Living on St. Croix, USVI

My family and I lived on the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands from July 2008 to January 2012. We arrived here the summer of 2008 on what we called our “Great Adventure.”  StX is about 60 miles southeast of Puerto Rico, and 2000 miles away from Central Ohio where I grew up.

{Update: We are moving to Florida January 2012. See note at end of this post.}

I’m mentioning where we live for several reasons:

1. Many people who read this blog assume I’m still in Hilliard Ohio.
   I’m not. (And those who think I still live in Chicago can now move me to Ohio. hahaha)
   
2. It explains the ocean graphics in this blog. I have saltwater in my veins. I’m an avid kayaker and diver.
   
3. It tells you a little bit about my perspectives, range of experience, and hopefully how serious I am about exploring change and taking leaps of faith.
   
4. The move and island experience is teaching me a lot about myself, my family, my priorities, about churches, and life in general. That was one of the reasons we decided to move to somewhere totally different, -to challenge us. Even our church here is different.
   
5. People who google “living on St Croix” occasionally find this website and have questions.

I’m still actively involved in church work, and currently serve as the Parish Assistant at the St Croix Reformed Church.

How does an Ohio-boy end up in St Croix?

a)  It was one of those life dreams I could actually make happen. Positive life circumstances created a “window of opportunity” for my family and I to follow that dream –for a few years. We aren’t planning on staying here for too much longer. Change and life circumstances  happens! In particular, we have three kids who have/are developing windows of opportunity of their own, and we want to be close to them wherever they land.

No, we aren’t rich. We made a lot of sacrifices to make this dream come true. And we realized we had some unique job circumstances that let us pursue it.

The “Circumstances”: My job largely takes place via the internet so I could move it anywhere (we still ship software out of Ohio). While visiting here years ago, my wife was offered great position at the local hospital here on StX. My youngest daughter who is with us thought it might be exciting to become part of a small private island school. She was tired of the crowded suburban schools and suburban attitudes. Our two oldest daughters were away at college when we moved. One has since gotten married and the other has moved down with us to enjoy our adventure.

b) I have saltwater in my veins. I love the oceans, mountains and tropics.  (and StX has plenty of all three). I’m an avid ocean kayaker and scuba diver. Those of you who share my affliction for the ocean will understand the appeal of being surrounded by one.

c) I/we were looking for a cultural experience beyond the whitebread vinyl-sided suburban landscape we had grown tired of.  St Croix is 75% “West Indian” …ie, of african descent. But it’s still the USA. “Third World USA” to be sure, but a very interesting place to live. Sometimes amazing, sometimes frustrating, always expensive.

Life on St Croix is quite different than it was in Ohio…

Ohio doesn’t have hurricanes. We had one 3 months after getting here (Omar on Oct 16, 2008). That was crazy.

We live in a “semi-dry” rainforested valley 8 minutes over the mountain from the beach.

Everything here is more expensive than in the states, and we’ve had to learn to pinch pennies (we don’t drive a newer car, for example). It helps to have lousy shopping.

Nearly everyone is quite a bit friendlier and more relaxed than in the states.

It’s definitely WARMER, but not “florida hot.” StX sits in the tradewinds which always seem to be blowin, -so the temp never goes above 90. Most days it gets up to about 85. That said, we live in shorts and sandals, don’t use the AC, and have learned not to worry about a little sweat.

Relaxing here means taking a book (or your dog) to the beach and sitting in the shade of a palm tree, …or going for a walk or going swimming. In the suburbs, it meant sitting in my lay-z-boy or walking around the same-same suburbs.  We’re more outdoor active here, and can be year-round, -which was part of the plan. I’ve become an avid ocean-kayaker and certified diver.

There’s something about the oceans and waves that make me feel connected to the world. To me, it’s spiritual.

I work and worship at a local church: the St Croix Reformed Church (RCA). I’m the “Parish Assistant” there… helping the pastor with what ever he needs. Lately that has included the writing of a grant for and overseeing the installation of a 10 kw wind turbine(www.stcroixreformed.org to learn more). The side walls of our sanctuary are louvered windows that let in the breeze. People wear shorts and sandals to worship. There are churches down here that date back 300 years.

