Considering Leaving Atlanta to Florida (live, dangerous, retirement)

[Tarzanman]

Your first step should be to reduce your hours at work and/or look for a new job.

You won't be able to address your loneliness while working so many hours... especially with winter approaching. I have also worked a job where I didn't really have any peers nor meaningful social interaction in the office. Going to work everyday wasn't very fun. I have also worked jobs where I had many peers. Going to work everyday was *much* easier even though the work itself was more stressful.

The easiest fix for this is to work a job where there are more people your age.

[fieldm]

Move home to be back near your family. If it was meant to be you will find work. Plus you will free up an additional job here for someone looking for work here so just do it

[fbernard]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Yeah, I know a lot of people seem to complain about Florida.

But I, for one, can't see how in the world it is possible that people aren't clamoring for the opportunity to move to a place that:

1) Has truly mild winters
2) Is surrounded by lakes everywhere you look
3) Is 45 minutes from a great beach (could be less depending on where exactly in Orlando you live)
4) Has a significantly lower cost of living, especially with no state income tax
5) Gets every amazing art/cultural even we do, because even though the city is smaller, it behaves like a much larger city because of the tourism economy
6) Is an easy drive to Ft. Lauderdale, so you can get cheapo last minute cruises any time you want
7) Has an international airport that is much easier to deal with than Hartsfield

My list could go on and on....I have no real idea why so many people hate Orlando. If I was offered a job making the same amount of money there that I make here, you'd miss my move there if you blinked.

Those are some good points, but let's not pretend that FL isn't chock filled with faults. Compared to GA, FL crime is pretty much everywhere, where in GA, it's in certain areas. There are crazier drivers out here, FL ranks as one of the worse places for auto accidents. Orlando is a pretty dingy place, and all the tourist don't help the area out. The mild winters are extremely short lived, with most of the year being brutally hot and humid. Tomorrow in Orlando, it's going to be pushing 90. By Feb, temps will be that high again. Cost of living is not all that cheap compared to average salaries, which adds to some of the reasons why there's so much poverty out here.

I live in FL, and I'm ok out here, but I wouldn't say it's so awesome that I don't understand why people aren't "clamoring" to move here.

[SmoothC]

Find a better job with work life balance. Listen we can hang out, Ive tried meetup and found so cool people. 80 hrs a week will drive anyone crazy. Change that up.

[bhammaster]

Here is the game plan

1. Try to reduce your hours or get another job with better work life balance.


2. See if the job market in your part of Florida is good.

3. Go home For the holidays this year. No excuses even if you have to quit or call in.

4. After your visit make a decision on if you will move or take a new job up here.

[DreamerD]

I agree with a lot of the posters on here. I wouldn't necessarily give up on Atlanta yet, but I would be doing some serious searches for other companies and apply. Friends/dating is important but I think it would be in your best interest to put all your focus on working elsewhere due to the hours you are currently working. I read everything you wrote and your emotional health is very important; with that being said, you should look for a company that wouldn't have you working so many hours. It's not the easiest thing to make friends here...true friends I mean but legit...how are you able to go to meet-ups or anything on Event Brite with those kind of hours? I used to work at a company where I never got any Saturdays or Sundays off and that killed my social life. Many meet-ups are on the weekend and so it limited how much socializing I could do. Your 70-80 hours a week does not give you enough opportunities to make it to events, much less spend a good amount of time at the events because you are probably exhausted.

[cjairo191]

Originally Posted by fbernard

Those are some good points, but let's not pretend that FL isn't chock filled with faults. Compared to GA, FL crime is pretty much everywhere, where in GA, it's in certain areas. There are crazier drivers out here, FL ranks as one of the worse places for auto accidents. Orlando is a pretty dingy place, and all the tourist don't help the area out. The mild winters are extremely short lived, with most of the year being brutally hot and humid. Tomorrow in Orlando, it's going to be pushing 90. By Feb, temps will be that high again. Cost of living is not all that cheap compared to average salaries, which adds to some of the reasons why there's so much poverty out here.

I live in FL, and I'm ok out here, but I wouldn't say it's so awesome that I don't understand why people aren't "clamoring" to move here.

Florida has 20 plus million. Georgia has what 10 million or less? Probably involves more issues with the higher population. Is there statistics to say crime is not all around Georgia. My parents live in Tennessee near the Georgia border and they see differently by the news. Atlanta is missing an ocean near by or if you like to live near real bodies of water, not man made lakes. Yes you have hills near by which is lovely. But I don't think the two states are on similar boats. I looked at moving to Atlanta once cause it appears to have a lot of job opportunities, but talking to people that have moved from Florida to Georgia, sounds like a mistake, mostly based on environment and culture of Atlanta per say.

The poster is young, give it a try. Don't be miserable. But, yes you will probably get more for you money in Atlanta versus the Florida cities.

[bhammaster]

I guess if water is important too you Atlanta isn't the best place but how often do you go to the beach or stuff like that? I live along the gulf for years and I think I went to the beach once or twice a year and I never cared to own a boat.

[843904]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Yeah, I know a lot of people seem to complain about Florida.


4) Has a significantly lower cost of living....

And there, you'd be wrong.

[843904]

Originally Posted by cjairo191

Florida has 20 plus million. Georgia has what 10 million or less? Probably involves more issues with the higher population.

The issue has more to do with Florida's highly transient population. You get people coming here from all directions....old northeasterners, Latin americans, even Eastern & Western Europeans. That would account for the lousy drivers, high crime rate & sometimes other worldly conditions, especially around S. Orlando & the southern 1/2 of the state.