[TouchOfWhimsy]

We moved from CT to SW Florida in 2004. The first two summers I was miserable. I was also pretty unhappy at Christmastime the first two years... Christmas just wasn't Christmas without snow and cold (and family)!

I don't have any more seasonal depression, though, I've adjusted to the heat, I love living near the beach, I love that I can take the kids to the park any day of the year (though it's quite hot in the summer!), and I can even whack a palmetto bug now without screaming like a little girl. We went home to CT last winter for a week, and I was miserable and cold, LOL. How did I ever live like that??

I have not noticed differences in my body per se, but I'm only 30 and do not have the aches and pains that come with age, I guess.

[luvthatmouse]

Originally Posted by markhunt

I like Florida a lot and whenever I do move back up north to raise my children I would definatley like to have a summer home here. To me the best situation would be spending Jan. 2 - April here in Florida and the rest of the time up north.

That would be our ideal too. Or at least have a time share like Disney's DVC and come down once a month for a long weekend from Jan-April.

I am from NY and my husband is from MA. Our first summer we were fine here in Orlando. It has been the last few summers that we find worse. I really do think it gets hotter every year. It also seems to last longer. I hate the long winters up north (gray, dead, itchy dry skin) but I also hate the never ending heat/humidity here. I never had allergies up north but here they are awful around this time when everything starts blooming and blowing around. There are a ton of pine trees here too. My friend from NJ says the same. He even has to take allergy meds. On the other hand we don't get sick in the winter as much. I always got bronchitis in the winter up north and have not had that here.

My parents moved down a few years ago and they said it is very hard for them to breathe in the summer. It feels like an anvil is weighing on their chests. They will not do much with us in the summer as they stay inside a lot. It is hard to get anyone to get motivated in July, August, September.