[Hope Gillam]

Totally agree! The traffic sucks! Is Christmas weird or what! I'm so homesick.

[BKLYNMOM]

OH wow you guys are scaring me. Thinking of moving to FL from NY. NOW I AM REALLY SCARED!

[jmc]

BKLYNMOM, I understand your fears. I think it really depends on what you are looking for regarding location. I had a dream of moving to Southern California after growing up in boring Indiana. It made California pretty appealing! I also lived through a blizzard in Colorado, a tornado in Tennessee, and an ice storm in Virginia (an icy branch was seconds away from knocking me out). That said, moving to a place with a lack of real seasons was not a negative thing...I was excited about being near the beach and being in sunny weather. I know I'm talking about CA when this post is about FL, but it's a comparable situation. I came here with an idea of what to expect in CA and have loved it here! I have been here almost 6 years and have made many friends, met my husband here, and so on. The point is, CA and FL are not for everyone. It really depends on what matters most to you, what makes you happy regarding a place to live. If you prefer seasons and being near loved ones and a bustling city like NY, I can see how FL would get discouraging and may not be the right fit, no matter how many walks you take on the beach. I moved to Colorado Springs on my own ten years ago and was miserable there, at times (yet some people LOVE it there and wouldn't want to leave it). I had a more positive experience with moving to San Diego. Anyway, decisions about where to live can be confusing and there very well could be regrets, but sometimes you find something amazing along the way, you grow in the process, or you find a place that feels like home. We're actually probably leaving CA and moving to northern FL to be able to afford a house, be closer to family, etc., and I very well may not like FL nearly as much as CA, but I am certainly glad I came here and that CA was part of my journey. FL may not be right for some of you, just as Colorado Springs was NOT right for me, but Godspeed to you and others as you find a place to call home. Life is short, live it the fullest, wherever you are.

[Adream]

A good friend of ours moved from PA to Naples three years ago and loves it! She started a second career, lives in one of the DeVosta (is that the right spelling?) "villages." She has friends, enjoys her work, loves the beach and her home, invests in local real estate, and even dates very nice gentlemen sometimes. She tells us she wishes she made the move ages ago, has never regretted moving to FL.
Just thought I'd add a bit of a postive note.

[jmc]

Thanks, Adream, I love reading positive stuff like that!

[bamboosmom]

Originally Posted by Adream

A good friend of ours moved from PA to Naples three years ago and loves it! She started a second career, lives in one of the DeVosta (is that the right spelling?) "villages." She has friends, enjoys her work, loves the beach and her home, invests in local real estate, and even dates very nice gentlemen sometimes. She tells us she wishes she made the move ages ago, has never regretted moving to FL.
Just thought I'd add a bit of a postive note.

Yowza! Devosta??? That's a big bucks place, isn't it? Good for your friend, Adream!!!

Hey guys we have plenty of seasons down here,
Hurricane Season,
Snowbird Season,
Holiday Season,
Dry Season,
Fire Season,
Alligator mating Season,
Sea Turtle nesting Season,

Ummmm.... LOL

In the northern part of Florida you will have sortof a change of season with the trees and its a bit cooler than the tropical south part of Florida.

Get out there and meet people. In certain communities they have get-together nights with, ummm, lets say, a New York night, a Massachussetts night, a Michigan night...etc.

The holidays are different but fun. Everybody in my community loves to decorate. Halloween is a blast. The kids all come around and treat or treat!
Christmas is beautiful. We have the Christmas Boat Parade in our town of Punta Gorda. I think Naples does it also.

Just enjoy life, because you never know what tommorrow brings.

[Jammie]

Bam, I love your list of seasons. Our Thanksgiving-Christmas holidays are normally snow-covered and cold. We spent one Christmas down in Fla. and it was the most beautiful Christmas. It was warm enough by mid-day to wear shorts. We didn't have to bundle up to go out, even at night. We just wore a light jacket and jeans. We didn't have to shovel any snow and we didn't have to slip and slide on any icy roads to get around. That's the type of winters I want to have from now on. Only one more midwestern winter and I'll be there, too. Can't wait.

[rkumar3]

FLorida is great...it is multi cultural with people from all around the world, offers sunny weather all through the year. Cost of living is decent... there is no income tax and best of all you can go to the beach in less than a couple of hours from almost everywhere in FL..

Come on and have fun

[bamboosmom]

Jammie, I think I left out a few seasons-

rainy season
hunting season
wabbit season!

[BKLYNMOM]

JMC
Thanks. You give me hope.