[CindyRoos]

Originally Posted by Trigger-f

Are you talking from experience?

Yeah, that one has a few screws loose.......LOLOLOL

[thunderkat59]

I went from one extreme to the other . . . Lived in Vermont where it was dark 8 months out of the years, to Florida, where it is bright and sunny accept for hurricane season, where a little rain gets added to the mix. Both were horrible. Sun sounds great at first, but being a person who loved four seasons, the unrelenting "sameness" of it, was just as bad as Vermont.
Never changed. Hot and muggy all the time. Blazing sun . . . The few days it dropped to 60 and was sort of dark were fabulous revelations for me. Also, where I was in FL, the West Palm Area, there was a cultural void. A culture that was overwhelmingly malls and cars. If you require a variety of accessible culture, that area will not be for you. Good jobs are hard to come by too, a very service based economy. Do your research before committing.

[FromCTtoFL]

Originally Posted by thunderkat59

I went from one extreme to the other . . . Lived in Vermont where it was dark 8 months out of the years, to Florida, where it is bright and sunny accept for hurricane season, where a little rain gets added to the mix. Both were horrible. Sun sounds great at first, but being a person who loved four seasons, the unrelenting "sameness" of it, was just as bad as Vermont.
Never changed. Hot and muggy all the time. Blazing sun . . . The few days it dropped to 60 and was sort of dark were fabulous revelations for me. Also, where I was in FL, the West Palm Area, there was a cultural void. A culture that was overwhelmingly malls and cars. If you require a variety of accessible culture, that area will not be for you. Good jobs are hard to come by too, a very service based economy. Do your research before committing.

Not sure when or how long you were here, but I disagree with agree your assessment of the West Palm Beach area. It is definitely hot and muggy for about 5 months (June - October), but the rest of time the weather is fantastic. Today is 79 degrees with 31% humidity and a light breeze. And there is definitely NOT a cultural void in this area It's unusual that someone from Vermont would say that. I lived in CT my whole life and spent plenty of time in Vermont - talk about a void (and unrelenting sameness). West Palm Beach and the surrounding communities are vibrant, artsy, and fun with cultural events nearly every weekend year-round. Delray beach is great and Miami is less than 90 minutes away.

[tmg4me]

Originally Posted by justNancy

Do you have a good job in New York? If so, spend $200 or so on a good, full spectrum light therapy device and buy some vitamin D. You'll be even more depressed if your pay is cut and you lose your benefits. I don't want to get personal about my own experience, but trust me on this.

Yes, it's true that many people love living in the FL sunshine. A lot of those people are snowbirds or retirees. Turn on Animal Planet some night and watch the shows about people who live in Alaska. I couldn't live there, but they seem to be happy.

If you've been struggling with depression your whole life, as you wrote, you won't suddenly become a different person because of the weather, even if it helps temporarily cure the blues. I'm not saying SAD is an excuse, but I moved out of Florida to escape depression. So much depends on your social circle. I probably met more unhappy people in SW Florida than I did when I lived in New England. Personally, I really enjoy putting on a sweater and taking a walk at dusk without a swarm of mosquitoes attacking me. Anyway, if sunshine was a cure-all there wouldn't be articles like this one

11 Of The Nation’s 100 Most Dangerous Cities Are In Florida

or this one

Top 10 States With Highest Rate of Sex Offenders in 2015

By the way, I am not bashing Florida. There are a lot of lovely, quiet and safe places to live in the state. Just make sure you have enough money to move and find a job. Florida has many beautiful communities and, compared to New York, it is very affordable, although that depends on where you live. At least you'll never need to shovel snow, and a walk on the beach can be a big pick-me-up. I was only pointing out that every area has its good and bad points.

If sunshine is your main goal, here's a list of the sunniest places in the U.S. Good luck!

Map: Where America’s sunniest and least-sunny places are

Hi, I have a telecommuter job so I can pick up and move anywhere in the country and work what I'm doing now. My salary is over $80,000/year and I would be making the same salary no matter where I move.
I'm very lucky to have a job that affords me to be able to do that.
If I decide to move to Florida I'm looking in the central part of Florida on the eastern side. possibly Palm Coast, Flagler or near St. Augustine.
Also with the gray skies in NY it's way more expensive so of course finances play a big part in it.
I think staying down there for a few weeks in the summber would help with my decision making. But I'm renting a home now in NY and i have nowhere to stay in FLorida plus I have 2 dogs that I would take with me, which would be difficult.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by gyrene2083

I'm from the Bronx, and the New York summers can get just as humid or worse than Florida, as I family often down in Spring Hill. Yes it gets muggy, humid and the rains come and go, to me that doesn't bother me. The freaking bugs bother the hell out of me though, lol. But the question is would the sunshine do you any good, and I would say that it would.

You'll get all the Vitamin D you need and then some down there, and that should help lift your spirits.

