[lilacmama]

Last night the hubs started talking about our close friends back in MI and how he is really missing them. We have been friends for over 12 years and use to hang out on holidays, football games, weekly dinners and spent many of the weekends together. Their daughter is the same age as our daughters so it felt like a big family. We still talk to them on a daily basis and have visited once for my husband and twice for me since we moved to FL in July 2012. Hubs is heading to MI for a golf trip next week and I think he is considering moving back to MI based on missing our friends and traditions. We love it here for the weather, even the hot days of summer because we are beach goers. What we don't have is our heart and soul of friends back home and I am starting to wonder if that is more important than sunshine every day.

There are things about MI that are wonderful. Football season and wearing a sweatshirt on a crisp fall day, summertime at lakes you can swim in, Halloween where your pumpkin can sit on your porch for 2 weeks and not turn to mush, snow for Christmas and all the decorations that are up from 11/26-1/1 (Christmas in Florida doesn't compare to MI), heading up north for Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day (or every weekend since we have family with a cottage on a lake) and ALL of our family lives there.

Crappy things about MI...gloomy weather the majority of the time, god awful pothole roads, inconsistent weather (80 today, 40 tomorrow) cold for a good 6 months out of the year (Hubs hates cold and things looking dead from Nov-Feb if no snow)

I am very happy here but when I think about home, I was happy there too. I am sure this is normal to be home sick, but I wonder if we would rather live our lives around people we care about vs paradise. I have only had 1 boo hoo moment missing everyone back home and this is my 2nd time thinking about it. I have blocked it out for almost a year but my hubs brought it up. He was the main reason we moved always complaining about MI weather and now I think he would give this all up just to be able to be with his friend again.

Does anyone regret moving from a good friend or family member? Would you move back and give up what Florida has to offer to be with them again?

We just signed another year lease and I have a 2 year commitment at work so IF we did anything it won't be until summer 2014

[belleislerunner]

Guess it depends on your outlook on life. To me, people were made for relationships - and while you can live anywhere on earth - I'd think I'd be most happy/content where I had solid friendships/relationships. One can always pay $300 for a plane ticket to go some place warm for a weekend if need be.

PS - That's not to say there's no reason you can't make new friends where you are - I've just found the most fullfilling days are when you're invested in other people (i.e. relationships) as opposed to just soaking up rays and driving on perfectly smooth roads.

[Scott SW Ohio]

I don't think that feeling of loss ever goes away. I left Michigan for work and have been in the Cincinnati area almost 20 years now. I like this area and have new friends but still miss my family and my friends in Jackson. Luckily for me, I can drive home in less than five hours, so I make weekend trips to stay in touch when I can.

I have thought that I might like to come back to Michigan when I retire, but in the meantime I married a Cincinnati girl so if we were in Michigan we would have the same problem with her family and friends who are all here. That Star Trek transporter technology can't get here soon enough!

[HarryBTL]

Originally Posted by lilacmama

Last night the hubs started talking about our close friends back in MI and how he is really missing them. We have been friends for over 12 years and use to hang out on holidays, football games, weekly dinners and spent many of the weekends together. Their daughter is the same age as our daughters so it felt like a big family. We still talk to them on a daily basis and have visited once for my husband and twice for me since we moved to FL in July 2012. Hubs is heading to MI for a golf trip next week and I think he is considering moving back to MI based on missing our friends and traditions. We love it here for the weather, even the hot days of summer because we are beach goers. What we don't have is our heart and soul of friends back home and I am starting to wonder if that is more important than sunshine every day.

There are things about MI that are wonderful. Football season and wearing a sweatshirt on a crisp fall day, summertime at lakes you can swim in, Halloween where your pumpkin can sit on your porch for 2 weeks and not turn to mush, snow for Christmas and all the decorations that are up from 11/26-1/1 (Christmas in Florida doesn't compare to MI), heading up north for Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day (or every weekend since we have family with a cottage on a lake) and ALL of our family lives there.

Crappy things about MI...gloomy weather the majority of the time, god awful pothole roads, inconsistent weather (80 today, 40 tomorrow) cold for a good 6 months out of the year (Hubs hates cold and things looking dead from Nov-Feb if no snow)

I am very happy here but when I think about home, I was happy there too. I am sure this is normal to be home sick, but I wonder if we would rather live our lives around people we care about vs paradise. I have only had 1 boo hoo moment missing everyone back home and this is my 2nd time thinking about it. I have blocked it out for almost a year but my hubs brought it up. He was the main reason we moved always complaining about MI weather and now I think he would give this all up just to be able to be with his friend again.

Does anyone regret moving from a good friend or family member? Would you move back and give up what Florida has to offer to be with them again?

We just signed another year lease and I have a 2 year commitment at work so IF we did anything it won't be until summer 2014

Will be interested in knowing your husbands thoughts when the next major hurricane comes and wipes out your house and everything in it? Familiarize yourself with hurricane climatology in FL if you ( or your husband ) don't think it will happen. I'll take 12 months of cold and gloomy weather ANY DAY over that threat hanging over my head. I don't call that paradise. BTW.. If he prefers snow covering the ground during the dead season why not live in W.MI? I suspect you wont go for the UP considering how long the cold and gloom season is up there.

Now other then that..

I have been where you are at with picking up and moving. In my case i moved away from the coast to MI. It is hard but you do meet new friends as i have. I also have those who i still keep in good contact with and go visit etc. Same with family. All of my family ( except wife and kids ofcourse ) lives back east. I could go back anytime but we like it here. Ofcourse i enjoy the weather here ( don't miss the hurricane threats for sure ) and now there is alot of other good things happening in this state as well. Most who i have met have been decent and kind. Not much to dislike about Michigan. I cannot answer honestly about the FL part as i am biased and don't care for that kind of climate. Couldn't pay me to live there. In short if the weather is the issue then i think you know the answer already. Yes i prefer the weather here over where i use to live and one reason i don't care to move back. Not a fan of relentless heat and humidity. That is not paradise to me. That is hell.

[YAZ]

Give it another year.

I lived in Michigan all of my life and the choice I made to move to Phoenix nine years ago was the second best decision I've ever made.

I didn't have friends or family here at the time.......but that has changed.