Regret:

Given the reason for my return to the states and then the recent events in my life, many friends and family members have asked me a pretty logical question: Do I regret leaving the islands now? The answer: Absolutely not.

{Image credit.}
Here is why...

One of the biggest consolations that I have had in this whole break-up thing is the knowledge that I did everything that I could to make it work. It really has made me feel so much better. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy St. Croix any longer with the thought that I could have done more.

Also, if I am going to be going through a rough break-up, I would much rather do such in the company of my endless amounts of friends and family. There really isn't much to do on a small island, so the big city is a much easier place to keep busy and meet lots of new people. The sense of "home" that I feel being here is so very comforting as well...

All in all, I am happy here. Atlanta is good for me.

I Sheepishly Return:

Ahem... Hey there... It's me, Kim... I know that I disappeared for a good long while, but I am, in fact, alive and well.

Wow, so much has happened since we last left off, I honestly don't even know where to begin. Things in the islands were wonderful. I had two pretty great jobs, I was making some awesome friends, I quickly learned my way around St. Croix, I was so happy. Okay, this is not entirely the truth, but overall things were going along great.

And on top of it all, this is a beauty that I enjoyed on a daily basis:


If you've been following me on twitter, you already know generally what happened next.

This may not be a surprise that it took merely a month for my long distance relationship to unravel before my eyes. Tensions grew as I felt increasingly unloved and out of touch with his life back in Georgia, and he became frustrated with the telephone relationship that we had to maintain. I'll spare you the gory details and keep it simple: One night he broke up with me completely out of the blue. I was absolutely beyond devastated. I can't even describe to you how lost I felt without the thought of him in my life. After little encouragement from him and only my faith in our relationship to go off of, I packed all of my stuff and bought a one-way ticket back to Atlanta.

I quit my jobs. I told my good friends good-bye. I left the very next morning.

The complete ambiguity to what would happen upon my return paired with a long day of some grueling travel made for one of the worst days of my life. No lie.

We'll skip the build up and go straight to the thus-far happy ending... We have never been better. The second I said that I was coming back to stay, there was a sense of normalcy in his voice once again. We had some serious things to talk through when I got back to Georgia, and we continue to address the issues that have resulted from this, but it has also put a whole new perspective on our relationship and has managed to bring us even closer.

So here I am: back in Georgia, unemployed, and essentially homeless. I have done so much soul-searching since I returned last week... Part of that has included whether or not I want to continue documenting my life in the blogosphere. The jury is still out. Allow me to continue along the road of making some sense of my life once again, and I might be back full-force in the very near future...

The Time Is Nigh:

At precisely this time next week I will be on a plane heading deep into the Caribbean towards my future home! I can't believe it is almost here... After all of the planning and anticipation, it is now only a few days away! Here is what has been going on in regards to my move:

-I have prematurely started to pack my luggage because I am impatient like that.
-The majority of my stuff is already in storage at my Aunt's home now. There isn't much left to pack up at this point.
-My friend found a great potential apartment for me directly next to her!
-The logistics for my final few days have since been determined and relayed to all parties involved. (There will be much driving here, there, and everywhere unfortunately, but that is what needs to happen.)
-And last but not least... I have a telephone interview for a seemingly wonderful job this afternoon! My proverbial fingers are crossed.

{Image credit.}
Isn't my future home of Christiansted absolutely beautiful?! I cannot wait to be a (semi) permanent resident of this charming little city. Only 7 days and counting...

*UPDATE: Said job interview went incredibly well, and I will know by next week if I got it or not! I will definitely be sure to keep you all informed!

Moving Details:

Another detail about my pending move that I have yet to share with you all... This handsome, red-headed fellow will be joining me on my initial journey down to the Virgin Islands!


Walker is a good friend of mine that happens to fly for free through Delta, so he is going to fly with me to St. Thomas, join me on the ferry to St. Croix, hang out in paradise for a week or so since he is between semesters, and then fly home whenever he runs out of money.

