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Paradise.... hmm... to me it is seeing my kids smile and be happy, being able to do the things we all enjoy and knowing they are just down the street to do again... thats my "short" definition anyway. And I can atest that Florida is my paradise. Brevard County to be exact (I get all teary thinking about all this lol) See we moved to Orlando because my hubs got a job there, he was then transferred to Melbourne and we spent 2 years there. ALL my family is up north and I am only in my late 20's and hearing my grandma nag me day in and day out that we "need" to be closer.. what if something happens.. blah blah blah... hearing this all the time wears you down! So we caved thinking it was whats best and hubs transfered to a location 3 hours from family. Its MISERY! We have all gained weight, all my kids do is play video games and mope, no one in this house has any motivation and it sucks! Its cold outside, all we see around us are mountains and I HATE hair static, stuffy noses and dry skin that you get from winter!!!!
The last 8 months or so (an we've only been gone for 14 months) we've been waiting for something to open back home so we can go back, which is what brings me to the SW FL forum, We didnt realize what we had, how happy it made us until we left and it was gone. We need the sunshine, beaches, palm trees, armadillos, egrets, alligators, sunburns, sand and Yes, even Love Bugs! Hubby's company has an opening in Ft Myers. I can't say it will be the same paradise as we had in Palm Bay but its a start and it gets out of hell until something in Orlando or Melbourne or Vero Beach opens back up, and who knows maybe we'll like that coast better. I did like only being an hour from Orlando for the kiddos sake though. Its not official but the paperwork is submitted (fingers crossed)
So if my kids are as well educated in FL, who cares. I can teach them myself what they dont get in school, after all its my obligation as a parent right? And depressed unhappy kids don't do as well in even the best school no matter how great the teacher is. I loved my kids school in Brevard County! I assume you can make the best of anything but I'll tell ya we've tried here in VA to make the best of things and its not working. Being stuck indoors most of the year, etc is no fun and I also want to say that I used to love fall, it was so pretty and it has a smell about it that really needs captured into a candle lol... This was my first fall back and it was sheer depression, it was nice for all of a week then the grim reality set in.. winter was coming! Halloween was terrible, why even bother dressing up when you need a snowsuit over your costume???
OK OK.. enough already! I just want to say that FL is what you make it, I miss my no habla english mexicanos and using my AC and heat in the same 24 hour period. I even miss the snowbirds causing traffic jams. Although I complained alot about all that when I was there, its just the small things that matter. I hope it all works out so we can come home soon
Paradise.... hmm... to me it is seeing my kids smile and be happy, being able to do the things we all enjoy and knowing they are just down the street to do again... thats my "short" definition anyway. And I can atest that Florida is my paradise. Brevard County to be exact (I get all teary thinking about all this lol) See we moved to Orlando because my hubs got a job there, he was then transferred to Melbourne and we spent 2 years there. ALL my family is up north and I am only in my late 20's and hearing my grandma nag me day in and day out that we "need" to be closer.. what if something happens.. blah blah blah... hearing this all the time wears you down! So we caved thinking it was whats best and hubs transfered to a location 3 hours from family. Its MISERY! We have all gained weight, all my kids do is play video games and mope, no one in this house has any motivation and it sucks! Its cold outside, all we see around us are mountains and I HATE hair static, stuffy noses and dry skin that you get from winter!!!!
The last 8 months or so (an we've only been gone for 14 months) we've been waiting for something to open back home so we can go back, which is what brings me to the SW FL forum, We didnt realize what we had, how happy it made us until we left and it was gone. We need the sunshine, beaches, palm trees, armadillos, egrets, alligators, sunburns, sand and Yes, even Love Bugs! Hubby's company has an opening in Ft Myers. I can't say it will be the same paradise as we had in Palm Bay but its a start and it gets out of hell until something in Orlando or Melbourne or Vero Beach opens back up, and who knows maybe we'll like that coast better. I did like only being an hour from Orlando for the kiddos sake though. Its not official but the paperwork is submitted (fingers crossed)
So if my kids are as well educated in FL, who cares. I can teach them myself what they dont get in school, after all its my obligation as a parent right? And depressed unhappy kids don't do as well in even the best school no matter how great the teacher is. I loved my kids school in Brevard County! I assume you can make the best of anything but I'll tell ya we've tried here in VA to make the best of things and its not working. Being stuck indoors most of the year, etc is no fun and I also want to say that I used to love fall, it was so pretty and it has a smell about it that really needs captured into a candle lol... This was my first fall back and it was sheer depression, it was nice for all of a week then the grim reality set in.. winter was coming! Halloween was terrible, why even bother dressing up when you need a snowsuit over your costume???
OK OK.. enough already! I just want to say that FL is what you make it, I miss my no habla english mexicanos and using my AC and heat in the same 24 hour period. I even miss the snowbirds causing traffic jams. Although I complained alot about all that when I was there, its just the small things that matter. I hope it all works out so we can come home soon
Be careful. I have lots of family in Palm Bay. I lived in Fort Myers for about nine years. There is no comparing the two. If I had to I would move to Palm Bay, but I would never, under any circumstances, move back to Fort Myers. Never.
Florida is a big state and you can't always expect the same thing from two areas. In this case, it is like night and day.
Be careful. I have lots of family in Palm Bay. I lived in Fort Myers for about nine years. There is no comparing the two. If I had to I would move to Palm Bay, but I would never, under any circumstances, move back to Fort Myers. Never.
Florida is a big state and you can't always expect the same thing from two areas. In this case, it is like night and day.
