BuffettNews.com

Nine and 1/2 years ago I walked into a pawnshop in Oxford, MS. This pawnshop sold tapes and CDs for fairly cheap so I would visit every so often to see what used music they would have. That day I left with Songs You Know By Heart. Little did I know it would prove to be a pivotal moment in my life.

Fast-forward to present time. My wife and I just got back from a cruise to San Juan, Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, St. Martin and St. Thomas. I've always wanted to live in the Caribbean but felt that more or less it was probably just a pipe dream...No More...

We were in St Martin and were having the time of our life. Thoughts of living under the sun (along with the rains and hurricanes) were running through my mind. Maybe I was looking for a sign or either it was looking for me. We were on our way to Orient Beach when we passed a marina..,on the back of this one particular boat..there it was "Never Look Back."

I've been fortunate enough or blessed one to have the the mindset that if I want something bad enough I'm going to go for it. I've been outta law school for nearly 2 1/2 years now and I can tell you that practicing law isn't something I want to do for the rest of my life. The job is the best job I've ever had but in the end I'm not my own boss and can't see my self turning 65 sitting behind some desk defending an insurance company.

So now my wife and I, after much discussion, have decided to map out a long-range plan on moving to the West Indies. I still young (31), so I have a few years to invest and raise money while carefuly planning what island would suit us best. The plethora of things to consider is almost overwhelming. Where would we live, what would we do to make money, healthcare, schooling for the future children. We're leaning towards the USVIs where I could take the bar exam and continue practicing law for a time.

Anyway does anyone know anyone who has taken that leap and moved down to the islands. How did they like it? Was it successful or an unmitigated disaster?

While I don't know anyone personally who has done it I can give you some advice as a person who is older and a few regrets about some of the paths I took in life. I often find myself looking back regretting the things I did not do but wanted to do. You are young enough that you could easily move down there now and if it dosn't work you can always come back and pick up your career. The older you get, the more you get caught up in the corporate rat race and the harder it is to get out of it. It's much easier to pick up the pieces when you are young vs being older and doing it (this I know from experience in doing it in the 30's vs doing it in the 40's). Follow your dream and good luck!!


oh, and life is what you make of it - what could have been one person's disaster could also be your dream come true!!

ph4ever wrote:While I don't know anyone personally who has done it I can give you some advice as a person who is older and a few regrets about some of the paths I took in life. I often find myself looking back regretting the things I did not do but wanted to do. You are young enough that you could easily move down there now and if it dosn't work you can always come back and pick up your career. The older you get, the more you get caught up in the corporate rat race and the harder it is to get out of it. It's much easier to pick up the pieces when you are young vs being older and doing it (this I know from experience in doing it in the 30's vs doing it in the 40's). Follow your dream and good luck!!


oh, and life is what you make of it - what could have been one person's disaster could also be your dream come true!!

Well said! I'm turning 40 this year and looking for some sage advice....thank you!

I have a friend who moved to St. Kitts in July. She's loving it, but just be forewarned that there are a lot of obstacles to going into business down there.

First, be sure you do your homework on what each place's rules are on foreigners coming to work there. Some islands down there are very tight about giving work visas and permits to non-natives. (For example, St. Kitts has a rule that prohibits foreigners from opening any kind of business that would directly compete with one owned by locals.) If at all possible, try to get in good ahead of time with a local down there with whom you could go into business. It looks good on a business license application and it's also handy to have someone there who knows the lay of the land and how things get done.

Second, there are all kinds of local politics and personalities to contend with (read Don't Stop the Carnival--the local politician characters are comically accurate). My friend had the hardest time just trying to figure out to which agency she needed to talk.

Third, just be prepared for gazillions of pages of paperwork to fill out. And even once that's done, be prepared to fill out almost identical paperwork later for another agency. And then again later for yet another one.