At first I really wanted to be able to make the journey alone as a chance to really assert my independence, but then I thought to myself, "F-ck that! I'm scared sh-tless!" I think that having a buddy doing this with me will help to calm my fears and ease my sadness about leaving Jake, Lily, and the town that I have come to love over the past five years.

I still anticipate that there will be tears during my flight, but his caring nature and quick wit will more than likely help to minimize them. I'm so very excited!

Complications:

Remember when I was excited to have scheduled my mail to be forwarded down to my new home in the islands? To quote myself from that very post: "...it shouldn't exactly be a big deal, although things with the post office never turn out to be a simple as they seemingly should be..."

Well, I was right. They messed it up. I stopped receiving mail shortly thereafter, including my bills that, ya know, need to get paid. Wonderful.

{Image credit.}
I went up to my local office this morning because that is my favorite way to start my Monday morning. It was confirmed, in fact, that my mail had begun to be forwarded prematurely.

As inconvenient as this is, the bills can be paid online and all can be fixed. I am more concerned about an exciting package that I am supposed to receive by today (more on this later)... Let's hope that it gets here and isn't rerouted to St. Croix!

Accomplished:

This is pretty much how I have been feeling the past couple of days...

{Photo of me on Squaw Peak in Phoenix, Arizona.}
In two weeks I will have my last day here at the office, I'll be packing the last of the boxes to go into storage at my Aunt's house, my three pieces of luggage will more than likely be filled to the brim, and I will be saying my good-byes to Athens and everyone in it that has made my past five years here so amazing.

I have had some serious leads on the job front, which have helped to ease my financial fears for my time spent down in the islands. Nothing is set in stone as of yet, but I like that because it allows me to further explore all of my options once I get down there!

In case you couldn't tell: I am so very excited. I am ready.

The Cold, Hard Truth:

I am not sure if I have written about this yet, but even if I have, I feel that this is important enough to reiterate.

There is a detail about Christiansted, St. Croix that I am absolutely dreading... The fact that there is no hot water to be had in the entire city. Sure, the ritzy homes on East End get to take a nice warm bath, but where I will be living will require me to take cold showers every. single. day.

{Image credit.}
I got (semi) used to this during my week's stay back in March, and it's not like it is ever so cold outside as to make the water completely unbearable, but it's still pretty bad. Shaving your legs is a task in and of itself, which involves rubbing a small area of your skin to be rid of the goosebumps and then quickly swiping your razor before they return.

St. Croix may appear to be paradise, but there are most definitely sacrifices that have to be made. I'll be sure to tell you all about life in the islands once I am down there (only 22 days!), the good and the bad. But don't worry, the beautiful beaches and overall island lifestyle more than make up for St. Croix's faults! (Hence why I am still moving there.)

Mail Time:

I just scheduled all of my mail to be forwarded down to my (temporary) address down in the Virgin Islands! Yipee! Luckily they use the U.S. Postal Service, so it shouldn't exactly be a big deal, although things with the post office never turn out to be a simple as they seemingly should be...

{Image credit.}
I know this probably seems trivial, but it is just one more step towards my new life, which excites me to no end! I cannot believe I am moving to paradise in 3 weeks and 3 days! My life is pretty damn awesome...

Cruzan Countdown:

25 days from today I will be boarding a plane with a one-way ticket heading straight for the Virgin Islands, my belongings in tow.

{Image credit.}
25 days!!?! Wow. This really is creeping up on me and becoming more and more real with each passing day. I am excited to make more progress on packing/storing things and to spend as much time as I can with my love before my departure. So very excited!

UPDATE: I applied for a few jobs today despite the fact that I have an almost-a-sure-thing waiting for me. I need to keep my options open, right? I really don't want to get my hopes up, but let's just say that I am more than a little excited about two of them in particular... Fingers crossed!!

Cruzan Countdown:

Have I mentioned that I only have 40 days until I move to St. Croix? Yup, tis true.


July 31st can't come soon enough.

Anyways, I hope you are all enjoying a lovely weekend! I shall return tomorrow with tales from mine.

Cruzan Countdown:

It seems like forever ago that I purchased my one-way ticket to the US Virgin Islands...

