Moving Stories

The moving stories are timeless. Everybody who moves here has an opinion and those opinions are very diverse. As always, the attrition rate of newcomers is huge as many come with way too many expectations of what life is like here and thus are wildly disappointed when the reality sets in. I never wrote a moving story but moved here 32 years ago and, as is the same for many of my friends, it's worked out to be "home" for me.

Well before you go all head over heels about moving to the Islands and making it your forever home, don't you think you need to visit for awhile first? Living on an Island no matter how TV glamorizes it is still a tough nut. Most who come to the Islands with that home for life mentality last between two to five years. So I hope you come down and check out each Island for a while before you sell everything and make the move of your life.

The problem I see is people come to the Islands with the idea it's like living in the states and when they realize it's not, they try to make it that way and finally realize they can't. I'm not saying you won't be happy here, just take it slow and enjoy the ride.

mike

Well before you go all head over heels about moving to the Islands and making it your forever home, don't you think you need to visit for awhile first?

I wouldn't jump to such an assumption. The poster is contemplating a move in a few year's time and is simply looking for a couple of simple answers to simple questions.

Mike,

Thanks for the concern. We are planning several trips to visit each island. However, visiting isn't the same experience as living there. So I am looking to you all to learn from your experiences.

Hope you enjoy your weekend - here is PA they are call from 2-6 inches of snow!!! UGH

So I am looking to you all to learn from your experiences.

If you just continue to read the forum you'll learn a fair bit. The subscriber base here isn't huge and several people who give advice don't live here. Your visits will give you a broader sense of what living here is like as long as you treat the visits as less of a vacation and more fact-finding missions (those mundane things like shopping, banking, etc.)! You can subscribe to the Virgin Islands Daily News online and can read the online Source newspaper and the VI Consortium free of charge. Have fun preparing and researching!

OT - I am curious... Why did YOU move to the VI?

I did my moving story a year in. I'll try to find it - it never was posted in the moving stories nor have the dozen I've read since I moved here. Not sure why. Too bad really. That info is pretty outdated.

I agree the attrition rate is crazy. Sad really. A lot - more than half the friends I've made have moved off island already. To be honest your first year you'll be in honeymoon phase and everything will be amazing (or you'll hate it 3 months in and leave) 2 years in stuff starts bothering you. 3 years in you start to accept how things are. At least that's my opinion. It's funny how that works, kind of an ebb and flow.

I do agree - island life is NOT easy but can't beat the views.

OT - I am curious... Why did YOU move to the VI?/quote]

I'd been living in Connecticut for 17 years and friends moved here. I was mulling a life change, they thought I would love it here so, while visiting friends in Florida, I took a side trip to St Thomas to take a look. In the 4 days I was here I was offered a job and 3 months later I was here with dog and cat in tow. That's the short version.

 

When relocating as a couple one thing to consider is that many times you find out one person likes island living and the partner ends up hating it. If that happens you need a workable plan for dealing with issue.h

We spent most of the summer last summer there and loved it. We looked a little at properties and got nervous and didn't make the jump. We are looking again and have a little more confidence and hope to find something we like by the end of the summer. I agree, an extended trip will give you a better idea than a week.

I never did a moving story because we spent several years in snowbird mode before making it permanent. (We're from PA, too, and you have my sympathies for the spring storm).

Things on STX changed considerably after Hovensa refinery shut down, but we're slowly coming back.

And yes, STX's favorite island pastime is dumping trash, tires, furniture, and appliances wherever they can. Roadsides, beaches, in C'sted and F'sted streets, you name it. But we're fighting back and trying to change the habit. It's a long term struggle, but it's much cleaner than it was when we bought here 9 years ago, thanks to hard working volunteers and some cooperation and assistance from VIMWA and local businesses.

As other posters said, visiting here and doing the every day mundane things will help. And reading this forum was, and still is, invaluable to us.

When relocating as a couple one thing to consider is that many times you find out one person likes island living and the partner ends up hating it. If that happens you need a workable plan for dealing with issue.h

So true! I have two sets of friends - one in STJ that is the case and one that moved from STT to FL. Even I am having that struggle - hunny likes STX I like STT. Tough for sure.

My advice having first moved here in '95, is don't buy! If your kids are grown, but, have as yet to make you grandparents, the pull of when that happens can be so overwhelming that you are stuck owning a home should you give in and feel the need to return to the states to be a part of their lives.
For us it worked out as I had to return to take care of my elderly parents with Alzheimer's and dementia. While doing that we were able to be near most of our 7 grands throughout their baby years through some in high school. They come see us now!

We moved back 4 years ago and have never looked once into moving back. It does help that we aren't dependent on jobs here to live here.

Come with no expectations and be surprised when something good happens. And, yes, my views are fabulous!

My advice having first moved here in '95, is don't buy!

The number of people I've come across over the years who didn't heed that oft-repeated advice and bought property as soon as they arrived is large and replete with harried tales of woe when island living simply doesn't work out for them. Most property does NOT sell quickly here. Rent for a few years until you've had a chance to see if island living suits.