What is it really like to live on a small Caribbean island? What entertainment is available? Do you have stores for shopping on the island? What about your utilities, do you have electricity and telephone service? How do you get to the island? Is it a lot harder to live on an island than living in the States? Is it like the TV show "Survivor"? Why would someone WANT to live on a small island?
These are the questions most asked by visitors and want-to-be residents of an island. In this case we are talking about Water Island. When you live here, you figure out the answers to these questions real quick.
Right off the coast of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands ls where Water Island is situated. People have said that Water Island is "an emotional world away from the hustle and bustle of St Thomas".
If you want a slower pace of life Water Island gives you that. Nobody is ever in a rush to get some place else. There really isn't "some place else" to get to! Most of the 100 residents on this little 500 acre island drive a golf cart as the main mode of transportation. That works out good as most of the narrow roads have potholes and there is no high speed traffic to worry about. There is only one "STOP" sign on the entire island. All of the neighbors know one another and are eager to help each other if need be.
Expect to do your own upkeep of your home. Expect to fix anything and everything if it breaks. You tend to become quite the handyman when you live on a small island. You develop special "McGyver" skills. If you are still stuck one of the neighbors usually has the skills and tools needed to help.
Getting back and forth from St. Thomas is fairly simple. Most people either take the ferry which runs about every hour during the day or they take their own dinghy or boat. The ferry does make night runs a couple of nights of the week in case you want to have a night out.
When you want to do grocery shopping you cannot just hop in your car and scoot over to the grocery store. You have to get to St. Thomas and either rent a car or take a taxi to one of the grocery stores. There are a handful of larger grocery stores, Price Smart, Cost-u-Less, Plaza Extra and Pueblo. You pick up your groceries and head back to catch the ferry. You load your groceries onto the ferry, return to Water island, unload your groceries and take them home.
Water Island is the exception when it comes to having medical emergency services. They have the Water Island Search and Rescue Squad. This squad of trained volunteers responds to all medical emergencies and treats the victim before transporting them to St. Thomas for further transportation to the hospital.
There usually are regular utilities on a small island, at least electricity. On Water island phone service and electricity are provided by an underwater cable coming from St. Thomas. Water is the biggest challenge on a small island. Most homes have a cistern, which is a concrete bunker under the house. All rain water drains from the roof into the cistern. From there the water is filtered so it is safe for drinking. Water is a valuable commodity on a small island. Internet and TV service are available by using a satellite dish or a cable network if you are lucky.
Many residents work on St Thomas. They commute by ferry or private boat and keep a regular work schedule. Water Island is a diverse community of people with many skills. We have doctors, lawyers, office managers, general managers, craftsmen, shop keepers, waitresses, and other professions.
Water Islanders do a great job in creating their own entertainment. Heidi's Honeymoon Grill serves breakfast Monday thru Friday at the Ferry Dock, lunch everyday at Honeymoon Beach, and a fine meal on the beach on Saturday nights. Joe's Beach Bar serves beverages daily. In season, outdoor movies are shown every Monday night on the beach. Sit in your golf cart or chairs and enjoy a great movie with popcorn and a drink. Bingo at the beach is normally every other week in season. Various cocktail parties and other events at the beach make for a full entertainment schedule.
Many people want to know, "Why do you live on a small island?". The answer for those that have lived on a small island is easy. There is a much slower pace of life, you get to enjoy the beautiful turquoise Caribbean sea every day and you get to live in paradise!
These are the questions most asked by visitors and want-to-be residents of an island. In this case we are talking about Water Island. When you live here, you figure out the answers to these questions real quick.
Right off the coast of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands ls where Water Island is situated. People have said that Water Island is "an emotional world away from the hustle and bustle of St Thomas".
If you want a slower pace of life Water Island gives you that. Nobody is ever in a rush to get some place else. There really isn't "some place else" to get to! Most of the 100 residents on this little 500 acre island drive a golf cart as the main mode of transportation. That works out good as most of the narrow roads have potholes and there is no high speed traffic to worry about. There is only one "STOP" sign on the entire island. All of the neighbors know one another and are eager to help each other if need be.
Expect to do your own upkeep of your home. Expect to fix anything and everything if it breaks. You tend to become quite the handyman when you live on a small island. You develop special "McGyver" skills. If you are still stuck one of the neighbors usually has the skills and tools needed to help.
Getting back and forth from St. Thomas is fairly simple. Most people either take the ferry which runs about every hour during the day or they take their own dinghy or boat. The ferry does make night runs a couple of nights of the week in case you want to have a night out.
When you want to do grocery shopping you cannot just hop in your car and scoot over to the grocery store. You have to get to St. Thomas and either rent a car or take a taxi to one of the grocery stores. There are a handful of larger grocery stores, Price Smart, Cost-u-Less, Plaza Extra and Pueblo. You pick up your groceries and head back to catch the ferry. You load your groceries onto the ferry, return to Water island, unload your groceries and take them home.
Water Island is the exception when it comes to having medical emergency services. They have the Water Island Search and Rescue Squad. This squad of trained volunteers responds to all medical emergencies and treats the victim before transporting them to St. Thomas for further transportation to the hospital.
There usually are regular utilities on a small island, at least electricity. On Water island phone service and electricity are provided by an underwater cable coming from St. Thomas. Water is the biggest challenge on a small island. Most homes have a cistern, which is a concrete bunker under the house. All rain water drains from the roof into the cistern. From there the water is filtered so it is safe for drinking. Water is a valuable commodity on a small island. Internet and TV service are available by using a satellite dish or a cable network if you are lucky.
Many residents work on St Thomas. They commute by ferry or private boat and keep a regular work schedule. Water Island is a diverse community of people with many skills. We have doctors, lawyers, office managers, general managers, craftsmen, shop keepers, waitresses, and other professions.
Water Islanders do a great job in creating their own entertainment. Heidi's Honeymoon Grill serves breakfast Monday thru Friday at the Ferry Dock, lunch everyday at Honeymoon Beach, and a fine meal on the beach on Saturday nights. Joe's Beach Bar serves beverages daily. In season, outdoor movies are shown every Monday night on the beach. Sit in your golf cart or chairs and enjoy a great movie with popcorn and a drink. Bingo at the beach is normally every other week in season. Various cocktail parties and other events at the beach make for a full entertainment schedule.
Many people want to know, "Why do you live on a small island?". The answer for those that have lived on a small island is easy. There is a much slower pace of life, you get to enjoy the beautiful turquoise Caribbean sea every day and you get to live in paradise!
About the Author:
To find out more about living on a small island visit Chuck Gidley's site. To see more about life on Water Island the Water Island Civic Association website is a great resource.
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