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Recently returned from a pmv

(@crosscr)
Posts: 27
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Although my wife and I have been to the USVI/BVI many times we recently spent a week on STT and STX as a pmv. We rented a jeep and spent the whole time exploring the islands. We looked at different areas to live,checked out the marinas, visited the different shopping centers and also visited the board of education on STT. (my wife wants to teach). it was a very good week, we learned a lot. We met many nice people during our week there. I have been reading this forum for about a year now and it was good to see some the places I have read about, see the places in the stories here. We will most likely end up on STT but we liked STX the most, for many reasons.

One of the things the was a big relief for us was the food prices. Most of our trips to the island were sailing vacations. The grocery stores we would go to for provisions were always near the marinas. The food prices were scary. We would always wonder how people could afford to eat. On this trip we went to Cost U less and Price Mart. The food prices there were not bad. Higher than here in South Carolina but not bad. We also checked out Home Depot, Walgreen's , Kmart and a few others stores. Just about everything we could need or want is there on the island.

Another pleasant surprise was the drivers on STX were very courteous. We saw may times drivers stop to let others in and out of parking lots. Didn't see that on STT. Not saying it is not there, we just didn't see it.

It only took a couple of days to get used to driving on the left. Even my wife finally mustered the courage to try it and did well. I did find myself driving on the wrong side in parking lots a few times but never when out on the road(not much anyway). My wife was always quick to point me to the left.

One of things we did was to ask every local we met what they thought of living there. Only one person had anything bad to say.

Overall it was a good week and we are very much looking forward to getting back down there permanently. Just gotta get our house sold.

Robert

 
Posted : November 14, 2015 3:04 am
(@monogram)
Posts: 446
Reputable Member
 

Have you considered Puerto Rico? You should do a PMV there as well. Since you're very familiar with the VIs, you might also like PR.

 
Posted : November 14, 2015 4:44 am
(@stjohnjulie)
Posts: 1065
Noble Member
 

I did find myself driving on the wrong side in parking lots a few times but never when out on the road(not much anyway).
Robert

I have that same problem when I go back to the states!
We really need teachers here. So glad that we are going to get another one. Did you check out the schools? Will your wife work in the public schools? There is a huge demand and dire need for teachers in the public schools.

 
Posted : November 14, 2015 10:05 am
(@jonrobin)
Posts: 75
Trusted Member
 

My wife and I are coming down this April for a PMV and can't wait. We are going to visit STX for 3 days and STT for 8days. I hope to visit and interview at both hospitals, I am a nurse and have talked with the HR departments from both. Thanks for the review of your visit it is getting me excited about ours. Last winter in snowy Central NY.

 
Posted : November 14, 2015 4:43 pm
(@SausageInTheCan)
Posts: 396
Reputable Member
 

A whole week?

 
Posted : November 14, 2015 8:55 pm
(@crosscr)
Posts: 27
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Have you considered Puerto Rico? You should do a PMV there as well. Since you're very familiar with the VIs, you might also like PR.

What? You don't want us in the VI?

No, really , we have been to PR many times and were originally planning to move there. It was only recently we changed up and decided STT were be better for us.

 
Posted : November 15, 2015 12:58 pm
(@crosscr)
Posts: 27
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

I did find myself driving on the wrong side in parking lots a few times but never when out on the road(not much anyway).
Robert

I have that same problem when I go back to the states!
We really need teachers here. So glad that we are going to get another one. Did you check out the schools? Will your wife work in the public schools? There is a huge demand and dire need for teachers in the public schools.

Yes, she is planning on teaching in the public school system(elementary level). I did get the feeling that teachers were in demand during our visit to the board of education office. While my wife was discussing the requirements for employment with the person there I was asked if i would be interested in teaching also. I am an electronics tech and it seems that vocational teachers are also needed there. I had never thought of teaching but I am considering it now.

 
Posted : November 15, 2015 1:04 pm
(@crosscr)
Posts: 27
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

A whole week?

Yeah, a week was enough for us to do what we needed to do.

 
Posted : November 15, 2015 1:06 pm
(@jonrobin)
Posts: 75
Trusted Member
 

We are going to come down for interviews at the hospitals as I said. We have been researching for a while now and are in a position where we can try it for a year to see if we want to stay. Everyone does things a different way for different reasons. Life is to short not to try to live the dreams that you have. The worse thing that can happen is we spend a year in the Islands. How long was your PMV a month or a year?

