When you imagine island life, terms like care free, laid back and slow pace come to mind. And while not every day living on St. Croix feels like vacation, many of them do. The blog Women Who Live on Rocks recently published a brief list of “Things I No Longer Care About,” which I’d like to applaud and add to.
As writer Kirstie Lindsay of Grand Cayman wrote, I No Longer Care About . . .
Huge Homes
Our most recent stateside home was more than 3,000 square feet. The cleaning and organization felt overwhelming and impossible. Our St. Croix house is less than half that size, which with a family of four, I thought would be a hard step backward. On the contrary, it’s actually calming having less space to maintain.
Coiffed Hair
It is so liberating as a woman to no longer care about styling your hair. I’ve kept long hair my whole life and the process of blow-drying it daily to go out in cold weather was ridiculously time-consuming. I wish I had all those hours of my life back! Now my hair dryer and straightener only come out for date night.
Nice Vehicles
Last week, our driveway gate went off-track and fell on the island car I’ve owned for only a few weeks. If this had happened to the nearly-new SUV I owned in the states, I would’ve flipped out. Here? Luckily it fell where there was a dent already. It also cracked the cover of my tail light, so I just removed the whole cover. I like the way it looks even better than before and plan to remove the other tail light cover for a matching set!
Shopping Stress
Early in island life, I was bummed that my rock didn’t have some of the stateside stores I love . . . Target, TJ Maxx, etc. Even shopping for groceries, you only have a handful of options from which to choose. But now in comparison to the mad houses of shopping on the U.S. mainland, I find island shopping much less stressful. I spend less money on impulse purchases because they’re simply not there. I don’t have to stress about which ketchup has the most high fructose corn syrup of the 50 options at Trader Joe’s, because I only have two options: Heinz and off-brand. It’s liberating really . . . fewer options, lower blood pressure.
Pinterest Perfection
In the states, when I hosted a dinner or birthday party, I always stressed about making the food and decor look like pictures I found on Pinterest. A small part of me did want things to look nice, but it was mostly because of the judgment I knew would be coming from my guests. On St. Croix, no one cares what your gathering looks like as long as alcohol is served! You can even relax packing your child’s lunch for school . . . no island Mamas are cutting their kids sandwiches into fancy shapes.
Mixing Business and Friendship
While this is a cute HR policy at big corporations, it’s impossible on a rock. You will end up on a boat or at the beach with your boss. You will call in a favor asking a friend to open up their print shop an hour early because you’re in a bind. Your friends will know your medical history because you know someone at every doctor’s office on-island. Get over it and enjoy the perks of having a hair stylist, mechanic and chiropractor in your back pocket!
Ready to let these things go and enjoy simple island life? As seen on HGTV’s Caribbean Life, Realtors Chris and Kerri Hanley can help, as the authorities on Virgin Islands real estate. Contact them to help you find the perfect home or condo on St. Croix or St. Thomas. Start by downloading their free St. Croix Event Guide to find the perfect time for a visit.