Actually, many folks, especially older folks who live in FL, who may not either get out in the sun for extended times, and wear, as recommended, sunscreen to protect exposed skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation when they do go out, are often deficient in Vitamin D and need to take supplements to maintain normal levels of vitamin D.

Just living where it's sunny is no guarantee of 1) adequate vitamin D blood levels, or 2) freedom from depression.

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by Travelassie

Actually, many folks, especially older folks who live in FL, who may not either get out in the sun for extended times, and wear, as recommended, sunscreen to protect exposed skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation when they do go out, are often deficient in Vitamin D and need to take supplements to maintain normal levels of vitamin D.

Just living where it's sunny is no guarantee of 1) adequate vitamin D blood levels, or 2) freedom from depression.

When I am in the sun, I wear no sunscreen protection. Getting skin cancer is the least of "my" particular concerns.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by tmg4me

Hi, I have a telecommuter job so I can pick up and move anywhere in the country and work what I'm doing now. My salary is over $80,000/year and I would be making the same salary no matter where I move.
I'm very lucky to have a job that affords me to be able to do that.
If I decide to move to Florida I'm looking in the central part of Florida on the eastern side. possibly Palm Coast, Flagler or near St. Augustine.
Also with the gray skies in NY it's way more expensive so of course finances play a big part in it.
I think staying down there for a few weeks in the summber would help with my decision making. But I'm renting a home now in NY and i have nowhere to stay in FLorida plus I have 2 dogs that I would take with me, which would be difficult.

COME ON DOWN! It's a no brainer with a good job like that! I think you will love it here, if you can take a lot of heat/humidity. I am a Florida native, a real SUN person, and there is no subsitute of sunshine. Add to that the wonderful negative ions the ocean and gulf produce and you have a natural antidote for depression! St. Augustine is a charming area, you should take an extended visit here in August.

While it is true we get a lot of rain/storms, we also can go MONTHS on end with no rain at all, especially during winter. Even some summers can be drier than others. Living near the coast you will usually have a nice breeze to help temper the heat. St. Augustine does get colder in winter than places further south, so keep that in mind if it is an issue.

Lastly, rentals are expensive and with the dogs you may want to look into purchasing, assuming you have the savings to do so.

Good luck!

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by tmg4me

Hi, I have a telecommuter job so I can pick up and move anywhere in the country and work what I'm doing now. My salary is over $80,000/year and I would be making the same salary no matter where I move.

Well, that's an entirely different situation. If you have a reliable source of income and you're not juggling kids around from school to school, then you are free to move wherever you want! As others have suggested, maybe you should just test the waters, so to speak, and spend a month or two in FL to make sure it's the right place for you. You have lots of choices.

[snowtired14]

Originally Posted by tmg4me

HI,

I live in New York and there is quite a period of time where the weather is gray and dreary with no sun especially in the winters. I enjoy the four seasons but when there is no sun it really affects me, it's called SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder and I have it bad. I've been struggling with depression my whole life but when the weather gets like this I feel worse. I'm 48 years old and don't want to live the rest of my life struggling with this.
Once I researched where I read that NY had a majority of the year with no sun. I don't remember where I read that.

I just wanted to know if anyone else experiences the same thing I do and wanted to know if living in Florida would be good to lift depression with the state having sunshine most of the year?

Thank you
Theresa

I don't know if I have SAD or not, but by January I just want to pull the blanket over my head and stay in bed til April. Seems the colorless, cold, snowy winters are affecting me more and more as I get older, I just cringe at every snowstorm, get aggravated shoveling out, feel tired more hours in our short winter days. When I go to Florida for a winter break, the warmth, colors and smells kind of wake up my winterized body and I feel alive for a few days. It's enough to get me through the rest of our New England winter. It may be stereotypical, but we plan on retiring to FL in a couple of years.

[tbmsmb]

Originally Posted by veggienut

I don't have SAD, but being on the beach and watching the waves, and all that goes on at the beach makes me feel so-o much better. Kind of like after you get out of a hot tub...relaxed.

It is relaxing. I think the waves also have a psychological effect as well and improving health. I know I love the beach wave breezes, even in the summer. And it's just refreshing going into an air conditioned place after. I like the sound of seagulls. I especially love the winters here. But in the winter I appreciate the weather far more in November-April. I only really like the summers because of the thunderstorms, windy rain and downpours. I know a few a few days ago it only rained a little during the day. It was nice and breezy especially in the evening. But then afterwards, it just becomes humid and hot. A/C becomes a best friend.

Snowbirds are obviously known. But what is someone from the south that go up north during the summer called? Southbirds?

I sometimes only prefer the scenery of the southwest. I don't care much for the known weather, the extreme dryness, but it seems like it's not as much as humidity. I think having somewhere to appreciate actual 4 seasons with mountains would be nice for a bit. Guess that's why natives move to NC, etc.