So, You Want to Live and Work in Vieques..
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Vieques- August 2008 NEW
Living and Working in Vieques..
The opinions expressed herein are strictly my own. I feel I have to open with a disclaimer, because despite living here for over 20 years, there is still so much I do not know.
People often write to me to ask what they can expect if they move to Vieques. Other write with appeals for career guidance. This essay addresses both of those questions.
You can expect the beauty and fascination of living on a small island. Beautiful beaches, clear night skies, good food, a simple, sometimes primitive way of life. Plentiful fruit to pick in summer, coconuts all year round. You will have cheap car insurance, little taxes, very fresh bread, and fish. People are warm and accepting. It is not difficult to break into what passes for society here. There are occasional,very occasional, concerts and art shows.
You can also expect higher prices than you imagined for rent, for gas, for food. Electricity and water which sometimes go out without warning, barking dogs and roaming horses, roosters galore (with no sense of night and day) and more recently a substantial increase in pesky iguanas.
A bureaucracy that sometimes chills even the most experienced of us. If you do not speak the language, you will stumble along with the rest of us while trying to explain what is wrong with your car. In addition, there is relatively poor medical care even though we have a hospital and private Doctors on the island. Long lines at the one pharmacy drive many people to drink. Watch out for the expiration date on milk, cream and butter. The meat is Ok, but jut ok. The ubiquitous plastic bags do not do not confine themselves to the stores; they float around the island causing a lot of garbage.
The weather is mostly wonderful; we have for many years been lucky hurricane-wise. Which does not mean that the next one is not already heading towards us. There is no movie theatre, no bowling alley, and no traffic light. When we say there is nothing to do in Vieques, we mean it. This is not an island for people who do not have inner resources.
The likelihood that you will meet the love of your life is slim (although it does happen).
It is hard to make a living here. Restaurant work in season is always needed, the same for people working in construction. Electricians and plumbers are needed also; we have a few, we could use more. Bookkeeping is another area we could use one or two more. Speculation in land is like all speculating – a few people have made tidy sums.
There are five legitimate real estate brokers on the island; we really do not need any more. Also, the course to become a RE broker is long and arduous. We no longer need an Internet cafe; we now have one in Roy’s Coffee Lounge and another at the Vieques Historical Trust. While we do get more visitors in the spring and summer, it is not a rush of people. In this matter, I feel like Barack Obama; all the elements are here but we do not seem to be able to make the kind of break through that other islands have. It is a mystery to me.
If you are a medical professional, check with the PR government as to what you have to do to be legal here. Same goes for teachers.
We could probably use one or two experienced house managers, but it will take a while to get started.
The schools, for those of you with small children, are not regarded as good.
Living here is a mixture of frustration and pleasure. What matters most in making a decision to live here is your ability to handle both of these feelings. No one comes here to make money, except for the rare large real estate developer who see gold in the hills and in beachfront property.
Housing rentals are not cheap, except when they are cheap and then you might not want to live there. If the new W hotel opens sometime in the spring, I will have to write another column because the change in Vieques will be significant. I believe it will be a change for the better. The infusion of hundreds of people staying there will greatly improve all aspects of life – but no one knows when the W hotel will open. The renovation goes forward, slowly.
Running an inn or a guest house is one of the better things to do. Not that that does not bring its own frustrations, but clever advertising and marketing and providing the best place you can has worked well for many people.
There is no bookstore here (been tried), no chain managed fast food –that is because the traffic does not indicate that they would be successful.
This summer has been slow, reflecting the economic turndown in the States and the higher costs of flying.
If you have any questions about this or any other questions I can answer, please feel free to write me.
For all of that, having been here for over 20 years, this is the best place I know. It is a nurturing place, a caring place – it is unique.Have a wonderful visit,
Sheila
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Webmaster's Note * Sheila has many hats and is also a published author Her first book was "Simple Truths". She has asked that I put a short story she has written and I enjoyed it a lot, even though it has nothing to do with Vieques. You can download "Knowing" by right clicking on the link.
She is also Co-owner of Crow's Nest Realty with Eli Belendez of the hotel Crows Nest.
Sheila can be reached for a brochure through her web page at http://www.crowsnestrealty.com