'll be there most of the time.

[augie]

There was a very telling post on here a week or so ago, from someone that lives on STJ.

basically they said that they had very little time to check out the island, and in fact had not seen some of the places referenced in the thread because they were too busy making a living.

[Anthony]

...they had very little time to check out the island, and in fact had not seen some of the places referenced in the thread because they were too busy making a living.

I remember as a young man having an older guy in Yankee Stadium tell me to go visit the Statue of Liberty. I asked him to tell me some more about it and his answer was "I have neven been there".

Years later I was getting on the Westin boat one afternoon at the National Park dock in Redhook to head to St. John for some hotel assn. thing and mentioned to the young guy working there something about St. John - his reply - "I don't know, I have never been over there". That one really floored me - a 19 or 20 year old kid from St. Thomas who had never even stepped on the ferry!

It happens everywhere...

[Jerseyboy]

One of my reasons would be due to the hurricane season. After hurricane Marilyn, I saw the destruction and recall a woman who lived on STJ telling me how they were without electricity for X number of weeks/months. Her family actually spent time at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef on STT for a "vacation".

I love living in NJ with all four seasons and close proximity to NYC. That being said, it seems like the only times you get to due the tourist thing in NYC is when friends/relatives are visiting.

Anthony - Is your new avatar a teaser??

[Anthony]

Yes, people seem to be forgetting what a real hurricane is on the Virgin Islands again. It has been awhile fortunately, but that is a whole other ball game. It was something while living there that I didn't fear, but you obviously never wanted to have to go through.

I have to add that I am a proud Garden Stater and was only kidding before, I hate when people dump on New Jersey!

And yes, it may be a teaser...

[JT]

For JT & Mrs. JT it's a combination of reasons. We do love it down there and have been fortunate to spend a lot of time with residents, including me working for a couple of days. It's not an easy existence for someone who has to work to make a living there. Prices for housing are nuts! Anyway, if it was just my call, I'd probably call in the dogs and sell the farm, so to speak, and make the plunge. I always feel that I can hustle up enough to live on. Mrs. JT however has a mother who at 94 still keeps up her own house.They are very close. We are her only family anywhere close to here. We also have 2 grown kids and 2 grandsons. Also, at our ages, medical access is a factor. Our friend in Coral Bay fell last year, broke a couple of ribs and punctured a lung. Getting from Coral Bay, to Cruz Bay, and ultimately to STT's hospital for a 2 week stay was a nightmare for him and his lady. The care there wasn't comparible to stateside. Hurricanes, and off season in general, can be a strain also, because so many places are closed. But money is still a huge part of the equation as to "why not?"

[SusanNJ]

I also find it funny how I have lived in NJ my entire life (now 32) and have never been to the Statue of Liberty. I have seen it from the road/airplane but that's it.

I can see how it would be a totally different experiencing living in paradise vs. vacationing there. -Susan

[liamsaunt]

John and I have actually talked about this before. Because of what he does for a profession, we could move to certain Caribbean islands (not St. John though). He's had offers and we seriously considered Bermuda a few years back, but decided against it for a bunch of reasons. Too many to list here, but the two biggest were:

1. BIGGEST REASON: We would miss our families too much! We are extremely close to both of our families, and could especially never leave our niece and nephew.

2. Work opportunities for me would be limited, or in the case of the British territories, I would not be allowed to work at all.

We prefer to keep the islands for our special "getaway." That said, if I could afford to purchase and maintain a villa for my personal vacation purposes, I probably would. (I'd rent to all my forum friends when I was not there, of course. )

[Xislandgirl]

There are many reasons why I moved to STJ and many more why I left. These do not hold true for everyone, just me.

1. I missed my family way too much

2. I could not afford to live the way that I wanted to. I could not afford to buy a house or build a house so I lived in apartments. It was just not how I wanted to live my life at 30 something.

3. I was single. It is a tough place to be single. There was a saying that some ladies would say "The odds are good but the goods are odd." That was the truth. It was not the place for me to find someone to settle down with.

4. I said it in my podcast, I never got to truly enjoy the island. There are so many beaches I never visited, so many hikes I never took.

5. I got pretty sick of hurricanes. The prep work was a pain and then after the storm was the worst. Hot, wet, and no breeze + no electricity + no running water = one very unhappy girl.

Would I ever move back?

Yes and No. Right now we could easily sell out house and buy a condo. Or buy a piece of land and build a small house. My husband could probably make a fortune repairing cars (correctly and quickly) and I could get back into the Real Estate game.
Being so far from my 97 year old Grandmother and the rest of our families would be tough; all of our immediate family live less than 15 minutes away from us.

I do miss the person that I was when I lived there. I was much more laid back and free spirited. I guess island living is really about the mind set, if you can find that mind set where you live, then you already live in paradise.

[waterguy]

Well said X