It wasn't. It was only a few weeks ago.

Regardless, today marks having only 50 days until I am hopping a plane with a mere three suitcases in tow. You heard me right; I will not be shipping anything down to the islands. It is all going into storage. The only things that I am bringing with me are those things that can fit into my luggage.

Although daunting, it feels really nice to be simplifying my life for a little bit. I really don't need a whole bunch of stuff, especially since I will be staying with friends for at least the first month or two of my stay.

Also, there have been many inquiries as to what Lily will be doing while I am away. Here is the answer: Lily will be staying with my best friend (and her 2nd favorite person in all the world), Kayla. If I opt to stay for longer than a few months, I will be shipping her down to St. Croix to be with me. If not, I have saved her immense amounts of unnecessary stress. Yes, I am going to miss her so very much, but downtown Christiansted is no place for a dog, and if I can spare her the trauma, I will.

So there are some more details about my pending move to the Caribbean... Stay tuned for more as my date of departure creeps closer and closer!

An Explanation May Be Necessary:

I have had so many people ask me why I am moving to St. Croix, both here on the blog and in regular conversation, so I suppose I owe everyone an explanation of sorts.

If words aren't your thing, I feel that this sums it up pretty well...



When people ask me why I am moving to an island, they usually get a "Why not?" in response. When people ask me what I am going to do in St. Croix, I typically respond with a simple "Life". I have had more than one person give me a look like their head was about to explode because they just could not wrap their minds around the idea of this. (Which I find slightly sad, to be honest.)

I have always been far more interested in mountains and the woods than beaches, but the island lifestyle absolutely captivated me during my ten days there over spring break, and all it did was leave me wanting more. I yearn for an adventure, I crave change, I feel the need to venture out on my own, I need to take a chance... St. Croix seems like the perfect prescription to me.

There is nothing stopping me from packing up and moving to paradise. My family is scattered throughout the country anyways, I am more than ready to leave my job at this point, I don't have a house to worry about selling/renting, I am ready to leave this college town in the dust, the economy is better down there anyways... The list goes on and on. True, my budding relationship has put a dark cloud over all of this, but we love each other enough to make this work. Worse comes to worse, I move back. Extended vacation in the mean time? Yes, please!

So there it is. I am jumping into life head first, and can I tell you something? It feels great.

(All images from here.)

Cruzan Countdown:

I did it... Just now... Mere minutes ago...

I bought my one-way ticket to St. Croix! Well, technically it is to St. Thomas, where I will catch the ferry that afternoon with all of my luggage. Either way, the countdown begins for my official departure date of July 31st...

Only 74 days!

How long I will stay is really up in the air at the moment with factors such as finding employment back here in the states and my relationship with Jake having to be taken into serious consideration. Regardless of whether I end up living there for months or years, it is going to be nothing short of an adventure, which is exactly what I want.

Countdown Continuation:

39 days until I graduate.

108 days until I move to the Virgin Islands.

Oh my, how things have changed since I last posted these countdowns! I am currently finalizing plans for family to come in town for my graduation and I have finally chosen a place to move to this summer! (I know, I was beginning to think I never would, either!)

I even picked up my cap, gown, and tassel today from the bookstore... this is definitely starting to feel more real. All I need to do is get through a couple more weeks of classes and assignments and then it'll be time to start sending around my resumé in search of employment. You've gotta pay the bills, even in paradise!

So sorry that the posts have been sparing as of late. I promise that I'll be going full force again once finals are over with and my family has all returned home! Wish me luck!

USVI Part 6:

Okay, I don't know how long it is going to be until J.R. posts those final pictures and I am absolutely bursting at the seams with this news!

First, I almost stayed an extra four days to participate in the St. Patty's day celebrations. I called the airline and my friend was willing to pitch it towards the transfer fees... Unfortunately I knew that I was going to be bombarded with school work when I returned and felt it would be the responsible thing to leave as planned on Thursday. I have been kicking myself for this decision ever since.

