La Cucharacha, the Homeless Dog and the Bad Meal-

I have to say...that there are many things to love about St. Thomas. The weather, the water, the people...all wonderful. But at times, If you are living on island and not just guesting in a hotel, you sometimes, if you look close enough, get to see the rough underbelly of the place, and what it really is like. For those who say they want to live on an island...stay for three weeks , maybe a month..in a rental. Ditch the hotel.

Now, factor in the cost..St. Thomas is an island...everything has to be sent there, from somewhere else. Thus anything you by, milk, gas, WATER, electricity is at a premium price.

If you can get by the cost, you start to look a little closer...

Stray animals are a huge problem, and it doesn't seem to get any better. As we drove to Home Dept, I kept noticing this one adorable little stray hanging around the lot. It was if his owner dumped him and he was just waiting for him/her to come back. Heartbreaking. For two days in a row he was there. By the third day, I no longer would go to Home Depot. The roaches are so big, I swear I could have harnessed a saddle on it, and used it for transportation, and this is the first time I noticed a huge assortment of cats. While I don't love seeing them, they can for the most part fend for themselves. Dog's cannot. Exorbitant food costs for what seem like mediocre meals. Exception: East End Cafe, Roberts) Molly Malone's, which we used to like in the past, was horrible. Inedible.

But then again, in Florida we have many of the same issues. Lousy food, pesky pests, stray animals...I guess when you think of paradise, you just don;t think of those things.

Many times my husband has said he has wanted to go live there, on St. Thomas full time.

Me? I just don't think I am ready for that. Not yet. Work is prevalent and abundant. Give me another year, and I may change my mind. Only problem? I dont think you can bring animals "into" the island.... so where would my pets go?