[Chelsa1075]

Have you been berry - how different from the Bronx zoo right? You can actually take the smell LOL.

[faithfulFrank]

When we visited Homosassa Springs state refuge, they had many pink flamingoes......they were beautiful.

I've avoided this thread because although I own a home in Florida, we do not live there yet. If I did answer the OP's question, it would be pages long.

I'll just throw in a few...

"I would never leave Florida., I couldn't imagine going back to.....

1) Static electricity so bad my lips would blow off kissing my wife...
2) winter coats so thick you could hardly buckle the seat belt.
3) Blizzards
4) pushing shopping carts thru the slushy snow.
5) letting the car warm up for 25 minutes as I chop ice off the windshield.
6) rust and salt covered cars.
7) high NY taxes
8) forgetting what the sun looked like
9) potholes everywhere
10) getting up an hour earlier for work just to shovel out your driveway.

OK I'm done for now.........carry on, but please stay on topic.

Frank D.

[Chelsa1075]

Ooh the static one was good. But you forgot potholes so big that you go into one and come out in Jersey.

[Madaly]

Originally Posted by faithfulFrank

When we visited Homosassa Springs state refuge, they had many pink flamingoes......they were beautiful.

I've avoided this thread because although I own a home in Florida, we do not live there yet. If I did answer the OP's question, it would be pages long.

I'll just throw in a few...

"I would never leave Florida., I couldn't imagine going back to.....

1) Static electricity so bad my lips would blow off kissing my wife...
2) winter coats so thick you could hardly buckle the seat belt.
3) Blizzards
4) pushing shopping carts thru the slushy snow.
5) letting the car warm up for 25 minutes as I chop ice off the windshield.
6) rust and salt covered cars.
7) high NY taxes
8) forgetting what the sun looked like
9) potholes everywhere
10) getting up an hour earlier for work just to shovel out your driveway.

OK I'm done for now.........carry on, but please stay on topic.

Frank D.

Frank, your reasons sound like mine. We are not there yet either, but yeah...
Dh has been after me for years and years to move. We used to fight about it. I was so adamant about not going. No no no no. I was convinced I loved the cold more than the heat. But after this winter...something changed.
A few weeks ago it snowed pretty bad. I was alone with the kids and I needed to go to the store. So I bundled them all up, got them in the car, spent about 10 mins scraping ice off my windshield, got in the car and had to sit on my hands, put my fingers in my mouth, nearly cry because they hurt so bad. It was so cold. I put the car in reverse and...got stuck. It took me another 45 minutes to shovel my way out of the driveway. I was half in-half out of the street and my wheels were just turning, I wasn't moving. I shoveled, then pushed the car, shoveled, and put rock salt under my tires, shoveled shoveled shoveled. At this point, it was raining/snowing mix and I was freezing. I got in the car and cried. I was so sick of it. I managed to get out of the driveway but I knew I was done.
It was then that I realized I hadn't been out of the house except to go to work all that often but in the summer, I was hardly ever home. We were at the beach every day, or at the park, or at the zoo, going for a walk.

This winter, we tried doing outdoor wintery things, like we went to the zoo near christmas to see the lights they set up but we stayed maybe 30 mins. SO cold, the kids were cold. We got them hot chocolate, but it was too hot, complain complain. So we went home.

So I told DH, lets do it. I have never seen him so happy, so animated. He is really excited.

[faithfulFrank]

Malady,
Good for you!
Life is not a practice run.......it is too short to be unhappy where you live, work, etc.

Two years ago we visited friends in Florida just to get away......I never thought I'd like Florida.......we fell in love with it, bought a house there and not a day has gone by that we've regretted it. In 2-3 years we will live there for good...........actually 844 days..........can't wait!!

Frank D.

[Madaly]

Originally Posted by faithfulFrank

Malady,
Good for you!
Life is not a practice run.......it is too short to be unhappy where you live, work, etc.

Two years ago we visited friends in Florida just to get away......I never thought I'd like Florida.......we fell in love with it, bought a house there and not a day has gone by that we've regretted it. In 2-3 years we will live there for good...........actually 844 days..........can't wait!!

Frank D.

We were in Disney a few weeks ago and I fell in love with the winter weather. 65 degrees? Are you serious? I mean, I was wearing a light sweater and at night it dipped down to like 50 I think..but it was the most perfect weather ever.

[Chelsa1075]

Can be mesmerizing right. Just be careful with that area, I haven't heard the best things about the schools in Orlando. Just check into that - you know since you mentioned the kids and all.

[Madaly]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

Can be mesmerizing right. Just be careful with that area, I haven't heard the best things about the schools in Orlando. Just check into that - you know since you mentioned the kids and all.

no no no, we don't plan on moving to Orlando, no no.

We are looking into somewhere in Sarasota county, North Port most likely

[Chelsa1075]

I don't know those areas either, so I have no input. My best friend lives in Orlando and does not like the school system at all. Just figured I'd share. Good luck Mad, I hope all goes well.

[faithfulFrank]

For thirty years I paid high NY school taxes and put my kids through very good schools. Now we are empty nesters and at the risk of sounding selfish, the school system is not the very first area of concern on my list.

(That is not saying I do not care or think it is unimportant)

OK, back to topic........

11) swimming only three months a year during a GOOD year.
12) paying 700 bucks a month to keep a house warm enough to just wear one or two sweaters.
13) having the only sand you ever see is the sand tubes in your trunk for traction.

OK......carry on.