Second, one of the friends I met while down there is coming to Georgia in a couple of weeks! He just so happens to have a wedding to attend in Atlanta and plans to make a trip to Athens to experience our drinking scene. I'm definitely excited to see him again.

Third, after having the absolute best time of my life, I decided that I will be moving to St. Croix this summer! Originally I was hoping to make the journey almost immediately following graduation, but there have been a couple of snags in my planning due to apartment lease issues and getting Lily down there so I don't think I'll be able to make it down until July. Either way, my heart is set on the island life and I am already counting the days until I am back on the beach with a rum and coke in hand!

So be prepared... many posts about my excitement as well as the involved process of moving across an ocean to follow!

Economy Shmashmonomy:

Granted, I have yet to begin my hardcore job search, but upon my initial glance at job listings and, ya know, all that talk on the television, I am starting to think that I may not be able to find a decent job post-graduation. Ugh.


So I could either move to Savannah and take the $10/hour job that I practically have lined up for me and also wait tables somewhere, or ask for a raise at my current job and stick around for another year in hopes that the economy will pick up. The latter also involves staying in Athens for yet another long, drawn out 365 days though. Did I mention, 'ugh'?

Unless I magically find a job, it would definitely be more responsible of me to stay here in order to save some money and ride this thing out, but the thought totally crushes my heart to be completely honest. I guess we'll have to wait and see...

(This whole thing kind of pisses me off though... Haven't we always been told to get good grades, get into a good university, get your degree, and you'll be assured a good job? I played by the rules, people! Now give me my job! Humf.)

Land of the Saguaro:

Okay, let's finish up this list... The final city to pro/con is Phoenix, Arizona:


Pros:
1. Clean.
2. Hot.
3. Mountains.
4. Far away.
5. No more rainy days!

Cons:
1. No ocean.
2. No friends.
3. Southwestern architecture... everywhere. Yuck.
4. Very little greenery.

(Sorry, I am totally getting lazy with these... I realize that this particular one is sub-par, but it gets the main points across, no?) Add your opinions about Phoenix in the comments section, as always! And keep voting in the right sidebar... I love seeing what y'all think!

Previous Pro/Con Lists:
Tampa
Savannah
New Orleans
Los Angeles
Dallas
New York

(Photo from here.)

Home of the Buccaneers:

Whoops! I guess I got ahead of myself and almost forgot good old Tampa!



Pros:
1. Gasparilla- Tampa's annual pirate fest!
2. It is nice and warm.
3. On the beach.

Cons:
1. Outside the city is pretty po-dunk.
2. It's not very far away from Georgia.
3. No mountains whatsoever.
4. There is nothing charming about the area... it's totally over-commercialized.

As always, feel free to chime in with your thoughts on the city!

Previous Pro/Con Lists:
Savannah
New Orleans
Los Angeles
Dallas
New York

(Photo from here.)

I Can't Think of a Saying for Savannah:

Don't worry, I didn't forget to finish pro/conning my list... things have just been a bit crazy as of late! Let's continue on with beautiful Savannah, Georgia, shall we?



Pros:
1. That Southern charm I love so much.
2. On the ocean.
3. Warmer than here.
4. I'd be an easy transition.
5. Lots of great charming houses to rent.

Cons:
1. It is way too close to where I live now, at only a 4 hour drive.
2. Not close to any mountains.

Hmm... this is the first list with the pros causing a definitive win. That con sure is a biggie though...

Previous Pro/Con Lists:
New Orleans
Los Angeles
Dallas
New York

(Photo from here.)

The Big Easy:

The list continues with New Orleans...


Pros:
1. Some definite Southern charm.
2. Near the ocean.
3. It's nice and warm.
4. Unique and full of culture.
5. Home of True Blood and sexy Creole accents.

Cons:
1. Worst crime rates in the country.
2. I hate Cajun food.
3. No mountains.
4. Again, I know nobody there.
5. Still kind of a mess from Katrina.

If you've ever been to N'awlins, let me know what you thought! Do you think I would like it there?

Previous Pro/Con Lists:
Los Angeles
Dallas
New York

(Photo from here.)