BootsnAll Travel Community

Has anybody here been in the USVI on a long-term basis? Anything I need to know that I won't find on websites and in travel guides? I realize it's not the scariest or most alien place for a US mainlander to move to, but it's my first time going anywhere on a one-way ticket and the thought that I might not know what the hell I'm actually doing is starting to give me a miniature freak-out...

Then again, I kind of like not knowing what the hell I'm doing.

quote:

Originally posted by Scream_Dracula:
Then again, I kind of like not knowing what the hell I'm doing.

LOL

When are you going? St. Thomas seems like a very cheap place to stay. I say that because the people are very poor, and if they can live there, anyone can.

I live on St. Croix and love it. Although I did move here after Peace Corps, so I was used to living with a little bit less.

If you are interested in living simply and with less material goods (meaning you aren't independantly wealthy - because money can buy stuff), life in the USVI is good living. But, there will be creature comforts that you are going to miss and you have to deal with a lot of developing countries issues. The tradeoff is that you can walk on the beach, snorkle, dive and swim whenever you want because you live on a Caribbean island. And the culture is strong here, with unique and interesting foods and customs allowing you to feel like you could be someplace outside the US (even though you are in a US Territory).

If you want more info, go to Career VI for jobs and VI Sourceand VI Daily Newsfor classifieds.

The every day stuff is more expensive.
But then, the every day stuff includes, as just posted, all the beach perks.

Guide books often suggest that people vacationing for longer than a week in the VI's bring some food staples, as groceries are more than what they'd be used to on the mainland. Not sure what the implication of that would be to a transplant.

You'll certainly want to be well stocked on sunscreen for your first few weeks there, as you'll be lower in lattitude and likely out & about enjoying that sun moreso than in the '48.

The people & vibe there are really cool.

I lived there for half a year, but that was eight years ago. If your going soon, it should be a pretty good time, as the season is ending, and housing is coming available. when I was there, I just heard lots of stories about housing costs, and that they were quite high as compared to wages. (I had mine taken care of though work). the down side to this, is there is alot less work, especially in the service industry. true food can be more expensive, and don't ever expect to find any leafy greens in the supermarket, but booze is cheap. St thomas is a free port, so there's no taxes on anything. I think the biggest thing is just adjusting to the culture. It is quite different. time is much slower, and there is strange relationship between money race and power. BU I loved it here, I just wish my company didn't disappear, I would have stayed longer. I hope this helps, feel free to ask any direct questions. I'm sure the place has changed, but the basic concepts I'm sure are the same.

St.thomas is one of the places i have been looking at, once i get out of the navy i want to live on a sailboat down in the islands, but at the same time i am going to be really poor, but my idea is if i need money i can just find someplace to work, do you think that is crazy

"Find someplace to work"

Depends on what skills you bring...and hopefully you've got quite a lot you've gained in the navy, education you rec'd before/during that, etc. job experience you've had before or during that, etc.

I've seen plenty of odd jobs down there in construction, boat crews, etc. A lot of them, like a lot of jobs like that, are found out about through friends, social networks, people you just know, etc. Your friend knows a friend who needs a drywall guy for a house they're building, your friend knows a friend who's taking his boat across the atlantic & needs a guy who knows about boat maintenance & repair to go along, etc. etc.

Or, if you've ever thought of teaching, they have a "Troops to Teachers" program...from the USVI Dept. of Ed. website:

Troops to Teachers Program

Troops to Teachers provides referral assistance and placement service to military personnel interested in beginning a second career as a teacher in K-12 public education. The purpose of the Troops to Teachers program is to recruit quality teachers for schools serving low-income families. It helps relieve teacher shortages, primarily in Math, Science, & Special Education, and to assist military personnel transition to second careers as teachers in K-12, public schools. There's been a major change to the program: eligibility now extends to National Guard and Reserve Component Personnel. For more information on the Troops to Teachers program, click HERE for their official site. The contact person for the United States Virgin Islands Troops to Teachers program is Lieutenant Steve Alexander. His email address is: steve.alexander@vi.ngb.army.mil