[Sunny-Days90]

The topic is who moved back to Florida.

Since the other thread got closed because of the negativity, maybe we can stay positive and let those who did moved back post without a bunch of negatives tossed in.

If you can remember anyone from the past who posted here who moved back mention there names so we go back on their post and read. I enjoy doing this myself.

So the topic is:



WHO MOVED BACK TO FLORIDA after moving out of Florida?

Where did you or are you moving back from?
Where did you or are you moving to?

[LMMEGNA]

This is a repost of my personal experiences with moving to, from and back to Florida in a 3 year span. I will be keeping everyone up to date on how it progresses and by the way, I will be down in Florida on May 5 to view rental homes for my families long awaited move back this July 09.I am thrilled!

REPOST
OK...ok...you wanted it, here it is and it's long.....


.......Having been born and raised 42 years in the Cape Cod area of Ma., I had longed to live in Florida since I was 11 years old. As a child, my family would vacation every year in either Winter Haven, Orlando, Ocala, St. Augustine or Titusville. So I have seen the growth and changes that Florida has gone through, since 1978, but, through rose colored glasses per say. I was on vacation remember, so I was not in "the real world". I had the opportunity as an adult, to move to Florida (my dream), when my wonderful husband really sat down and worked the numbers and realized that a move from Ma. to Florida would be financially beneficial, in a big way! And, my husband has a job where he can transfer basically anywhere. We chose to build our dream home in Winter Haven because my husband was to work in Orlando and very much used to driving long distances to work, also because, I had visited this area for years.
When we arrived in our new home, which was a fiasco in itself, I was in heaven, then it hit me- Florida is vastly different from Ma. and within 2 weeks, I was crying constantly, wondering why I had made such a horrible, life changing decision for my family (we have 3 children, 2 in school) and wanted to go home to Ma.

Here's why and please, by no means do I want to insult anyone, any culture, any economic standing, but THIS is the reason why I have flip flopped so many times.:

Florida to me was "Disney like", imagine that, and I believe it is to most of us who are not from there and that is what we think it will be like to live there. Those who live there, know it's not.

THIS is what I saw my first week in Florida, everytime
I left my rose colored glasses, dream home in my gated upscale community (I'm being sarcastic here), (and please, I know NOW, that this IS NOT everywhere in Fl).....

1. Our daughters teachers were uneducated and her school was disgusting and filled with gangs (GANGS!)Gasp!!
2. There were more spanish speaking people here, than english speaking and all the products on the shelves catered to spanish speaking people, or so it seemed to me
3. I saw a church every 3rd building and some were made of mobile homes
4. I saw living conditions that I DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED IN THE USA (surprise, suprise, I was raised in an all white upper middle class family community/town, etc.)
5. Daily I would see people with no teeth or driving down the street on a quad with a six pack on the back and their kids!
6. The post office, ulitity co., DMV was at least 15-20 yrs behind in the form of technology.(what do you mean I have to wait more than 10 min.?)
7. Food shopping was different, the meats tasted different, you even have different cuts of beef than we do up north, who knew? I always though a cows a cow...guess not. The selection is far less as well.
8. Southern hospitality is not alive and living in central Fl.
9. There are a lot of Floridians who just don't like people from the north
10. OMG...I have to drive so far to get to ANYTHNG!
11. Don't be fooled....The ONLY thing CHEAPER in Florida is the housing, EVERYTHING else is MORE EXPENSIVE!

The list goes on and on, but I'm sure you can tell that I am culture shocked and confused and disoriented at this point. THIS isn't MY Florida, what did they do to it? Where did it go?

It is 18 months later, I have b*tched and complained everyday to everone who would listen as I desperately try to "get out of Dodge". It finally happens, the planets aline perfectly and we are able to move back to Ma. Yipeeee, my kids are thrilled, I'm thrilled, my husband is hoping
I will just shut up already and we will be moving within 6 months!

This is where the change begins to occur, I start traveling outside of central Fl (for work), to the east coast, to the gulf coast, to other areas and towns where the people seem to be "normal" (at least my normal)....I begin to ask myself if maybe, just maybe, we moved to the WRONG part of Florida and it was NOT Florida as a whole that has let me down so much. I begin to accept certain things, get used to others and actually like a few. BUT, I never share this with my family because, well, we're moving back to Ma. soon and that is probably best, because the "GRASS IS SO MUCH GREENER THERE"

Well, it is now 2 yrs since we moved to Florida and we have moved back to Ma. I am here for abt. 2-3 weeks and low and behold, I HATE IT! I don't think I mentioned to you that I detest the cold weather, I mean in a sense that I hibernate 6-8 months out of the year in the cold!

