Living the life....sorta

It seems you can't go a week here without hearing at some point "Man i wish i had done that when i was young, you're living the life!". Seriously, i've been here since June 15 2005, so that makes a minimum of 148 times that i have heard that. Now, i am certainly not taking my island life for granted nor am i complacent with where I am. I certainly know that I am blessed to live in the house i live in, with the job i have, on the island i love. Please do not misconstrue any of this for that. Here's my point, Dude...

Blue waters and white sand do nothing to alleviate the everyday normal stress, problems, mishaps, and difficulties that companion everyday life. When your interactions are with those who believe that the everyday normalities could not exist here, it only adds to the situation. Islands still have rent, taxes, and people who have to eat, bathe, and clothe themselves. There is no escape from that. The escape is the end of the work week when your days off are sand filled instead of traffic and mall filled. But rest assured that you WILL work harder during those five days for the small things that come easy stateside. If the average ATM in America breaks once every 3 months, the average ATM here will be down three times every two weeks (which is 33% of all machines on island, assuming only one of the two ATM's at First Bank is down). If the printer at the DMV goes down in the states every six months, they will plug in one of four extras and no time is lost. Here, try back on Monday, but check the calendar because of the 52 Monday's a year, 37 of them are VI Government Holidays.

Part of what makes life here great is that you work really hard for the season, and then things slow down and you can enjoy yourself. What makes life hard here for those whose income depends on visitors (which is everyone) is that you work really hard for the season, and then things slow down and you are no longer making money. There are the same number of businesses competing for a third of business.

Entrepreneurs will come and go here. People give up the city or suburbia America and bring their life savings to St. John to give it a go. They've got a great idea that no one has thought of and they are going to do really well. They pack up, show up, set up, break down, tear down, and head back to the suburbs with their head down. You try to be supportive and you give the new eatery or coffee shop or all-in-one (because no one ever tried that here before.......) place a shot because you honestly want others to succeed. If only someone had done their homework, or given us a $500 consulting fee to tell them, "We realize that you are a hard worker with a lot of passion. However, the space you want to put this business in, well, the last four hard workers who tried that same idea in the same bad location shut down. We realize that the difference between you and them is that you will change the color scheme, but you should keep your life savings and come visit twice a year. It will be much cheaper." But alas the "For Lease" sign goes back up in the window after having not been down long enough to collect dust.

Paradise is not easy, there is an inherent tax built into your life that is difficult to explain. Everything here is Come and Go. The tourists come and go, the season comes and goes, your friends come and go, businesses come and go. But there are many people who remain. They have adapted to the pace, allowed to initial frustrations to become a normal part of life, figure out how to work with the quirks, passed the test, and life is good. Actually, although hard, life on St. John is great. The key is to make sure the "and" in Come and Go lasts a long time.....three years and counting.

What a lot of people are thinking

Interesting article. I don't get a vote though.

Obviously a lot of other people are not thinking this as she still has a lot of support.