This question has been coming up a lot in our household lately. Usually it's a fleeting thought that goes as quickly as it comes. But more often, it's becoming an in-depth discussion with multiple perspectives, pros vs. cons and major reality checks.
Here's the thing: We're young. Dino is currently unemployed. We have no children, and no plans to have children. When you look at the bare bones of the situation it seems like a no-brainer--let's do it, what do we have to lose at this point?
But of course there are the obvious family ties. I've lived within an hour of my family for most of my life, except for spending one year in Boulder, Colorado during my very early twenties. My dad doesn't really travel, at least not by air, so we wouldn't see him much. Dino is already quite far from his family, and they do travel freely so we know they'd visit.
We're considering St. John because it is a US territory which is important for obvious reasons to us, as Americans. Some of the other issues on the table are the following:
Boredom. Sure, when you go on vacation everything is wonderful and fun and romantic. But when you actually live on an island you have to deal with the weather, the isolation, inflated prices and tourists! Chances are we'd be working in bars or hotels, which means we're waiting hand and foot on the vacationers, not the other way around!
My business. The nature of my handmade wedding invitation business is online-based leaving me with lots of freedom to do it from wherever I hang my hat. The flip-side is that I'd be dealing with increased shipping costs and slow delivery times for my materials. And hurricane weather could make my power source less than reliable--with no internet connection how can I conduct business as usual? Plus, what kind of space would I be dealing with? If we are renting a one bedroom apartment it could be a pretty uncomfortable scenario.
Travel. I hate doing it. If it would mean air travel at busy, hectic holiday times than I am NOT on board! That goes for anywhere we'd move to, actually. I do not see myself getting on an airplane at any point between Thanksgiving and New Years. This fact, knowing that I'm a bit of a Grinch, is not surprising though.
So those are some of the glaring cons. But the pros...oh, the pros! I have always admired you free-spirited types. Just get up and go, wherever the wind blows. We're so conditioned in this society to be ruled by finances, and things so the thought of giving up all of that to live a little bit more freely seems absurd. We could do it for just a year, no commitment. Or we could do it forever and ever! The ocean is my life-blood, so the opportunity to be a part of it is very tempting. And how romantic, right, the whole scene. What'd be the harm in just trying it out? We could always come back, no?
What would you do, if you had a clean slate right now? Do you think we're insane, or should we book your flight too?