As mentioned, most “Crucians”  ie, people on St Croix, are quite a bit friendlier than Midwesterners in my opinion. They actually look at you and nod or say “good afternoon” when they pass you by. Standing in line or sitting in a barber shop -they will strike up a conversation. In Ohio, people act like you’re not there. They walk on by you. They are in a hurry. Down here, eye contact, a wave, and a kind word are considered normal.

The roads are a bit crazy, and we drive on the left. But Crucian drivers have 100% less “road rage” than midwesterners do. They routinely stop to let people cross the roadway (or goats, or cows).

StX is not really a  ”resort island” -though it does have tourists and the occasional cruiseship stopping by. It also has a lot of poverty and is rather rundown, but –its natural beauty and climate make up for its deficiencies. The place is frustrating, and relaxing. Laid back and too laid back.  There are more beautiful islands around the world, but few you could actually afford to live on, and raise kids on, and still be in the US.

StX is somewhat rural and underpopulated, -it’s not crowded like St. Thomas. It does have two major “cities.” Pretty much everything you need is here or can be ordered online. We scuba dive, and that’s another big reason we are here. Can’t imagine living here if you didn’t want to get in or under the water.

No, we’re not rich. We just decided we didn’t want to wake up old someday and be living in the same place, and regretting the road(s) not taken. We wanted an adventure, and we sure got one. That said, we plan on moving back to the mainland sometime within the next two years, mainly to be near our kids –two of whom are ready to spread their wings.  Don’t want to be too far and “too expensive of a ticket” away from that!

This is our “adventure” not our retirement. We don’t know how long we’ll be down here… maybe just a couple of years.  Most statesiders move down, and eventually move back… the #1 reason being: to be close to family/grandkids. Our three kids are older, one getting married, one finishing up college, one in High School. They love it here, but none of them imagines moving here permanently. Like I said, this is our “adventure.”

And then there’s that Caribbean water. I’m sure I was a sailor in a past life!

If you ever find yourself heading to St. Croix, look me up, or contact me for the scoop.  neil@sundayresources.net

We maintain a semi-private family blog about our moving experience and life on the island. If you’re interested in reading it, email me at neil@sundayresources.net and I might just send you the link if you tell me a little bit about yourself.

I would also recommend reading the “Relocation” message board at www.vimovingcenter.com It’s a wealth of information about the islands, relocating, what to expect, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Addendum:
Quite a few people are finding this post via Google and sending me questions via email. I’m happy to answer them, but do your research first at vimovingcenter.com. It’s thorough.

Quick answers to questions that people often ask me:

• Most of the people here are great. But if you have a problem with people of color or different cultures, don’t come down.
• Life is truly slower here, which can be frustrating at times. Type ‘A’ people probably won’t like it here.
• It’s the Caribbean. Crime is worse. Roads are pot-holed. And things are ‘rustic.’
• The Weather is unbelieveable. But if you can’t live without AC, don’t come. Electricity is extremely expensive here.
• Housing can be expensive depending on what you’re used to. If you have pets, your choices will be limited. A decent 2 bedroom apt/condo in a safe neighborhood will cost you about $2000 a month, plus about $300 a month in electricity without running your AC much.
• If you can’t stand slow service and the power going out, don’t come.
• The shopping isn’t good, but who needs “stuff”? You’ll need to save money anyway to pay for plane trips to the mainland.
• Do not bring children here unless you can afford private school ($$). The public schools are not good.
• If you don’t like the ocean, and/or can’t stand to miss the change of seasons, you won’t like it here.
• If you have to sell your house or spend your life savings just to be able to move here, you are probably too under-funded to live here, unless you want to live in an unsafe neighborhood. (I’m amazed how many people email me saying, “we don’t have much money, but….”
• The general consensus is that it takes $10,000 to move here… moving fees, first month’s rent/security, plane tickets, getting a car here.
• Its somewhat expensive to live here, so you learn to live without things like air-conditioning. Thankfully, it’s never really too hot.

January 2012 Update:
The four of us are moving to Sarasota this month. We’ve had 3 1/2 wonderful years on St Croix and will miss it. But my wife is looking forward to getting back to a full-service hospital experience, and one where things are run a little better.  Daughters need to get going with their young adult lives and job opportunities, and the island isn’t the place to do that. Always knew it!  …and just wish the days hadn’t passed so fast.

Check out my Bible videos for kids over at http://sundayresources.net/biblevideos