USVI-On-Line

Hello everyone!

I am thrilled to discover this forum and connect with people that love STJ as much as I do. I would love to connect with all of you and make new friends. I've truly enjoyed reading everyone's posts and oh how I love all the photos...

Who knows really why places have such an impact on us. I have been many places in the Caribbean... but when I set foot on the capitvating island of St. John I felt an overwhelming sense of peace in my soul. To me STJ is my "happy place". I dream of "the rock" and what to me is my "piece of heaven" every day. It is my escape from reality, restoring to my soul, and my place of peace and serenity. The beauty of it's turquoise waters and the cotton candy colors of the sunset sky are emblazened in my heart and mind... and any time I need to transport myself mentally from the reality of daily life, all I need to to is close my eyes and I can see it all as clearly as the days when I was there. It's never a goodbye.... just a... 'til I see you again... STJ is my paradise!

So tell me... why do you love STJ.. and what does STJ mean to you?

You have expressed what St. John means to us perfectly. Nothing more needs to be said.

I love STJ because I'm the kind of person I always want to be when I'm there...I'm happy all the time, I'm fun to be around, I'm kind to strangers, I embrace the new, I have seemingly unlimited patience, I enjoy sharing more than receiving, and I appreciate my loved ones and friends for who they are, not for who everyone else wants them to be.

STJ means not having to apologize for trying to make the other 51 weeks a year that I'm not on the Rock easier to negotiate.

I also like not thinking twice about drinking a beer for breakfast on STJ.

We started sailing this year and have been spending more time on other islands. Sailing is a lot of fun, but all my girls are missing their time on STJ. Not the beaches and the water attractions, we can sleep there and have our breakfast beach-side. For us, the people and our friends have become the biggest attraction. Walking around Cruz Bay feels like coming home.

Cheers, RickG

I love STJ for the same reasons. Its hard to be stressed about anything while there. Reminds me of where I spend my summers in NH doing the same kind of activities. Noodling and enjoying a cool beverage.

The island makes me feel like a better version of me.
I think more about my purchases (so as not to waste), I plan my meals more wisely, I think about not wasting food, water, and electricity, etc, I think about reducing my footprint so as to help maintain the beauty that surrounds me. Being there makes me want to sit and stare at the stars instead of TV or computer. It makes me notice smells more often (bay rum, anyone?). It makes me think about the important things in life instead of nitpicking the mundane details of everyday life. I don't mind the salt on my skin, the sand in my hair- instead I hope they infuse their essence into my body. It also makes me happy to my core to know that I can impart the wonderfulness of St. John to my children while they are young (even if it's just a week at a time).

I think you hit the nail on the head about the overwhelming sense of peace in your soul. I was struggling trying to explain how a place can be such a font of spiritual healing for so many people. I'm not talking religion here, but spirituality. When you look at that turquoise water, watch a panorama of colorful sea life under the water or look at the stars at night while listening to the frogs you just can't help but feel it there. Since I can't put it into words I grabbed a bunch of random phrases or quotes from the internet....

Many people see spirituality as a great way of seeking solace and peace in their life.

According to researchers, children's spirituality flows through their capacities for spontaneous joy and wonder. A sense of fascination, of mystery, awe and delight, are facets of adult spirituality too.

I can hear my thoughts. They aren’t cluttered with the business of life


Nothing is worth more than this day" -Goethe

That last one would make an awesome STJ T-shirt for those who "get it"!!

Everyone always ask me why we don't go somewhere else and it is hard to explain if you don't get it. You said it all. I relax and the stress melts away from seeing, feeling, touching, hearing and even tasting St. John. It is my go to place even at home to relax but nothing is like being there. Wish I could visit more than once a year. It is a long wait but worth it.

Ditto to every single post above, there is not a day that passes that I am not day dreaming and thinking about my next return to what I believe is "heaven on earth". It is a beautiful and magical place.

Loving everyone's comments!!!!

"I love STJ because I'm the kind of person I always want to be when I'm there..." and "A better version of me...." couldn't have said it better! Gave me chills when I read that.

"Nothing is worth more than this day -Goethe" ..... Perfect phrase to sum it all together... THAT SHOULD BE A T-SHIRT for those who "get it"!!!

I am glad my words summed it up for some of you

I'd love to hear more....

ditto all of the above.

The people, the other travelers, the beauty. Yep all of it.

I love STJ for many reasons but I think the most important one is how life is valued down there. I understand things are pretty expensive in STJ but when I'm down there, none of that is important. In the states, every day is waking up at an ungodly hour, rushing to get kids ready and out the door, sitting in traffic, slaving 9-10 hour days, and then fighting to get home so you can maybe hang out with your family for 2 hrs before it's bedtime. That's not how we were meant to live life. Granted, everything costs money and we wouldn't be visiting great places like STJ without working hard but there are other ways to accomplish that. I envy all those people who have moved down there for a simpler life. I don't know if it's the weather, people, or a combination but it makes you look forward to tomorrow. I find myself counting the days until the weekend but when in STJ, every day is a weekend. And that's no way to go through life, in fast forward. We're supposed to enjoy every minute of each day. I've heard people say that if I moved there, it would get old and that we wouldn't see it as paradise anymore but I refuse to believe that. Above all, I want my kids to see that there is more to life than work, work, work. I want them to succeed obviously but not at the expense of a more fulfilling life.

Great comment about being the person I want to be in STJ by the way. That's exactly how I am. I find myself getting out of bed up here and moping around trying to get motivated. In STJ, I jump out of bed and say good morning to everyone I see. Definitely more alive!

My feelings about STJ are very similar to the others but I guess that is why we all meet here. STJ brings me a feeling of true peace and belonging. I am not as fortunate as others that can travel there a few times a year but believe me if I could I would. I may not know all the locals or all the merchants but I can assure you that I greet them with a true warmth and kindness of a long lost friend. I love the way I feel when I am on STJ rain or shine because it is part of my soul. Like many others some friends and co-workers don't understand why I work so hard to go back to the same place over and over. It is just a part of me that I long for when I am not there. I have introduced some of my closest friends and they are now bitten by the STJ bug. Whenever we talk about or plan a future trip you would think we were a bunch of kids going to Disney for the first time. I am so grateful for this forum and FB so I can keep STJ in my days when I am not there. It is a great feeling to know that there are others out there who truly understand this "obsession". Thanks all!

Ditto on the many of the comments...

I would add that we (wife and I) love STJ because of the feeling that somehow it is "ours". That's not meant to sound selfish, but rather to describe a feeling that we share. It has become our place to reconnect after a long year of work, parenting, responsibilities, etc... The section at the end of Cinnamon near the rocks is ours. The shady spot under the palm tree at Solomon is ours. The couch at Motu closest to the railing is ours. The friends we've made are ours. Island Time is ours!

STJ is ours!

After moving her four months ago, I can say its still the best place I have ever
Been to. We knew when we cried every trip
Home that something was really wrong with is or we found OUR Place. As
Many of My friends have already said its the culmination
of everything that makes you want or
In some Cases need more!! You are even willing to
Sacrifice for the long term "peace"
That St. John brings!! I also cherish all the friendships I have made
From This Forum and being able
To share this special place
With people who love it as much as
Me, tickles My heart!!