I love it there too. Moved in 1981 to STX after I graduated from college to "play".....came back to the states 2 years later to get a real job, raise 2 kids and now they are 18 and 19............READY TO GO BACK,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, i want to spend the summer there every year and just hang again...island hop with a sailboat getting that pension.....9 more years!

namaste wrote:
Only a matter of time until we start seeing posts from notahippy that say: " MOVING TO STJ !!! " ; -)

I always thought the only other place I'd want to live outside of North Georgia was Asheville, NC. I thought I was more of a mountain kind of guy.

The Missus and I were talking the other night and she said, "If anything ever happened to me, you'd sell everything and move to St. John, wouldn't you?"

I said, "Yes - without hesitation."

Of course the rest of my family, including my son, may miss me, but hey - they can come visit anytime the want 😀

That's really interesting. My husband and I were just down in Asheville looking at property. We are considering a move there. I really love Asheville. I am also drawn to the mountains. That was one of the many things I loved about St John; best of both worlds Mountains and Ocean! And both beautiful! When I win the lottery I plan to have a home in both places. Ahhhh dreams...

Funny you mention... there are a lot of people who used to live here that moved to Asheville. A good friend of mine actually opened a shop there several years ago called Minx. I myself considered a move there. The only thing that would get me off St. John is to peruse a better education for my 7 year old son.

Must be the fountain we all drink from!

I guess the only real differences between Asheville and STJ are the amounts of water and the average temperature 😉

I know how you feel. I have been visiting St. Thomas and the BVI every summer for about the last 4 years. Every time I go I never want to leave and when I do I always get the DIF (dreaded island fever). This time I am not leaving. I am going sailing for two weeks with family and friends and not coming back to Colorado. I already have a one way ticket for July 14th and am in the process of selling pretty much all of my belongings except my clothes. I will never have to miss the islands again. Cant wait. STT here I come.

You have just earned the "Person I Envy Today" award.

Good luck to you! I do wonder how you're gonna sail from Colorado to STT 😀

Haha I wish I could sail from colorado. I am flying to STT and sailing in the BVI for 2 weeks, then staying in a hotel in STT for about a week to look for apartments. Hopefully i can find one in that time period. Hopefully you will be able to make it to the Islands sooner than later. I am planning on getting a job on a day sail charter company so let me know when you are coming out.

How I wish I was in STJ!!! I was there for two weeks in October survived hurricane Omar. Just went down to end a 15 year marriage and it changed me for life... I went back for one week in Jan. and two weeks in Feb. Which beach and which beer was the only question of the day. I love Coral Bay , driving left ,and drinking right LOL. I'm making myself stay in STL until Oct. then back down for two weeks 🙂 That Island is killing me and listening to Kenny Chesney does not help so many of his songs are all about that crazy rock. Tourist trap has the best bbc on the island. Good luck to you and I hope you and your wife make it back there real soon. We are so blessed that we found the magical island way down there.

Oh great! I'm already wishing I lived in St Thomas and I've never visited there!... But I'll be there next week for a visit. I'm sure I'll be just like you and want to stay or keep visiting.

I'm sure you will have a good time Brenda. Lot's of good advice on this blog. Since our visit my husband and I have a new favorite way to entertain. We invite a few friends over, show our VI pic's on the big screen, play a little Kenny Chesney, and sip a few pain killers. It helps dull the pain of not being there. We are now planing our next visit to STJ with a few "new recruits" 😎

Welcome to group therapy (this forum).

Only problem is: the longer we stay in therapy, the sicker we get!

Why do you think I suddenly ended up on the forum...?? 😉 Definitely feeling homesick for the islands. I got an email from VINow about the picture caption contest and that was it...made me even more homesick! Just saw this post and yes...I get homesick for the VI's every day. The last time we were there was 2 years ago, for our first anniversary. We rented a villa on STJ for a week (Morgan Point) and then spent the second week on STT. It was an AMAZING trip. We were married on Magens in '06 and that was the first time we had ever been to the islands. We immediately became island addicts and any talks of other trips always go right back to how much we want to be in the islands. Our home is also decorated in a beachy/palm tree theme. Plain and simple, we just love being in the islands! We felt right at home in the villa on STJ and were so relaxed the entire time. We miss it! Having breakfast on the deck overlooking Chocolate Hole and all of the boats anchored there; seeing the twinkling lights of St. Thomas at night in the distance; going to "our" perfect beach with calm blue water and pretty much nobody else around, and just hanging out in the water snorkeling and watching the little fish follow us around...bliss. When things are hectic and I need relaxing thoughts, I always come back to these.

This forum is definitely my therapy, that's for sure!

I think I have something in my eye....

My bride and I are about to leave for 3 days at Myrtle Beach ("work" related trip that requires me to stay at an oceanside hotel), then in July we'll be in the Gulf for a week with family. Myrtle and Panama City Beach ain't exactly the Islands, but dammit, I'm going to pretend!

Oh, we made Painkillers, and Lime In Coconuts last weekend, sat on the back deck in the hot sun, and listened to carib music. We're getting good at pretending.

hahaha We're right there with ya... 🙂 I even printed out the drink menu from Foxy's website so we could recreate our drinks from Jost. My husband got the Vanilla Killas and Painkillers down pat. (tu)

I look at the Tradewindsnews.vi site almost every day.. Cannot wait to get back at Thanksgiving and I have been home only 2 months

I know what you mean about being depressed after leaving STJ, I always cried on the ferry ride home. After visiting STJ for 11 years, our last vacation here I told my husband that the next time we come to STJ we are not leaving. This is where we belong and this is where we are going to live. He did not hesitate to agree and said ok let's put our house up for sale when we go home and move here.

We've been here almost five years now and although it's a lot different living here than vacationing here, it's still beats shoveling snow and freezing our butts off in the cold cold winters.

Awesome pictures of STJ by the way!

Greg,
You should check out the vimovingcenter msg board. There are a couple of apartments for rent listed on there.

In 2005 I bought a rt flight to STX - had been there 20 yrs before on a cruise. When a friend from college died in his driveway I planned a 30 day trip down there to see if I would be interested in moving. I never used my return ticket. I found a job and a place to live within 2 weeks (better economic times) and never used the return ticket. I came with 3 bags of clothes and bought whatever else I needed on-island. Was lucky to find furnished flats.

I had to move off island late 2007, but am returning this fall.

Best of luck - you dog you.

stxchick, thanks for the advice. I have been on the vimovingcenter message board doing a lot of research and there is a wealth of information. I have read that you do not want to rent a place sight unseen so im going to wait until I get there to find a place to live. I have less than a month until I move and I cant wait.

Thanks again,
Greg

Greg, this is killing me. It's almost like LOST (if anybody watches that). The Islands calls you back, you have no choice.

Just today I was looking at the Exumas and thinking...they looks pretty cool. Gorgeous waters, nice beaches and then I thought "WHAT am I thinking"????? I've already found that on STT and STJ.

Our first trip was November of 2007, then May 2007, then November 2008, then May 2008, then November 2009. It's killing me that we didn't go back this May. Hopefully, we'll go back next May, at least I am :o)