I know right off, that this was a HUGE mistake and to the tune of over $130,000, because that is how much we have lost during my "confusion on where I want to live" Yes, my husband is an angel, yes I worship him and yes, we are still married.....lol.....
I am not the only one who feels this way though, my husband begins to feeel it almost immediately too (but doesn't say anything), my daughter (14), takes abt 5 months to say it too.

WE MISS FLORIDA!!!!

Here's why:
1. Yes, the schools were bad and there were gangs, but....my daughters new school academics are not that much better than her old school (I am shocked)
2. Ok, ok, so no one speaks spanish and the products are all in english, but guess what...who cares? not me anymore I guess. Yes, it's a novelty to actually see white construction workers and landscapers, but hey,the novelty has worn off.
3. Food....our first month here, we ate and ate and ate at all of our favorite places and bought our favorite foods and it was HEAVENLY..... but, that's worn off too and we've gained 10lbs!..I lost 50 in Florida!!!
4. Because of economic times as they are and the losses we have incurred on selling our home in bad times, we are now living in an area where people ride quads with their kids on the back, sit on their porch till 3am and listen to loud music and , well, you get what I'm saying.
5. So there isn't a church around ever corner up here......not a concern anymore or such a shock.
6. I have to DRIVE forever to get to ANYWHERE!!! Sound familiar??? I thought so.
7. I've been given the finger 8 times in 3 weeks and yelled at for being a "Florida driver" (we still have our plates), talk about southern hospitality!
8. So I haven't had to wait at a post office, goverment office or DMV, (or a BK , MCD's,Wendy's etc...)SO WHAT.......Now I have extra time in my day to think about how much I hate living here!

It's been 8 months living back in Ma.....it has been a living hell, we are miserable, let me rephrase that, more miserable than we EVER were in Florida. Have I said how it's been the coldest and snowiest winter in 2 years? Ya..........

Daughtry sings a phrase in one of his songs "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it all, and then some you don't want" This IS my anthem, sad to say.

What's up in the future for my family? Well, we are planning on making the move back to Florida in August of this year (2009), exactly 1 year after moving back to Ma. and 3 years from moving orig. down to Florida. What have we learned or should I say, what have I learned? Well, it has cost me over 3 years of my life, what will be close to $200,000,and being medicated for depression due to the insanity.....for me to finally KNOW in my heart WHERE I belong and WANT to be....FLORIDA!!......And honestly, I think that it is a pretty cheap price to pay to really, really, know what you want in life because some people NEVER EVER achieve that!

Oh ya.....my family is doing fabulous, the kids are great, my husband is wonderful as usual and the saga continues......

PS...we still have no idea WHERE we will live in Florida, but..it won't be anywhere off of Rt. 27!
That's why I've been asking sooo many questions abt. EVERYWHERE in Florida, again, we're lucky that my husband can transfer just abt. anywhere. Love you honey!

[Jimrob1]

Originally Posted by LMMEGNA

This is a repost of my personal experiences with moving to, from and back to Florida in a 3 year span. I will be keeping everyone up to date on how it progresses and by the way, I will be down in Florida on May 5 to view rental homes for my families long awaited move back this July 09.I am thrilled!

REPOST
OK...ok...you wanted it, here it is and it's long.....


.......Having been born and raised 42 years in the Cape Cod area of Ma., I had longed to live in Florida since I was 11 years old. As a child, my family would vacation every year in either Winter Haven, Orlando, Ocala, St. Augustine or Titusville. So I have seen the growth and changes that Florida has gone through, since 1978, but, through rose colored glasses per say. I was on vacation remember, so I was not in "the real world". I had the opportunity as an adult, to move to Florida (my dream), when my wonderful husband really sat down and worked the numbers and realized that a move from Ma. to Florida would be financially beneficial, in a big way! And, my husband has a job where he can transfer basically anywhere. We chose to build our dream home in Winter Haven because my husband was to work in Orlando and very much used to driving long distances to work, also because, I had visited this area for years.
When we arrived in our new home, which was a fiasco in itself, I was in heaven, then it hit me- Florida is vastly different from Ma. and within 2 weeks, I was crying constantly, wondering why I had made such a horrible, life changing decision for my family (we have 3 children, 2 in school) and wanted to go home to Ma.

Here's why and please, by no means do I want to insult anyone, any culture, any economic standing, but THIS is the reason why I have flip flopped so many times.:

Florida to me was "Disney like", imagine that, and I believe it is to most of us who are not from there and that is what we think it will be like to live there. Those who live there, know it's not.

THIS is what I saw my first week in Florida, everytime
I left my rose colored glasses, dream home in my gated upscale community (I'm being sarcastic here), (and please, I know NOW, that this IS NOT everywhere in Fl).....

