Missing Florida (Tampa: sales, how much, home)

[PG77]

I lived in Florida for about six years (Tampa most recently) and struggled pretty much with the employment situation there the whole time. I moved out to Washington state this past May because my sister lives here. Luckily, I found a job that I have been wanting to do and can even work at home now. That is great, but I miss Florida really bad. The cost of living here is outrageous, sales tax is over 9 cents on the dollar. Groceries are outrageous. The commute to work was awful before I got to work from home. I was commuting 4 hours a day to get to an 8 hour job and had to pay $200 a month to do it. It is getting cold here and starting to rain all the time. I miss the warmth and beaches of Florida. I am struggling with myself what to do, stay here where I am really not happy but have a good job situation, or go back to where my heart really is and struggle with employment again. Help!

[stpeteguy]

one thing i've learned over the years, is that you can fix everything about your current situation, except the location.
No matter how much cash you make or how "good you got it", if your not happy where your at, none of that will matter.

[PG77]

Thanks. I think you are probably right.

[Suncoaster]

Originally Posted by stpeteguy

one thing i've learned over the years, is that you can fix everything about your current situation, except the location.
No matter how much cash you make or how "good you got it", if your not happy where your at, none of that will matter.

Isn't that the truth! We made the mistake of leaving FL back in the 70's for the same reason as the OP - employment issues - lived up north 2 horrible years and managed to get back down here. We never want to leave again.

To PG77, you didn't say what your work involves, but different areas of FL have different opportunities. Perhaps what you would need, in terms of employment, isn't readily available in Tampa - but might be somewhere else in the state. Or perhaps you could settle for something less than what you want down here and use your free time to study and plan for a different career path. One great thing about the Tampa Bay area are all the educational options available here.

Good luck - and I hope you can get back home to FL.

[CTGirlNoMore]

It's so nice to hear people say that!

[tonynorie]

I wish I could send you some of this Florida sunshine.......I'm looking out of my window as I type this and it's a deep blue sky with puffy clouds marching across the sky from east to west. I hope this memory will take you back to a better time and I wish you well and hope your situation improves.

[PG77]

Thanks I have goo gobs of pictures of where I have lived and visited throughout Florida. I look at them all the time to try to cheer up, although sometimes it just brings me down even more. AH! What have I done??

[luluka]

I hope you are moving back, Better to be happy, than to be sad, We are moving too, North of Tampa very soon , From Washington ( seattle) You are all right , About everything, what you wrote . See you there , and Good luck

[robinons1]

I move to Portland, OR for a job three years ago. I have been living out of boxes for two years because I refuse to unpack. So here is the thing. I have a great job and a boyfriend I care about but I have to take anti-depressant to live here just to get through the winter. I actually even left in May and came back to try to make it work. I think it's hard because you don't want to think a place can break you or you feel like you are failing because you have a good life compared to some. What it comes down to is if you are not happy it's not a good life. This is something you can change. So change it. Don't be like me a live someplace for three years that you can't stand. I have finally made the decision to leave. I am going back east too. Leaving in two weeks. Good luck.

[PG77]

Thanks Good luck to you too.