Though neither of us is from the Boston area originally, (Rich, from Portsmouth, NH), (Marilyn, from New York City) we have both spent the majority of our adult lives there, and it was in Boston that we met as the youngest of our 4 children was just graduating high school and one of us, Marilyn, was already a grandmother. Now, almost 20 years later, we have 9 grandchildren between us and we still live just outside of Boston.
When we first met, we both had dreams of owning a vacation home one day - Rich, in Martha's Vineyard, because of it's proximity; Marilyn - somewhere in the Caribbean because of it's warmth and rich culture. It didn't take a lot of convincing for Rich to adopt the 'Caribbean dream.' We did a lot of visits to the BVI, USVI and many Caribbean islands and fell in love with St. John, as most people do.
The process was daunting and we were lucky to have a person showing us around, who was very frank about all of the potential downsides, as well as the benefits of ownership . One tends to fantasize that owning a vacation rental will be like renting a vacation home, without having to pay the rent. It's not, it's hard work, but it is gratifying when our guests truly enjoy themselves. The house has been a challenge and an evolving work of love, with each and every item in it attached to a story or memory. These years have certainly been an adventure! They have solidified us as a team. Our latest and greatest challenge has been the devastation from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. We were there during both, and though we both cried many tears after, we soon got it together and committed to doing the work of restoration and even improvement. The stress, expense and time have been daunting, but now that we have finished, we both agree that it was right to do. Ultimately, when we awaken in the morning at Andante and see the sun cresting over the horizon in what have to be the most beautiful sunrises ever, we feel incredibly fortunate and blessed.