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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: RnM]
#275675
02/17/2022 10:01 AM
02/17/2022 10:01 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,719
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,719
Central Florida!
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RnM--I would suggest, at the VERY least, that you make a short trip to SXM before you accept the position. And I might want to 'hedge my bets' and put your house up for rent and put a big bunch of your stuff in storage. Best wishes.
Carol Hill
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#275678
02/17/2022 10:09 AM
02/17/2022 10:09 AM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,085
Massachusetts
boucharda
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,085
Massachusetts
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Totally agree Carol.....before selling all possessions and moving to a country that you haven't been to in 15 years mandates AT LEAST a week long visit to evaluate the Island AND formulate a plan B for after the move that would make changing your mind a much easier task...and I suggest renting a private home for the visit rather than being swayed by a resort
Last edited by boucharda; 02/17/2022 10:10 AM.
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: RnM]
#275696
02/17/2022 11:16 AM
02/17/2022 11:16 AM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,646
Brookfield, CT.
pat
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,646
Brookfield, CT.
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Hopefully, some of the members here who have already done this will chime in.
We’ve been visiting the island annually for almost fifty years and once upon a time we considered making such a move. We considered so many options and in the end decided in our case the possible good facets of living there just didn’t outweigh the negative possibilities. But that was us.
I’ve known a few who have made the move without a regret in the world at having done so and are totally happy with their move but by the same token I’ve known a few who questioned their own sanity and couldn’t wait to move back ‘home’ again.
My only concerns for you would be that you were only there once for a week and that was fifteen years ago. The island has changed so much through the natural evolvement not to mention the changes due to storms, etc. And looking at a vacation spot is very different from looking at a living situation.
Think long and hard, and whatever your end decision, good luck.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: RnM]
#275705
02/17/2022 12:10 PM
02/17/2022 12:10 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 869
Mississauga, ON, Canada
Southshore
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 869
Mississauga, ON, Canada
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In addition to visiting the island to see if it is still as attractive as you once thought, perhaps , too, consider the job you are going to. Is it stable? How much assistance will your new employer provide, if any, to get you there and get you settled? What if it doesn't work out? Will the employer repatriate you back to the USA? Also, consider the cost of living on an island. Will you be able to live comfortably? So much to consider with a move like this. Best not to burn all the bridges behind you.
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: RnM]
#275714
02/17/2022 02:02 PM
02/17/2022 02:02 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,719
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,719
Central Florida!
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RnM--As I assume you know, moving to the Caribbean and working is a whole different thing than retiring there. You'd have the beauty of the Caribbean, yes, but you also have the issues that come from living on an island. Like hurricanes. Like the internet decides not to work for a couple of days. Or GEBE (the local electric company) decides not to work for a couple of days. Or, you can't just go to the store and buy "X", like you could in the states. You may have to order it and have it shipped and maybe it shows up and maybe it doesn't. Or 'rock fever', I think it's called, where you get tired of being confined to this little space of rock in the middle of the ocean. Or, you have a major medical issue and you have to be med-evacced to the states, in order to properly treat it. But meantime you're working, so you have to deal with satisfying your boss, and trying to keep your employees in line, and trying to get in supplies or whatever for the business, etc., etc., etc. I don't know how it works exactly, but if you're American, the company has to prove somehow that there are not any local people who are qualified to do the job. This may be a big deal and it may not be. As far as I know, there are extremely few people on here who are working on island that are not locals. Lesley, who responded above (Kenny's is his online name) is a business owner on island, and he is a local. You might want to contact him by private message and see if he could give you any information about the company you are considering. I know it seems like we are all being "Debbie Downers", but maybe we are all just secretly thinking that we would never be so lucky as to get a job offer on island!  Best wishes. If you do take the job, we would be interested in hearing about your experience.
Carol Hill
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: RnM]
#275718
02/17/2022 02:30 PM
02/17/2022 02:30 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,646
Brookfield, CT.
pat
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,646
Brookfield, CT.
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RnM,
Some great points made here. Lesley should be a great source of information and I’m hoping Elaine will jump in with her thoughts as she and her husband made the move from the States to the island on a permanent basis and are mostly very happy with their decision to do so.
Again, good luck on all counts.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#275719
02/17/2022 02:34 PM
02/17/2022 02:34 PM
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Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 5
RnM
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 5
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RnM--As I assume you know, moving to the Caribbean and working is a whole different thing than retiring there. You'd have the beauty of the Caribbean, yes, but you also have the issues that come from living on an island. Like hurricanes. Like the internet decides not to work for a couple of days. Or GEBE (the local electric company) decides not to work for a couple of days. Or, you can't just go to the store and buy "X", like you could in the states. You may have to order it and have it shipped and maybe it shows up and maybe it doesn't. Or 'rock fever', I think it's called, where you get tired of being confined to this little space of rock in the middle of the ocean. Or, you have a major medical issue and you have to be med-evacced to the states, in order to properly treat it. But meantime you're working, so you have to deal with satisfying your boss, and trying to keep your employees in line, and trying to get in supplies or whatever for the business, etc., etc., etc. I don't know how it works exactly, but if you're American, the company has to prove somehow that there are not any local people who are qualified to do the job. This may be a big deal and it may not be. As far as I know, there are extremely few people on here who are working on island that are not locals. Lesley, who responded above (Kenny's is his online name) is a business owner on island, and he is a local. You might want to contact him by private message and see if he could give you any information about the company you are considering. I know it seems like we are all being "Debbie Downers", but maybe we are all just secretly thinking that we would never be so lucky as to get a job offer on island! Best wishes. If you do take the job, we would be interested in hearing about your experience. Thanks for all this useful info. I don't think anyone is being a "Debbie Downer". I prefer a dose of reality. It keeps me in check.
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: SXMScubaman]
#275720
02/17/2022 02:36 PM
02/17/2022 02:36 PM
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Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 5
RnM
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 5
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I trust you've looked into the requirements to work on Island for non locals. From what I've researched, US Citizens can live and work there without a permit due to the DAFT treaty between The Dutch and US Governments. At least that's how I understand it. Hopefully if I'm wrong someone will correct me.
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: RnM]
#275722
02/17/2022 02:51 PM
02/17/2022 02:51 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,719
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,719
Central Florida!
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RnM--It's not at all that simple. Do send Irina a private message. She had personal experience with trying to get permission to work on island.
Carol Hill
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: RnM]
#275724
02/17/2022 03:12 PM
02/17/2022 03:12 PM
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,291
Kennys
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,291
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I trust you've looked into the requirements to work on Island for non locals. From what I've researched, US Citizens can live and work there without a permit due to the DAFT treaty between The Dutch and US Governments. At least that's how I understand it. Hopefully if I'm wrong someone will correct me. That was a big fight and I do recall one Puerto Rican won his case way back in court. But he was living here way back in the 80's to present.
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Re: Help, Tips and Advice Please
[Re: irina]
#275754
02/17/2022 08:20 PM
02/17/2022 08:20 PM
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Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 5
RnM
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 5
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DM me. We lived on island and owned for 10 years.
irina PM sent
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