1. Our daughters teachers were uneducated and her school was disgusting and filled with gangs (GANGS!)Gasp!!
2. There were more spanish speaking people here, than english speaking and all the products on the shelves catered to spanish speaking people, or so it seemed to me
3. I saw a church every 3rd building and some were made of mobile homes
4. I saw living conditions that I DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED IN THE USA (surprise, suprise, I was raised in an all white upper middle class family community/town, etc.)
5. Daily I would see people with no teeth or driving down the street on a quad with a six pack on the back and their kids!
6. The post office, ulitity co., DMV was at least 15-20 yrs behind in the form of technology.(what do you mean I have to wait more than 10 min.?)
7. Food shopping was different, the meats tasted different, you even have different cuts of beef than we do up north, who knew? I always though a cows a cow...guess not. The selection is far less as well.
8. Southern hospitality is not alive and living in central Fl.
9. There are a lot of Floridians who just don't like people from the north
10. OMG...I have to drive so far to get to ANYTHNG!
11. Don't be fooled....The ONLY thing CHEAPER in Florida is the housing, EVERYTHING else is MORE EXPENSIVE!

The list goes on and on, but I'm sure you can tell that I am culture shocked and confused and disoriented at this point. THIS isn't MY Florida, what did they do to it? Where did it go?

It is 18 months later, I have b*tched and complained everyday to everone who would listen as I desperately try to "get out of Dodge". It finally happens, the planets aline perfectly and we are able to move back to Ma. Yipeeee, my kids are thrilled, I'm thrilled, my husband is hoping
I will just shut up already and we will be moving within 6 months!

This is where the change begins to occur, I start traveling outside of central Fl (for work), to the east coast, to the gulf coast, to other areas and towns where the people seem to be "normal" (at least my normal)....I begin to ask myself if maybe, just maybe, we moved to the WRONG part of Florida and it was NOT Florida as a whole that has let me down so much. I begin to accept certain things, get used to others and actually like a few. BUT, I never share this with my family because, well, we're moving back to Ma. soon and that is probably best, because the "GRASS IS SO MUCH GREENER THERE"

Well, it is now 2 yrs since we moved to Florida and we have moved back to Ma. I am here for abt. 2-3 weeks and low and behold, I HATE IT! I don't think I mentioned to you that I detest the cold weather, I mean in a sense that I hibernate 6-8 months out of the year in the cold!

I know right off, that this was a HUGE mistake and to the tune of over $130,000, because that is how much we have lost during my "confusion on where I want to live" Yes, my husband is an angel, yes I worship him and yes, we are still married.....lol.....
I am not the only one who feels this way though, my husband begins to feeel it almost immediately too (but doesn't say anything), my daughter (14), takes abt 5 months to say it too.

WE MISS FLORIDA!!!!

Here's why:
1. Yes, the schools were bad and there were gangs, but....my daughters new school academics are not that much better than her old school (I am shocked)
2. Ok, ok, so no one speaks spanish and the products are all in english, but guess what...who cares? not me anymore I guess. Yes, it's a novelty to actually see white construction workers and landscapers, but hey,the novelty has worn off.
3. Food....our first month here, we ate and ate and ate at all of our favorite places and bought our favorite foods and it was HEAVENLY..... but, that's worn off too and we've gained 10lbs!..I lost 50 in Florida!!!
4. Because of economic times as they are and the losses we have incurred on selling our home in bad times, we are now living in an area where people ride quads with their kids on the back, sit on their porch till 3am and listen to loud music and , well, you get what I'm saying.
5. So there isn't a church around ever corner up here......not a concern anymore or such a shock.
6. I have to DRIVE forever to get to ANYWHERE!!! Sound familiar??? I thought so.
7. I've been given the finger 8 times in 3 weeks and yelled at for being a "Florida driver" (we still have our plates), talk about southern hospitality!
8. So I haven't had to wait at a post office, goverment office or DMV, (or a BK , MCD's,Wendy's etc...)SO WHAT.......Now I have extra time in my day to think about how much I hate living here!

It's been 8 months living back in Ma.....it has been a living hell, we are miserable, let me rephrase that, more miserable than we EVER were in Florida. Have I said how it's been the coldest and snowiest winter in 2 years? Ya..........

Daughtry sings a phrase in one of his songs "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it all, and then some you don't want" This IS my anthem, sad to say.

What's up in the future for my family? Well, we are planning on making the move back to Florida in August of this year (2009), exactly 1 year after moving back to Ma. and 3 years from moving orig. down to Florida. What have we learned or should I say, what have I learned? Well, it has cost me over 3 years of my life, what will be close to $200,000,and being medicated for depression due to the insanity.....for me to finally KNOW in my heart WHERE I belong and WANT to be....FLORIDA!!......And honestly, I think that it is a pretty cheap price to pay to really, really, know what you want in life because some people NEVER EVER achieve that!

