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And I think that is a fair assessment. I loved NYC in my 20's, not so much now that I have a family.
Yeah if I had a family and did more family oriented stuff I could see it being different, we are both in our 20s and it just pretty dull especially since we both know what else is out there. Or even if I was a teenager, would be more to do.
You need to post more about your experiences as people like me see you as a valuable asset to us.
You have now had the experiences of not living in Florida, moving to Florida, moving out of Florida and then moving back.
Your input has a ton of value because you have experienced it both ways.
Please post more in depth about your experiences, feelings, likes etc. I am sure you do not want to post personal stuff but for me and I am sure others your input would be greatly appreciated.
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!
Oh LMM - your story almost made me cry. I'm glad you are able to go back to Florida, I think you should really consider some othe places for obvious reason. I never really liked Orlando personally. You might like SFL, I hear the Northern part is really nice as well some places have good schools. Good luck on your hunt. I do so wish you luck - please start a new post and keep us all abreast of your goings on.
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!
OMG dh and I love your story, and i have to tell you this is why we are so adamant to get down there...we know we dont want to go back to NJ, and well dh and the kids arent happy here, and we all agreed that Florida has the things that we are looking for that we dont have here..Yes the cost of living is alot less here, and florida we will sacrifice some things but we are ok that, and with that ..good luck to you and the family, and please keep us posted..We are looking in West Boca people i know personally from NY are very happy with the schools and the location
Madaly....I read your zip earlier, your in Fairhaven, right? So your heading down to Florida? Any plans where yet?
Chelsa......I've seriously been looking everywhere! I spend the better half of my late nights on the computer researching. Florida is just like any other state, where you have great towns, horrid towns and then those towns that have a good area and a not so good area. That's what makes it truly difficult. But, I can say that having lived down there for 2 years, I do know alot more than I used to but less than I need to. I will keep everyone updated now that I know it may be helpful to others and thanks for your kind words and encouragement.
BerryJuice.... Thank you as well for your kind words and encouragement. I actually have been looking into Boca. My husband is a DM for Dick's Sporting Goods, so he is willing to move within 1.5 hours of any store where he is districted. Which is basically EVERYWHERE! Which may be good, but the bad news is they won't let us know WHICH district until abt. 30 days before we move which makes it almost impossible to narrow a place down for certain. So I have been choosing a few towns around each store and when the time comes, look specifically in those towns and RENT a home.
I know that sometimes, the "senior" members on this site get aggravated at those who ask the same questions about various areas in the same state, but, there are a few who may be in the same situation as my family and actually need as much info on a variety of places to choose the right one for them.
Here are my some of my choices, some are sure things, some are iffy, but all are varied around the district stores ...you'll see what I mean...
FT MYERS REGION
Venice
TAMPA REGION
Riverview
Land O Lakes
I'm actually clueless here......
ORLANDO REGION
Lake Mary
Windermere
Dr. Philips
Oviedo
Winter Springs
Reunion? (an aquaintence owns in both communities and offered to rent to us if we want)
Eagle Lake Community?(".....")
MELBOURNE REGION
Melbourne
Viera
Boca
As you can see..EVERYWHERE
Any and all help is always appreciated and acccepted.
Madaly....I read your zip earlier, your in Fairhaven, right? So your heading down to Florida? Any plans where yet?
Chelsa......I've seriously been looking everywhere! I spend the better half of my late nights on the computer researching. Florida is just like any other state, where you have great towns, horrid towns and then those towns that have a good area and a not so good area. That's what makes it truly difficult. But, I can say that having lived down there for 2 years, I do know alot more than I used to but less than I need to. I will keep everyone updated now that I know it may be helpful to others and thanks for your kind words and encouragement.
BerryJuice.... Thank you as well for your kind words and encouragement. I actually have been looking into Boca. My husband is a DM for Dick's Sporting Goods, so he is willing to move within 1.5 hours of any store where he is districted. Which is basically EVERYWHERE! Which may be good, but the bad news is they won't let us know WHICH district until abt. 30 days before we move which makes it almost impossible to narrow a place down for certain. So I have been choosing a few towns around each store and when the time comes, look specifically in those towns and RENT a home.
I know that sometimes, the "senior" members on this site get aggravated at those who ask the same questions about various areas in the same state, but, there are a few who may be in the same situation as my family and actually need as much info on a variety of places to choose the right one for them.
Here are my some of my choices, some are sure things, some are iffy, but all are varied around the district stores ...you'll see what I mean...
FT MYERS REGION
Venice
TAMPA REGION
Riverview
Land O Lakes
I'm actually clueless here......
ORLANDO REGION
Lake Mary
Windermere
Dr. Philips
Oviedo
Winter Springs
Reunion? (an aquaintence owns in both communities and offered to rent to us if we want)
Eagle Lake Community?(".....")
MELBOURNE REGION
Melbourne
Viera
Boca
As you can see..EVERYWHERE
Any and all help is always appreciated and acccepted.
Thanks
I completely understand..and your very welcome...We will never buy again without renting 1st...so when we get down there is the operative word..lol...we plan on renting for a year or so and see what happens...my son will be starting High School in the Fall and my daughter will be going into 4th...we are making the trip for spring break in April and are concentrating on West Boca at this point, we are going to drive to Jupiter with our friends who are also looking, and we will be going to Weston to drive around and to visit our friends who live there.. again Id love to see where u guys wind up, who knows maybe we will be neighbors...lol
LMM - I fear that I am going to have the same experiences you did. As much as I dislike Florida I always wondered if I had moved to the other coast if it I would feel differently.
Hey guys - here is the deal - everyone is scared of the unknown. And when you move and find that you dislike the new area, your first inclination is to go back to the area you came from. Just take the time to stop and think what the real reason were that you left the other place and then make the decision whether it is just the area in which you live is bad, but not necessarily the state. Personally, I don't hate NYC never have never will, but after I leave here, I don't think, I'll ever move back. This is just not the place I want to be and if South Fl isn't the right place, maybe North Floriday will be. But, one thing is certain! I will never know until I make the move.
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Reasons for the flip flop move
again Id love to see where u guys wind up, who knows maybe we will be neighbors...lol
