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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018
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Family from Warrenton
experiences joy, challenges
of life in the Caribbean
Photos submitted by Samantha
St. Croix has sandy beaches and
Jones
clear blue water. The island is a
popular travel
destination that was widely dam
aged by Hurricane Maria, a Cat
egory 5 storm
that hit the region in September
2017.
By ANNAMARIA MORRILL
For The Daily Astorian
M
oving a family with seven children and three cats to a
region of the world with a different culture takes courage
and a leap of faith.
Samantha (“Sam”) and William (“Bill”) Jones, a cou-
ple in their 30s, were ready for a change and moved from Warrenton
to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands in February 2015. Their daugh-
ters — whose ages ranged from 1 to 12 — were allowed to take only
what fit in their suitcases. Most of the family’s belongings had to stay
behind, but less is needed, they soon learned, for their new life in the
Caribbean.
The Jones family has adjusted to the island lifestyle. They have
learned to live simpler than before. They enjoy outdoor activities and
spend lots of time at beaches and tide pools. The girls have found sports
teams and dance classes. Their life has changed for the better.
“The best thing that has happened since we moved here was my
children being able to be outside and play,” Sam said in an email inter-
view. “I love all the friends that we have made and how much we have
learned about all the different Caribbean cultures.”
St. Croix is said to be the Virgin Islands’ hidden treasure, with a per-
fect combination of nature, history and adventure.
The clear, blue water, white beaches and sunshine make it a coveted
travel destination. It is also known as one of the best diving locations
in the world. Travel magazines praise the weather and culture, the food
and friendly people.
The Joneses have learned to enjoy new meals, such as salted fish
with mashed potatoes, curry chicken with vegetables, and goat. But the
food is often expensive. They had to learn where to find certain foods
for the best price. Sometimes they need to visit a few stores to be able
to prepare a meal. Some foods are expensive — a gallon of milk, for
example, can cost $5.99.
The U.S. Virgin Islands has only 50,000 residents. The island is sim-
ilar to the continental U.S. but also has many differences. On top of
the tropical climate, Crucian dialect and loud “soca” music, newcom-
ers must get used to left-side traffic and a confusing address system, in
which residential areas are “lumped” into estates.
Something had to change
A couple of years ago, Sam lived through a challenging season. She
had returned to work at Starbucks at Warrenton’s Fred Meyer when her
youngest child was six weeks old. Her husband, Bill, was working at
ITT Technical Institute in Portland and could not return home daily.
Sam was taking care of the house and their children, including keep-
ing up with their after-school activities. Without her mother-in-law
helping with the younger ones, Sam would not have been able to keep
up with life’s demands. All other family members lived elsewhere in
Oregon or in Washington state, where Sam and Bill are originally from.
“All I wanted was to have my husband home every night,” Sam
said. The children also missed their father.
Sam and Bill knew something had to change, but Bill wasn’t able to
find work in his field closer to the North Coast.
It became clear that there weren’t many local options, and the cou-
ple started talking about moving away. Sam and Bill had taken a vaca-
tion to St. Croix in September 2014; they both loved the weather, the
people and the relaxing island lifestyle. They knew it would be a great
place to raise their family, Sam said.
See ISLAND, Page 2C
picture was taken in June
William and Samantha Jones with their seven daughters. This
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
in
Croix
St.
to
moved
they
after
2016, almost a year and a half
The Jones
children are
active in sports
and dance. In
this photo, the
oldest daughter,
Bria, is wearing a
madras costume
after performing
for cruise ship
tourists. She is
with her younger
sister, Olivia.