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Hi again ... guess this is just the day to post on the forum I've heard quite a bit about people who are incredible excited about moving to Florida and then when they get here, the reality doesn't quite live up to the daydream. It's not as fun and exciting as vacationing and the hassles of everyday life set in. Plus they miss friends and family and everything seems unfamiliar. Have any of you guys gone through that? Was it temporary? Our family want to be prepared for all aspects of a possible move, both logistical and psychological. Thank you!
We have now been here 11 months. I lived my entire life in PA in the same neighborhood, so for me, this move was HUGE. I left the little family I had and my life long friends.
I can honestly say that I do not miss PA but I do miss my friends. I know I'll never share that kind of bond again. We keep in touch, usually daily, and hopefully they will come to visit.
Living here IS different than vacationing but it's a good thing. You still have to take care of your home and do the errands and the cooking unlike when you are on vacation. BUT the sun is shining, the beaches are beautiful.
We learned our way around quickly and there's no place we can't find. When we are out and about we "explore" and go down roads we have never been on, take different routes to get where we are going and find short cuts and easier ways. Driving here is EASY, you really can't get lost. I refused to drive the "parkway" in Pittsburgh but haven't seen a road here that scared me yet.
So, what was unfamiliar is now familiar and when it becomes TOO familiar we take a road trip! Ride to Tampa or Fort Myers, anywhere you want to go is within reach. There is so much here to see and do. We haven't even scratched the surface yet.
We are coming up on the one year mark and feel that we have finally settled in. We are creating new routines and making new friends.
I'm not sorry that we moved, I'm very happy here and would do it again. I love being near the beaches, I love the wild life and all that Florida has to offer.
My advice is if you want to make the move do it but please don't think it will be like back home, It's NOT back home and you will be dissapointed here if you can't let go.
We have embraced the new life and our new surroundings. At the end of the day YES I do miss my friends but there are new friends to be made too and my true old friends will ALWAYS be there for me no matter how many miles away I have moved.
If the hassels of every day life get to you, go to the beach, relax and enjoy a beautiful sunset while sipping a glass of wine while the waves lap at your feet!
Good luck with your decision! You have to do what is right for you and your family.
My advice is if you want to make the move do it but please don't think it will be like back home, It's NOT back home and you will be disappointed here if you can't let go.
We have embraced the new life and our new surroundings. At the end of the day YES I do miss my friends but there are new friends to be made too and my true old friends will ALWAYS be there for me no matter how many miles away I have moved.
Oh my gosh ditto ditto ditto. It will be the one year mark for us tomorrow and I could not have said this better myself.
Location: Sarasota/ Bradenton - University Pkwy area
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Great post np, you said it better than I could! I moved to FL from the midwest almost 30 years ago. ALL of my family and friends were "up north," so yes, it was a tramatic move in some ways. Back then we didn't have emails, digital photos and skype to stay in touch. Long distance phone calls were EXPENSIVE.
I too learned my way around quickly. It helped that my hubby had lived in Sarasota previously so could show me all his old haunts and special places. I moved in November, left freezing rain and gray weather for beautiful blue skies and incredible beaches. Once in awhile I get nostalgic for spring tulips or the fall colors, but never enough to move back.
My best advice would be to try new things. Explore your new hometown. Visit the local touristy things like the Jungle Gardens and Mote Marine. Embrace the change in lifestyle because there will be a change. Settle into your new neighborhood and make friends, join groups, become part of the community. It does make the transition easier.
I think the ones that move back north often do so because they had unrealistic expectations for living in FL, it's not all Disneyland. We get up, go to work, do laundry, mow yards, deal with bugs, humidity and traffic. It's not one big vacation, it's not perfect. But then, no place is.
Sarasota has so much to offer in the way of beaches, nature, sunshine, and most of all -- stuff to do! There's always some event going on somewhere in the area. When we do want to get out of town, we drive to St. Pete, Tampa or east to Lakeland or Orlando. We've traveled pretty much most of the state over the years, playing tourist and finding some really fantastic little towns along the way. (Sometime I'll have to tell you all the story about Daytona Bike Week and the Harley bar. )
Anyway, I guess my point would be to stay in touch with your old friends but also to go out and do things, make new friends here. Explore.
Oh, one more thing. You will probably find that many of your family and friends will be fighting over who gets dibs to your guest room next winter, especially if they have a harsh, cold winter. We were very popular with our family & friends up north a couple of years ago when they had 23 inches of snow on the ground.
Hi again ... guess this is just the day to post on the forum I've heard quite a bit about people who are incredible excited about moving to Florida and then when they get here, the reality doesn't quite live up to the daydream. It's not as fun and exciting as vacationing and the hassles of everyday life set in. Plus they miss friends and family and everything seems unfamiliar. Have any of you guys gone through that? Was it temporary? Our family want to be prepared for all aspects of a possible move, both logistical and psychological. Thank you!
I've been here less than 6 months, the weather here in the winter can't be beat. I came without a job, my husband transferred. We thought were going to make the big move before he retired so that we could get some roots down. The house didn't sell back home, and honestly I don't think we want to let it go. We haven't relisted it. We've looked at houses and decided against buying and letting the lease run out, then go month to month. The job market here stinks! There are plenty of jobs but not enough for the people who need them, I found a job (not a local company) and was laid off shortly after, so at least I'm able to collect unemployment now. Most of my day is spent looking and applying for jobs online, running errands, house work...... it's very lonely. The weekends when my husband doesn't work we do take trips to the beaches, go out dinner been to a festival, done some volunteering. There is plenty to do.
