Planning on moving from FL to Indiana

[Doug Heffernan]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Being a native Hoosier who has lived for extended periods of time in both Florida and Indiana, I will warn you...

The change back to a seasonal climate with extended periods of no sunlight will take a distinct toll on you. When I moved back to Indiana from Florida a few years ago I had no problem with the seasons, winter, etc. What I DID have problems with was the lack of sunlight during the winter.

There is a documented medical condition known as SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which can occur when you're not exposed to sunlight after being used to it for a long time. I consider myself a very healthy person, both physically and mentally, and I will say that I have never had something affect me as much as the lack of sunlight did.

I did seek medical help and treatment, which did help, but I was really caught off guard by how much this affected me.

Just a heads-up....

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - Causes and Risk Factors

RM

So true. People that have lived in the North their entire lives don't understand it. Indiana's weather can really take a toll on you and can get really depressing. Indiana doesn't get as many TRUE SUNNY days as is reported on all the weather websites. Take true sunny days(not a cloud in the sky) when you get them, they don't happen often.

OP, I think you would be much happier in a state like Tennessee. You still get all 4 seasons but winter is mild and lasts a couple months where-as Indiana can have a brutal long winter some years.

If you do choose Indiana I would stay as far South as possible(Bloomington, Columbus, maybe Evansville) as the climate is warmer and scenery a 180 from Northern Indiana.

[i35vagabond]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Being a native Hoosier who has lived for extended periods of time in both Florida and Indiana, I will warn you...

The change back to a seasonal climate with extended periods of no sunlight will take a distinct toll on you. When I moved back to Indiana from Florida a few years ago I had no problem with the seasons, winter, etc. What I DID have problems with was the lack of sunlight during the winter.

There is a documented medical condition known as SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which can occur when you're not exposed to sunlight after being used to it for a long time. I consider myself a very healthy person, both physically and mentally, and I will say that I have never had something affect me as much as the lack of sunlight did.

I did seek medical help and treatment, which did help, but I was really caught off guard by how much this affected me.

Just a heads-up....

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - Causes and Risk Factors

RM

I'm not a doctor, but I bet daily doses of vitamin d would take care of that problem.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by i35vagabond

I'm not a doctor, but I bet daily doses of vitamin d would take care of that problem.

Under a doctor's care I tried vitamin D as well as light therapy. Neither one made a significant difference, unfortunately.

The light therapy did help some, but it was cumbersome and intrusive. In simpler terms, it was a pain in the *ss to do.

RM

[loveautumn]

that's one thing I was worried about in considering Indiana....the overcast winter days. But, really,there are very few places (except those that aret hot as you know where in their long summers) that don't have overcast winters. I really do need to take the lack of sun more into consideration in my decision though.
I have considered TN but I know they have terrible air quality and one of the worst states for allergies. I guess every place has something negative! Everybody raves about Carmel area, so people must adjust somehow?

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by loveautumn

that's one thing I was worried about in considering Indiana....the overcast winter days. But, really,there are very few places (except those that aret hot as you know where in their long summers) that don't have overcast winters. I really do need to take the lack of sun more into consideration in my decision though.
I have considered TN but I know they have terrible air quality and one of the worst states for allergies. I guess every place has something negative! Everybody raves about Carmel area, so people must adjust somehow?

You're assuming everyone is miserable during overcast days?

I have a neurologist/sleep doctor friend who gets SAD during the winter time. He knows when it's coming on, so he prepares his family and deals with it by upping exercise, vitamin D and getting more sleep at night. It passes and he doesn't dwell on it. It comes and it goes. Getting worked up all year about it only makes SAD worse and will ruin the days that aren't overcast, which ... in Indiana, aren't very many when you look at the big picture.

[Doug Heffernan]

Originally Posted by loveautumn

that's one thing I was worried about in considering Indiana....the overcast winter days. But, really,there are very few places (except those that aret hot as you know where in their long summers) that don't have overcast winters. I really do need to take the lack of sun more into consideration in my decision though.
I have considered TN but I know they have terrible air quality and one of the worst states for allergies. I guess every place has something negative! Everybody raves about Carmel area, so people must adjust somehow?

I haven't noticed the air quality issue. I have allergy problems and I've been fine. I actually feel better overall in TN then IN. The quality isn't as good as Florida in Eastern TN but it's very close. I'm a waterbug. Thankfully the area of TN I live in they refer to "lakeway". I'm surrounded by Lakes that put Indiana Lakes to shame. I also love the small shops in Gatlinburg and Splash Country(the waterpark at Dollywood). It's all only 45 min away.

I would strongly consider TN. Especially Eastern TN. Johnson City, Greeneville, Morristown, Knoxville. All good places to live, all near lakes, all near the Mountains.

Oh and might I add....very little snow. Some years no snow at all. Indiana and no snow at all never go together.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by IU&UF

Indiana and no snow at all never go together.

Actually, there are winters in Evansville where it does not snow at all. When I lived there, it was about a 50/50 split on snow/no snow winters.

[Doug Heffernan]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Actually, there are winters in Evansville where it does not snow at all. When I lived there, it was about a 50/50 split on snow/no snow winters.

Sorry, that is a little hard to believe. Almost all climate charts show E-ville getting around a foot of snow a year and having 1 1/2-2 weeks worth of days of snowfall. I'm not buying the 50/50 at all. My dad grew up in Boonville and it definitely wasn't 50/50. I doubt retirees flock to E-ville to retire because of it's "50/50 snowfall years". Chattanooga, TN...yes. Evansville, IN...no.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by IU&UF

Sorry, that is a little hard to believe. Almost all climate charts show E-ville getting around a foot of snow a year and having 1 1/2-2 weeks worth of days of snowfall. I'm not buying the 50/50 at all. My dad grew up in Boonville and it definitely wasn't 50/50. I doubt retirees flock to E-ville to retire because of it's "50/50 snowfall years". Chattanooga, TN...yes. Evansville, IN...no.

I don't really care if retirees flock there or not, I can only speak to my own experience living there. When I lived there, the snow was infrequent enough to throw the city into a panic when 2 inches of snow were forecast.

[Doug Heffernan]

Toxic- We were both right and wrong. I went back and looked more into the historical data of Evansville(dating back to 1949). While I can't find proof to back up your 50/50 claim, Evansville gets significantly less snowfall then I thought. I can't find anything that even states Evansville has never went through a year with no snow at all, but I did find a few occasions where Evansville had less than an inch of snow for the year(mainly just a dusting of snow). 1952 had 0.30 inches of snow. 1971 had 0.70. 1983 was 0.60. 1991 was 0.30. 1992 was 0.90. In the last 25 years Evansville has only had a decent amount of snowfall for the year 5 times(still low amounts for Indiana standards)....1996 was 10 inches, 5 inches each in 2001 and 2002, 6 inches in 2009, and 10 1/2 in 2010. So while it does snow in E-ville, its very light. I could handle that snow, its the snow in Northern Indiana that's ridiculous.