For most people who have experienced the quality and pace of life on St. Croix, there is no turning back. There are countless tales of islanders bahn ya (“born here” in Crucian dialect) who leave island for college or a job, then return home to live on their beloved island. But there is an interesting handful of people originally from the U.S. mainland who moved to St. Croix, back to the states, then back to island again. To keep it simple, we’ll call them prodigal sons and daughters. So what calls them home? So strongly that they cannot ignore, despite the time and money it takes to undo such a major move. In their own words, here are thoughts from a few:
“When we left St. Croix, we felt like we left a part of ourselves behind. Not just a small unimportant part, but a truly defining part of ourselves, that made being stateside unbearable and made us immediately want to move back. Over the years, St. Croix has become our home and we love our life and family here. It is a very special place to us.” – Theresa Boswell is a statistician and her husband Aaron is a nurse practitioner. They originally moved to St. Croix in 2009, built a boat and bought an island home in 2012, and are currently raising their infant daughter Penelope.
“What brought us back to St. Croix was the sense of community and family. I do think it is different for everyone. We just wanted to raise our kids in a more open environment. Everyone is so willing to help one another. And we have tons of fun!” – Anna Holley is a working mother of two. Her husband Carl is a captain.
Being a “prodigal daughter” of St. Croix myself, I can attest to how amazing island life can be when you’re plugged into this Caribbean community. For my husband and I, returning to the U.S. mainland felt sterile, anonymous and so boring. We are so grateful to be home on St. Croix!
Ready to see what makes our island so special? Start by downloading Farchette & Hanley Real Estate’s St. Croix Event Guide to find the perfect time for an extended visit. As the top broker on St. Croix year after year, Chris Hanley is the authority on Virgin Islands real estate. Contact him today for real estate expertise on homes, condos or land, on St. Croix or St. Thomas.