As Michael’s 3rd semester came to a close, the island’s power and water company seemed to be on the verge of collapse. We were losing both almost daily. We would check their website, only to find that generator 14 or 11 (or whichever one happened to be overloaded at the moment) was down. When you live on a tropical island, air conditioning and regular showers are necessities. Not to mention how much food you waste when your power goes out mid-preperation…day after day. It was really beginning to wear on us so we decided to keep our eyes and ears open in case one of the nice buildings with generators had an opening. As luck would have it, we stopped at a local mini-mart one day and found a flyer on their door for La Terrasse Resort apartment rentals! Located in the village of Maho, only a 4 minute drive to AUC (just on the other end of the golf course), La Terrasse is one three sister-resorts (others are LaPlage and Sonnesta Maho).
We wasted no time in calling for an appointment. We loved it! It’s a 1-bedroom condo in a building with a mix of time-shares, long-term rentals, and hotel rentals. Within a week, we had a deposit placed and contract in the works. There is a laundry room on premises, an infinity pool with a hot tub, a restaurant, a mini-mart on the first floor, a spa, bi-weekly maid service, and tons of little shops just outside the door! On a clear day, you can see the island of Saba from our place.
We enjoy trying out new restaurants and taking walks up and down the strip at night.
We can also use the amenities at the sister-resorts, including more pools, a beach, a gym, tons of activities (aquarobics), and $10 free “game cash” at the casino downstairs every night! Michael wins $40 weekly on average. It’s great!!! Not to mention, all utilities are included in the rent. All-in-all, we pay LESS here than we did at our old place with NO GENERATOR!
Needless to say, our outlook on St. Maarten changed dramatically as soon as we moved in 
We feel like we’re on vacation everyday. It’s going to be really hard to leave here 
