So what's it REALLY like living in STJ?

islandgirlstuckinVA · Post by **islandgirlstuckinVA** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:46 pm

I've visited the Island three times and I'm absolutely in love! But I want to know......what's it REALLY like living there? I see all the young kids that are waiting tables, etc, is it as fabulous as I like to imagine it is?!

I'm a 21 year old, almost college graduate (I graduate in May) and quite honestly, I'm not ready to enter the REAL world just yet.....it's just an idea flopping around in my head.

Somebody tell me before I just get a plane ticket and gooooooooooooooo! (teasing, teasing....sort of.

)

DaveS007 · Post by **DaveS007** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:06 pm

Having, or having had, a couple 20 somethings come and go in my house... I know they don't want advise unless they ask. You asked. I'd go.

shoemak38 · Post by **shoemak38** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:11 pm

I will give you a Vermont point of view I lived my younger years in Vermont (now 51 and have a son almost your age) I call Vermont the cold weather St John same type of people. It's good money when you’re young however you’re always working during the good time of year because that is when the vacationers are there.

If you are thinking of that kind of life look at working in a ski town to see if you like that life style. My brother and sister choose that life style and had a tough time in their 40’s when it was time to move on.

islandgirlstuckinVA · Post by **islandgirlstuckinVA** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:48 pm

you have a very good point.....my best friend and I were thinking about spending 6 months/12 months in STJ IF we decided to do it at all...

then it will be time to be a REAL adult..

i know it would be a lot different compared to how it is while we vacation...just thought the experience would be amazing.

maybe i should just go ahead and use this teaching degree...

msgcolleen · Post by **msgcolleen** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:04 pm

21? Single? No kids? Hello?

GO & DON'T LOOK BACK!

suzi · Post by **suzi** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:12 pm

I want to hear what they have to say!!!

arenee · Post by **arenee** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:23 pm

Go for it. If it doesn't work you can always move back right???? Besides, once you get settled my guess is you may have alot of company coming to visit!

RickG · Post by **RickG** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:28 pm

If you're going there to play, the only thing that matters is how you look in a white Woody's BoyBeater Tank Top and whether you have enough cash to cover you until a little bit starts coming in.

I started a hard-core career 5 days after graduating from college. I was poor and hungry and needed the money, but looking back I could have had some fun first.

Cheers, RickG

nothintolose · Post by **nothintolose** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:41 pm

Funny that you mentioned this as Vinny at Corsairs on Jost Van Dyke is looking for a bartender (preferably female). I passed the info on to my lil' brother in his early 30's.

I call him a vagabond. He left New Orleans to be a white water river guide (which he did in North Carolina during the busy summer season) then moved to Colorado to work in a ski town during the winter then back to NC to guide again. He is a permanant resident of NC now, but I emailed him about the bartending job as he did that here. He is the type that would pick up and do it too; he does what I WISH I would have the guts to do.

I say for it! You only live once and you never know when it's gonna be your last day.

nothintolose

p.s. the other person I sent it to was a teacher friend of mine who has previously checked into getting a teaching job on STJ.

Woodrowski · Post by **Woodrowski** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:46 pm

Lived there back in the late 80s early 90s and it was very EXPENSIVE then, I can only imagine how much it is now. Get a job in a restaurant or at the Westin or Caneel , you may get a free employee meal. It's not all going to the beach and life is beautiful. You will have to work a lot just to pay your rent and utilities. ST J is a seasonal economy be ready for things to be closed during the summer, maybe even the restaurant you may end up working in. Connections used to have a bulletin board for roommates and people I knew were packed in like sardines. Great for young people who what to drop off the radar for a while. Be very very careful at night. CB/Love City is NOT safe at night. If you go out at night go out with a group and go home as a group. Back then the police were basically useless. Coral Bay is quieter than CB/LC but it is out of the way, if you like that, but again be careful. Don't bring any valuables w/you. Less is more.

Kentuckygirl · Post by **Kentuckygirl** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:01 am

RickG wrote:
I started a hard-core career 5 days after graduating from college. I was poor and hungry and needed the money, but looking back I could have had some fun first.

Cheers, RickG

Amen! I would recommend going for it at your stage in life.
And as far as Corsairs goes...I love that place, and Vinny! We have the best time there. I really enjoy talking to him, and their fish tacos and bloody marys are really good too!

islandchef · Post by **islandchef** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:23 am

Hey islandgirlstuckinVA! I'm a frequent lurker but infrequent poster on this forum but I figure I could help you out on this topic. I was lucky enough to work a season at Stone Terrace (right before it closed

) First let me say this... It was the time of my life! I would do some things differently though if I was to do it over again. I had never set foot on st john (or any other island for that matter!) until the day before i started work so I had no real idea what to expect. The Terrace was nice enough to put me up at the tamarind for a week and a half while i looked for an apartment and let me just tell you apt hunting can tough and prices are HIGH. I ended up finding a great spot right in town. 1 bedroom for 900 plus utilities! In retrospect I wish I would have convinced someone to move with me because my apt would have easily accomodated two people and it would have been great to be able to split that rent!!! I feel like im rambling here so i'll get to the point. Living on st. john is amazing... in fact im not so sure i wont be going back to do it again but remember that it is not like being on vacation there. It can be really tough to go to work while passing all the tourists who dont seem to have a care in the world. But if you have a good work ethic it is THE GREATEST place to have a day off! Hope my little ramble helps and message me if you want to know any specifics. There are a ton of little things i wish someone would have told me before i moved down there and I would be happy to share if your interested!

nothintolose · Post by **nothintolose** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:23 am

You can also check into working at Maho: http://www.maho.org/WorkPrograms.cfm

cass · Post by **cass** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:28 am

I believe if you are destined to work long hours to pay bills, and still be poor in the end, why not be tired and poor someplace totally fabulous for a while!

I remember 21 like it was yesterday...but it wasn't. Time flys by. You should try it. Make sure you have enough money put away to get back home, and don't spend it on anything else!

Xislandgirl · Post by **Xislandgirl** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:21 am

I will not bore anyone with the details that I can share about moving to the islands. I was much older than 21, but I think that the actual move process is much the same, no matter your age and stage in life.
Please feel free to PM me and I will share with you the things I did right and the things I did very wrong.
I say that you should do it. It is an experience that few people ever get to do and I am fairly confident that you will not regret it.

Islandchef is right, you need to be willing to work hard and have less but having a day off on island is priceless!

usvi-on-line