Oh ya.....my family is doing fabulous, the kids are great, my husband is wonderful as usual and the saga continues......

PS...we still have no idea WHERE we will live in Florida, but..it won't be anywhere off of Rt. 27!
That's why I've been asking sooo many questions abt. EVERYWHERE in Florida, again, we're lucky that my husband can transfer just abt. anywhere. Love you honey!

Sometimes when moving to a new state, it can be the particular area one moves to that can make or break the experience. Perhaps where you lived in Florida was the wrong place.

I know I have some experience with Plant City and the areas around it, and I can understand what you mean in your descriptions. I hope you find your place in Florida, I think you will this time. Good Luck.

[Tiger Beer]

That seems consistent with other things I've read...Orlando and northward is very 'church on every corner' and just more southern in feel in general.

The southern part is the more northern, etc.

Sounds like you were just in the wrong part of Florida.

[FlaRan]

What a story. You do need to check out some other areas of Florida. I recommend Sarasota, it is absolutely nothing like you described. Also, the schools are some of the best in Florida.

[MovedfromFL]

That was quite a story! You have a saint for a husband, that's for sure.

I think you might like Seminole County (Lake Mary, Ovideo) Those are progressive areas with high overall income levels and good schools. Windermere is also nice but expensive.
Traffic in the Orlando area is a concern, esp. if you need to travel on I-4.

I grew up in Central FL and now live in Georgia. I also have several years of teaching experience in Florida and Georgia, as does my husband. (we are a teaching family!). My husband and I have been in Georgia for 3 years and I would move back to FL today if I could. I find that I liked the schools in FL better than those in our local area herei in GA. (for example, 1st and 2nd graders do not receive letter grades on the report card here, but they did in FL. Also, first graders take standardized tests here (like the FCAT) but we did not test at that level in FL.) Of course, it varies by district. What I dislike the most here is the fact that Principal leadership is very weak. All kinds of crazy things are happening at the local school that would never have been allowed at my old school.

I consider the school were I used to teach in FL to be very good. I would not hesitate to send my boys there. That said, there is a lot of variety between schools. Some teachers and administrators are good and some are not so good. Gangs are a fact of life in 2009. We even have them here in my sleepy town of GA. (there was an incident at the local high school) Again, the towns that I mentioned to you above should have very minimal of that type of thing. (as compared to the FL high school that I attended as a teen ~ I would NOT let my boys go there.)

My main reasons for moving back to FL:
1) my parents and brother still live there. Now that we have two small children, I want them to be closer to family
2) better weather (my idea of it, at least)
3) better schools and a familiar environment for me as a teacher


Issues concerning our move:
1) my husband is not on board yet
2) moving from a lower crime area here back to higher crime in FL
3) home prices and can we sell our GA house?
4) there are NO jobs for teachers in FL now (in fact, hundreds of layoffs) We can only move if that situation changes. I'm thinking summer 2010 but more likely summer 2011.

Good luck with our upcoming move & let us know how it turns out and where you end up.

[doggiebus]

Originally Posted by LMMEGNA

...I hibernate 6-8 months out of the year in the cold!

I do the same, but from the HEAT and HUMIDITY in Florida, on average about the same time 6-8 months. Have you thought about moving to the Carolinas instead.

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by doggiebus

I do the same, but from the HEAT and HUMIDITY in Florida, on average about the same time 6-8 months. Have you thought about moving to the Carolinas instead.

Apparently there are only two locations from the comparisons you'll usually find here. Either Florida, or New England.

[Sunny-Days90]

Originally Posted by doggiebus

I do the same, but from the HEAT and HUMIDITY in Florida, on average about the same time 6-8 months. Have you thought about moving to the Carolinas instead.

She lived in Florida and knows the temps or she would not want to move back to Florida.

Her entire thread is about how they missed Florida and could not wait to get back.

The heat and humidity only bother a small select few people or you would not see anyone living in Florida.

Anyone who moved from a cold weather state to Florida would NOT like the Carolinas.

My brother in law left Florida for a very high paying job in Clemson SC and hates it and cannot wait to get back to Florida! He describes it as one of the worst decisions he has ever made in his life. Once his house sells they will be gone from SC.

If you read back in some of the older post you will find tons of people on this board who left Florida for the Carolinas and they end up posting they are moving back or planning on it. I have yet to read one person who left Florida for the Carolinas and like it.

[Rhett_Butler]

Oh, well..... Your brother and (really how many is it?) a couple of people on this board....

I guess the official stats are in....

"Anyone who lived in a cold weather state would not like the Carolinas."???

That's the comment of the year I think..... There's only thousands that do it every year. But I know, your brother hates it, so that must be the typical experience I guess....

Cold Weather ---> Hot Weather ---> A little of both. It really isn't an illogical progression for those who's eyes are open to opinions other than their own.