My St John: Visiting Su & Tom

Our friends Su and Tom invited us to their house for pre-pizza cocktails. They are from NJ but now live on STJ for 7 months of the year. Their house is high up on a mountainside in Calabash Boom. Tom and Su built the house together, first camping on the site. It's a darling island cottage with just one room that's screened off for sleeping. The rest of the house is open with birds and lizards passing through it. It's a lot like a boat, everything compact and functional. They even made their furniture and Su sewed the fabrics. They're off the grid, getting their electricity from their windmill and storing it in car batteries. They have an outdoor shower and a composting toilet. They have a TV they use to watch DVDs and a ham radio to contact neighbors. The project is ongoing, Tom has plans to extend the kitchen and make room for storage, I think Su would be very happy about that since all their food and belongings are in plastic bins stacked in the main room.

I am so admiring of people who can do this, and they must be incredibly proud of their accomplishment and ability. It's a labor of love, and a story that is still unfolding. Though it wouldn't be my choice of lifestyle and I don't think I would be happy living that way for a long time, there is something appealing to the yearn for a simpler life to make this choice and be self sustaining. It's a charming place they have done up with real island style.