I say you should go for it. I lived in St Thomas for 6 months as a travel nurse. That's where I met my FI. We lived at sapphire beach condos. The view and beaches are amazing. We lived in HI for 6 mos too and I still love the USVI beaches more. I left my family in Louisiana and went by myself. I was scared to death but now I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. It was the best decision I made. The locals can be rude and everyone lives on "island time", but the benefits outweigh the negatives. You can go to the British virgin islands for super cheap and it's so secluded and beautiful!! We always talk about how awesome it was and we're so glad we did it!! Plus if 'island fever' gets to you to much you can be home in 3 hrs!!