I do agree with the fact that there is a vast difference in LIVING in FL and visiting. I lived in Fl until the ripe age of 19, moved up north and have been here ever since. I used to laugh at people when they would come down to FL for vacation or the seniors (referred to as "snow birds" LOL) would come down every winter. I actually did make some friends that way but mostly it seemed strange to live there and have people so excited to come vacation there. I used to think "what the heck? Why would you want to visit here?"
Much different though, for sure. Its funny, I always said I'd never move back as long as my kids were school but they are now graduated and adults and here I am facing a move back but in another location. I used to say when you live in Florida and move away you always come back - guess it's kind of true!
Be careful. I have lots of family in Palm Bay. I lived in Fort Myers for about nine years. There is no comparing the two. If I had to I would move to Palm Bay, but I would never, under any circumstances, move back to Fort Myers. Never.
Florida is a big state and you can't always expect the same thing from two areas. In this case, it is like night and day.
I'm not expecting it to be the same but we can't go back to Palm Bay right now, however taking the job in Ft Myers puts my hubby back in the SE division and gives his dibs on transfers within his division first. As farf as I'm concerned it CAN NOT be worse than where I am. It may not be Palm Bay or Orlando but its def a step up from snow and cold and all the other stuff I hate outside FL. I have a friend who's family lives in FM and she lives in Orlando and she told me while it may not be the same it will be similar enough in the aspects I need to feel better about life and right now thats what we need. He's only "stuck" for 6 months before he can transfer again, in that time Melbourne may open back up and being closer will make that easier to do if he tries. We're taking what god gives us, we asked for something he gave us Ft Myers, we'll take it, and make the best of it.
I'm not expecting it to be the same but we can't go back to Palm Bay right now, however taking the job in Ft Myers puts my hubby back in the SE division and gives his dibs on transfers within his division first. As farf as I'm concerned it CAN NOT be worse than where I am. It may not be Palm Bay or Orlando but its def a step up from snow and cold and all the other stuff I hate outside FL. I have a friend who's family lives in FM and she lives in Orlando and she told me while it may not be the same it will be similar enough in the aspects I need to feel better about life and right now thats what we need. He's only "stuck" for 6 months before he can transfer again, in that time Melbourne may open back up and being closer will make that easier to do if he tries. We're taking what god gives us, we asked for something he gave us Ft Myers, we'll take it, and make the best of it.
Well, then, with that wonderful attitude and the knowledge that it is very temporary sounds like it will work out fine.
I haven't lived there in over three years but have lots of family there.
A couple of things...
People have left and there are less snowbirds that come down now, and they are about to go home soon, anyway. Things are a bit nicer then.
I had a child in the school system. Basically, they sent all her work home anyway, and I had to teach her.
I lived in Orlando and then moved to Fort Myers. I found that it was noticeably hotter. My dad use to come visit, from Melbourne and he absolutely hated Fort Myers, especially the heat. But who knows, you might really like it.
I noticed that there are a lot of people considering a move to Florida, I just want to give some helpful advice to everyone considering the move. First, seriously spend some time here, not just a two week vacation, but spend some time here away from the tourist traps. Get into the communities and mingle with the people. People here, are very different, the native people, have a deep resentment towards transplanted people, they are very threatended by northerners who move down here.
Second, the Florida dream has gone bust, six years ago when I moved down here, people dreamed of moving here, buying a house for 100000 and selling it for a half million two years later, this time is over. Our economy is built around three things, agriculture, tourism, and construction. Two of the three have gone bust, this translates to a lot of unemployed people. Speaking of the Florida dream, realize that when you relocate, you are relocating for a reason, try and make this place your home. One of the problems here is the wealthy older people from up north who live here for six months do not want to contribute to this community. One of the main problems here is the retirees do not want to contribute by the way of taxes, they want all of the benefits, but do not want to support things like parks, schools, public recreation, because as they will tell you they already built this for their kids up north.
Third, if you have kids, please realize that Florida is in trouble, and this translates to trouble in the schools. Up north when you have troubled children they are placed with highly trained teachers who are equipped to deal with the problems, in Florida, these children are placed in the same classroom with your children, and most of the teachers time are taken up with children with profound learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and discpline problems, or a combination of both. Finally, Florida is a refuge, any low lifes that are on the run end up in Florida, because you can live in a park, woods, or the streets and not worry about freezing to death. This translates to what I feel as a disproportionate number of child predators in the state. The states penal system is cutting back and releasing a lot of these predators, to make way for more violent offenders.
Florida is the land of the have's and have not's if you can afford a home in a gated community, on a barrier island, afford private school and live a cloistered life, and have the means to provide for your children everything the public schools and the community does not. Then Florida will be a land of paradise for you. If you do not have the means it is the land of constant worry, hurricanes, crime and job security. Again, this is just my opinion, most of this thread is negative, and it is easy for people, in the middle of winter, struggling with a bad economy to think Florida is paradise, however it is not.
I'm a native, I don't have any resentment towards transplanted people, Why do you think the natives are threatended by northerners who move down here? Most of the real natives are ranchers, farmers and fishermen. I'm sorry but I just don't get it.
I am sitting here in a hotel in Naples right now. We have been planning this move for a long time. We came down & out a bid in on a house & it was accepted. So now we will go back to PA to wrap things up & head back. I have mingled with quite a few Naples born & they all seem nice. Im not in to the snooty snowbirds, just down to earth people and we have found that. Anyway, we hope to find our home here & the good will come with the bad.
I am sitting here in a hotel in Naples right now. We have been planning this move for a long time. We came down & out a bid in on a house & it was accepted. So now we will go back to PA to wrap things up & head back. I have mingled with quite a few Naples born & they all seem nice. Im not in to the snooty snowbirds, just down to earth people and we have found that. Anyway, we hope to find our home here & the good will come with the bad.
Welcome to Naples! Where did you buy?
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