Caribbean vs States

It turns out we didn't do anything over the weekend. That's not always a bad thing; to me nothing is still something, but I have to admit we're bored. We couldn't even figure out somewhere to just take a walk. We ended up reading on our deck. Money's tight for us right now, so that is rather limiting; and without anyplace to hike, which was always my de-stresser, we're unsuccessfully fumbling for a replacement.

I'm going to take this opportunity to address a few reader questions I've gotten. Some of you might be surprised to learn how hard it is to return to your own country (wherever it is) once you've been out and about for awhile. In August when we realized we had to leave St. Kitts thanks to austerity measures implemented by Michael's employer, we decided to accept an offer to try Key West on for size. When we left the U.S. seven years ago, we had no intention of returning (other than visits). The world is a big place. We really wanted to participate in other cultures and see countries in ways that you just can't experience while on vacation. In particular, we were hoping to find a place that had 80+-degree temperatures year-round, had great hiking, beautiful beaches, warm/clean water to play in, friendly people, and views we could enjoy from our home balcony. And a place we could earn income in some way. We planned on a two- to four-year sail; then a five-year experience on a Caribbean island while we saved up for the next hop; and then thought we'd leap to the Pacific to see what was over there (knowing it was cheaper). Of course, plan is a four-letter word, and by its vary definition; plans change.

After four years on St. Kitts, we realized that, from a monetary stand-point, we were more likely to need a seven-year plan to save enough to be comfortable enough to quit again and take off for another adventure. This was not a bad thing.  But it was also not meant to be. Not only did we not get seven years, but we didn't end up in the Pacific either. No problem. We can adjust.

We kept hearing how similar to the Caribbean Key West would be - it is an island after all and closer to Cuba than the U.S. mainland. Why not? We could have fought harder to stay on St. Kitts, but had to admit to ourselves that we were a little tired of a few things. We had broken both our pot lids and couldn't replace them. Our wardrobe was in dire need of rejuvenation, but our choices were either glittery/metallic spandex or unaffordable. Sneakers were available, but I had a choice of one brand that cost over US$70 (that may be what you pay for sneakers; but not me). I could no longer have my morning "coffee" of Diet Dr. Pepper because it was rarely in stores, and when it was available, people fought over it. I switched to Diet Coke, but would sometimes have to go a week or two without that as well, because the one distributor on-island forgot to order it. Sometimes I got crabby about this.

Add lots of power outages, electric bills that fluctuated like weather, how difficult/expensive it was to fly on/off the island, and increasing crime, and we thought maybe we were ready to try something new anyway. Michael and I decided to try to embrace the conveniences and access to "stuff" again in the States and see how it went. Having a job, sealed the deal.

So from a monetary standpoint, which place costs more? St. Kitts or Key West? It turns out, we're actually paying a little less per month here (about $250/month less). We were paying over US$800 in groceries every month in St. Kitts. For two people! A twelve pack of soda cost $US24. Our choices were rather limited and, as vegetarians, we really struggled to find anything satisfying. If you were in-the-know or could grow your own stuff, you had it made, but we had a hard time getting that off the ground. Our electric bill would go from US$95 to $125. We never paid that in the U.S.; not even in summer in Arizona (I'll admit we're not normal). Here's what it looks like broken down:

(Monthly/in US$)	St. Kitts	Key West
Electricity	$95-$125	$45.00
Cable & internet	$70.00	$90.00
Garbage/sewer	-	$35.00
Water	$7.00	$55.00
Rent	$1500 (2-story stand-alone villa; 2Bed/3Ba, pool)	$1375 (650 sqft 1Bed/1Ba)
Cell phone	$74 (Came with job)	$140.00
No cars/moped gas	--	$15.00
Groceries	$800.00	$450.00
Taxes (Federal)	--	$60.00
TOTAL	$2,546-$2,576  ($2474 if you don't include cell phone)	$2,255.00

Our entertainment, gifts bought, and other misc. expenses are pretty similar, either because we cut back (meaning we're not doing anything in order to save money) or spent less (because things/activities are cheaper). What's also not reflected here is our income. Which is much less here. Remedying that requires working several jobs, something we better really like a place to do. No comment.

Medical care was certainly much cheaper in the Caribbean (and perfectly up to par), but if something major had happened, we would have had to have paid a fortune to be flown back to the States for care, and then wouldn't have been able to afford the actual care either. What scares me is that it's not really that different in Key West. Major accidents result in the victim being air-transported (at a cost of $20-35K) to a Miami hospital. The answer is to get Air-Evac insurance - which we can get anywhere, so there's no U.S. advantage (other than the shorter distance).

Key West prides itself on its laid-back attitude. That may be true compared to the rest of the U.S., although I think California could give it a run for its money, but it is not true compared to actual Caribbean islands. They are laid back. Maybe to a fault, but still. You rarely hear of road rage in the islands. Here, we have people yell at us or at others daily (even people on bikes cop an attitude). It is rare for the police to pull you over in the islands. Not so here. I'll always have an Italian-New Yorker, Type-A personality, but even I'm having a problem getting excited over the "little" stuff anymore (getting old is probably helping with that too).

I'm realizing some of the things that were bothering me in St. Kitts, weren't that important after all. I'd rather have the quiet, the dirt roads, the potholes, the big empty beaches, the wildlife, the rain forests, the mountains that provide views of both the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea if you have the fortitude to climb them, and the friendships of people who share the same wanderlust and open-minded attitude toward life. I really miss it. So does Michael. And if you think the islands are laid back, then try living on a boat. The cruising life really teaches you how to relax and take life as it comes. It was an adjustment leaving that and moving onto an island; and it's now another adjustment to move back to the States.

Friends are telling me we're going through reverse culture shock. I agree. I also like the term native foreigner. But the bigger question is whether we want to re-acclimate or not. I'm not anti-American. I don't hate the country. I just feel more at ease, more at home, outside its boundaries. Even as a teenager, I pictured myself joining the Peace Corps - the world was calling. That said, I'm really glad we came back because, just like we did while on Jacumba, we've learned a lot about ourselves. We're slowly honing in on what are deal breakers for us, and what just doesn't matter in the long run. Our must-haves/don't cares continue to evolve, but we try to be happy wherever we are. That doesn't mean we can't aspire to be somewhere else though. :-)

I understand the draw of Key West, especially as a vacation destination, and there are certainly things we can join as a way to meet people and rid ourselves of the boredom. Many of the institutions here get a thumbs up for giving local pricing/discounts. But we still find ourselves yearning for the simpler pace of the Caribbean. And the mountains... I'm not sure if it'll be time or a move that makes us feel better, but we'll certainly take advantage of what Key West has to offer as long as we're here (well, the mostly free stuff). Free movie nights (at Mel Fisher's Museum), and free popcorn? We're there!