 
Posted : November 15, 2015 1:19 pm
(@quirion)
Posts: 427
Reputable Member
 

One thing i think people forget is that... this isn't prison.
Plan well money wise and if it doesn't work out you can leave.

 
Posted : November 15, 2015 1:58 pm
(@jonrobin)
Posts: 75
Trusted Member
 

(tu)8-)

 
Posted : November 15, 2015 2:00 pm
(@SausageInTheCan)
Posts: 396
Reputable Member
 

A whole week?

Yeah, a week was enough for us to do what we needed to do.

You can't squeeze enough into a week to fully experience what island life is like. You had a working vacation not a PMV. Let's agree to disagree. Good luck.

 
Posted : November 17, 2015 6:29 pm
(@the-oldtart)
Posts: 6523
Illustrious Member
 

A whole week?

Yeah, a week was enough for us to do what we needed to do.

You can't squeeze enough into a week to fully experience what island life is like. You had a working vacation not a PMV. Let's agree to disagree. Good luck.

Totally disagree with such a blanket statement. With sufficient intelligent prior research, a week is ample time to sample island living and form an educated opinion on whether or not the move can work. I think you will find that most people who do a PMV spend only a week and use their time here constructively. Over three decades ago I only spent four days here and made the move three months later, lock stock and barrel.

There's no guarantee of success when moving to a new environment either with or without a PMV but it's a recommended useful tool.

 
Posted : November 17, 2015 6:54 pm
(@watruw8ing4)
Posts: 850
Prominent Member
 

For the record, our PMV was less than a week. And we'd only been here once before. We had some off island conversations with people who had lived here, and we did lots of research, including this forum, beforehand. Would have liked to have had more time, but it wasn't in the cards. It was enough for us. No major surprises after committing, and no desire to leave.

 
Posted : November 17, 2015 7:29 pm
 keo
(@keo)
Posts: 36
Eminent Member
 

Good luck crosscr! Our house has been on the market for a few weeks now. Tough time of year to sell a house in the Philly area. But as soon as it is sold, we will be moving to STX.

 
Posted : November 17, 2015 8:14 pm
Exit Zero
(@exit-zero)
Posts: 2460
Famed Member
 

Certainly a PMV of whatever length you can make happen is considerably helpful to making the big changes that life in the VI require for successfully living here for years - the younger you are, your job skills and expectations, the bigger the nest egg and having less personal baggage involved, are factors that can change that equation as well.

I moved here sight unseen - young and motivated - happily - 40 years ago.

 
Posted : November 17, 2015 8:25 pm
(@STXBob)
Posts: 2138
Noble Member
 

My PMV was 3 days long (and I had to be dragged into doing it). I'm still living on STX 10 years later.

With people's budgets and time constraints, a one-week PMV is often all they can manage. They make it work. There's not much left to learn in week 2 that you didn't figure out in week 1.

 
Posted : November 18, 2015 12:51 am
(@crosscr)
Posts: 27
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Good luck crosscr! Our house has been on the market for a few weeks now. Tough time of year to sell a house in the Philly area. But as soon as it is sold, we will be moving to STX.

Thank You, I was in Philly just a few weeks ago. My aunt who lives there passed away. We were there the weekend the Pope was visiting. Man, that was little crazy.

 
Posted : November 18, 2015 1:43 am
(@crosscr)
Posts: 27
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

A whole week?

Yeah, a week was enough for us to do what we needed to do.

You can't squeeze enough into a week to fully experience what island life is like. You had a working vacation not a PMV. Let's agree to disagree. Good luck.

I can understand where you are coming from but we have been to the VI for 7 to 10 day sailing vacations every year for the last 10. We had a pretty good idea what island life was like. A week exploring, visiting marinas, shopping areas and a potential employer was enough. What was really bad was not finding any time to get out the water. 🙁 We will make up for that soon enough.

 
Posted : November 18, 2015 1:52 am
(@SausageInTheCan)
Posts: 396
Reputable Member
 

My bad. I didn't realize you had 10 PMVs.

 
Posted : November 18, 2015 3:04 pm
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