Finally, just keep in mind that everything down there really does operate on island time. If you go down there with a calendar or deadline for when you will need to have things done, you'll be beating your head against a wall. The government regulators down there will get to your paperwork and everything whenever the mood strikes them, and not before. Just be prepared to hurry up and wait.

The bottom line I learned from my friend is that you have to do a lot of homework ahead of time, make sure you have enough money saved up that you'll be able to live for a while down there if your business doesn't get licensed or take off right away and, most importantly, enjoy yourself! Even if you fall flat on your face, I have yet to hear of anybody who left reality behind to chase a dream say they regretted it.

As JB says, "And if it doesn't work out, there'll never be any doubt that the pleasure was worth all the pain!"

If you can, please just do it & write us & tell us it was worth it.
I just turned 40 in December & can't even get my wife to move to Florida to partially live that dream
I keep telling her I'm moving South, she keeps telling me to enjoy it...
if I had the courage I'd take her up on that

Life is short. Remember that and DO it.

LaTda wrote:If you can, please just do it & write us & tell us it was worth it.
I just turned 40 in December & can't even get my wife to move to Florida to partially live that dream
I keep telling her I'm moving South, she keeps telling me to enjoy it...
if I had the courage I'd take her up on that

Happy belated 40th Birthday!

I told my husband I was moving to the Eastern Shore, with or without him. He packed his things. That was 10 years ago and we've never regretted it.

Fortunately I have a few years to attempt to plan this out....thanks for the feedback....

Bocanut wrote:Fortunately I have a few years to attempt to plan this out....thanks for the feedback....

I think someone might have said this, but definitely keep us posted!

CONGRATS!
I have very few regrets in life...but one of them was not to follow dreams like that when I could have. I was offered a chef job at a resort in St. Thomas...but turned it down to stay where I was living...seemed a safer bet. As a chef I could have traveled a lot..worked on cruise ships and islands..but chose not to. That is a regret!
Good luck and stay positive!

Live the dream man, live the dream.


I wish I had the $ to even try something like that. What a cool thing!

WOOO GO TULLY!

Ok a quick update. Our firm has clients in the USVIs (Hovensa). I was looking around the office this week for a binder that we use in regards to answering discovery. Underneath it was a binder titled "United States Virgin Island Bar Exam Review Material." Guess my boss flirted with the idea of taking the bar exam down there at one time.

I'll be making a copy.

that is GREAT man, i know id love livin on a island for sure...but i have to experience college first ...good luck with your new location and 'adventures'

Well getting down there is still in the infancy stages but thanks!!

This is Daja vu all over again. Just a few months ago I was having the same feelings. Had island fever REAL bad (and sorta still do). Surfed the web till I was cross-eyed about all things related to moving to the Carrib. After some VERY serious consideration (and total lack of $) I decided maybe I should bring my expectations down just a smidge. Southern Florida was looking better by the minute.

Don't Stop the Carnival was a very helpful (and funny) book as was A Trip to the Beach.

Several truths kinda stood out in all my research: In the islands there really is not much of a middle class (so to speak) You either have-and spend- lots of money to live the perpetual vacation or you become a hard-working local just trying to scrape by. The image of living like a beach bum are quickly erased once you discover the cost of living. Tourism and local politcs rule. The jobs that pay really well are few and far between. It takes a lot of preparation and planning to "quit your job and move to the islands"


All that being said......I'd still do it in a heartbeat if I could. And I encourage anyone who can to go for it. Just promise me a hammock and a boat drink when I invite myself down for the winter.

Bocanut wrote: Anyway does anyone know anyone who has taken that leap and moved down to the islands. How did they like it? Was it successful or an unmitigated disaster?

Norman Paperman did it....

Two sites that might help........

http://www.vinow.com

http://www.vimovingcenter.com

yeah, I've read Trip to the Beach. THat's one reason we've pretty much settled on the USVIs. Everything I've read indicates it's a pain in the ass to move to a non-American island. Plus USVIs have a thriving legal community.