Live the life you love. Love the life you live.

When I tell people we will be moving to the US Virgin Islands the first question is almost always  "Now, where is that?" followed almost without fail by "why?"  The why goes a lot deeper than just sunshine and palm trees. I could probably write a novel on the subject but I will do my best to keep it as short as possible.

I had been weighing the options of where my wife and I would be living after she finished grad school. I wasn't thrilled about any of the places we were looking but there were a couple options I was willing to settle on. [settle...what an ugly word]

Luckily, while planning a trip to the USVI in celebration of my wife's graduation, I noticed that she could actually work there. This sparked an idea and at first this idea seemed more like that of a daydream than anything else. So initially I paid it little mind but it kept grinding away at me day after day. Eventually I had no choice but to look into it so I could lay it to rest once and for all.

Almost as soon as I began seriously researching I was sold on the idea. The business friendly attitude of the islands excited me (I had been running a small business in California which is not business friendly). More personally, the type of business I could run would be more enjoyable, the laid-back lifestyle and slower pace of life enticed me even further. And I can not forget to mention the culture, history, food, and music of this part of the world really are something special.

Obviously there are some issues like the high cost of living, lower average salary (compared to the states), hurricanes and the potential for island fever. These things must be taken seriously as well as the fact that life moves significantly slower there. Going from the go go go to the slow slow slow is often too much for would-be transplants. However, once we visited the islands (in September), this really sealed the deal. The outstanding natural beauty, slower pace of life and Candi's "come back sauce" were too good to pass up for the sake of practicality.

Even more refreshing than the picturesque waters were the people. Total strangers were so helpful and willing to talk to you. Like the time when my wife walked into a random medical office to get job hunting tips and the office manager was more then happy to stop whatever he was doing to give her some pointers. Or just waiting for the bus under a Kapok tree and shooting the breeze with Ms. Jenny in Coral Bay.

I guess in the end it comes down to doing what I love, in the place I love, with the woman I love.

-jerrad