I miss going outside sitting on my deck having a cup of coffee, I miss walking in my yard with BARE FEET, I miss watching my dog swimming in the neighbors pond, going for walks on our 30 acres unleashed. I miss my family, friends, neighbors and ex-co workers.
We are going to spend our Vacation to go back home for 2 weeks, true I will probably be cold and miss the Sunshine, the Ocean. I don't know, we have to make the best of this and hopefully things will turn around..... maybe others are emotionally stronger than me, I find the isolation stressful and depressing and I am looking forward to going back leaving the heat,humidity,traffic and ANTS for a while. I may just bring a little of that
Florida sunshine with me though!
My husband and I have been here around a year and a half and I completely agree with nphomeowner. I don't miss NJ at all but I miss family and friends we left behind. We are lucky to have family and friends here but have enjoyed making new friends too. Even though we are "retired" we both have part time jobs (2 or 3 days a week) and that helped us feel settled here. It will never be the same as up North but we are happy we made the move. Perfect weather for 7 or so months of the year and we are in a better financial situation here. My husband gets to golf several times a week. We go to museums (never did that in NJ) and there is always something to do. Florida is far from perfect, you have to over look the bad and enjoy the good. Kind of like marriage (30 years in Oct. for us). It helps if you hate the cold and snow like we did too. And I highly recommend living in a house with a pool and not keeping your AC so cold that it feels that much worse when your outside in the summertime.
I moved here from NY 8 years ago. I obtained a job before moving here. Have never missed NY a bit. My family lives here in FL. The only things I do miss from NY are my friends and some of the food. I would never move back but we do go back to visit. My father was in the Air Force so I traveled my entire life as a child. However, I did live in NY for almost 30 years. Don't miss the snow. Don't miss the gloomy Syracuse weather. I prefer the sunshine.
It is very different when you vacation in FL versus living in Florida, especially if you are working and not retired. But being able to get out and enjoy the weather here year round makes it worthwhile. We have met neighbor friends and we joined the Corvettes of Charlotte County and have made many friends. If you are looking for socialization then I would suggest joining a club or organization. There are plenty of things to do around here outside and inside.
We have now been here 11 months. I lived my entire life in PA in the same neighborhood, so for me, this move was HUGE. I left the little family I had and my life long friends.
I can honestly say that I do not miss PA but I do miss my friends. I know I'll never share that kind of bond again. We keep in touch, usually daily, and hopefully they will come to visit.
Living here IS different than vacationing but it's a good thing. You still have to take care of your home and do the errands and the cooking unlike when you are on vacation. BUT the sun is shining, the beaches are beautiful.
We learned our way around quickly and there's no place we can't find. When we are out and about we "explore" and go down roads we have never been on, take different routes to get where we are going and find short cuts and easier ways. Driving here is EASY, you really can't get lost. I refused to drive the "parkway" in Pittsburgh but haven't seen a road here that scared me yet.
So, what was unfamiliar is now familiar and when it becomes TOO familiar we take a road trip! Ride to Tampa or Fort Myers, anywhere you want to go is within reach. There is so much here to see and do. We haven't even scratched the surface yet.
We are coming up on the one year mark and feel that we have finally settled in. We are creating new routines and making new friends.
I'm not sorry that we moved, I'm very happy here and would do it again. I love being near the beaches, I love the wild life and all that Florida has to offer.
My advice is if you want to make the move do it but please don't think it will be like back home, It's NOT back home and you will be dissapointed here if you can't let go.
We have embraced the new life and our new surroundings. At the end of the day YES I do miss my friends but there are new friends to be made too and my true old friends will ALWAYS be there for me no matter how many miles away I have moved.
If the hassels of every day life get to you, go to the beach, relax and enjoy a beautiful sunset while sipping a glass of wine while the waves lap at your feet!
Good luck with your decision! You have to do what is right for you and your family.
NP, sounds like you are really settling in. Good for you, moving is a big change both positive and negative. And you are right about true friends -you never lose them. Actually, I am from Georgia, and we were always down in Florida vacationing so this move would be more like going home for me ... it's California that feels like another planet. It's more my husband that will be facing a big change.
Sunshine Rules, really appreciate your input. So nice that you found the perfect place for your family.
I've been here less than 6 months, the weather here in the winter can't be beat. I came without a job, my husband transferred. We thought were going to make the big move before he retired so that we could get some roots down. The house didn't sell back home, and honestly I don't think we want to let it go. We haven't relisted it. We've looked at houses and decided against buying and letting the lease run out, then go month to month. The job market here stinks! There are plenty of jobs but not enough for the people who need them, I found a job (not a local company) and was laid off shortly after, so at least I'm able to collect unemployment now. Most of my day is spent looking and applying for jobs online, running errands, house work...... it's very lonely. The weekends when my husband doesn't work we do take trips to the beaches, go out dinner been to a festival, done some volunteering. There is plenty to do.
I miss going outside sitting on my deck having a cup of coffee, I miss walking in my yard with BARE FEET, I miss watching my dog swimming in the neighbors pond, going for walks on our 30 acres unleashed. I miss my family, friends, neighbors and ex-co workers.
We are going to spend our Vacation to go back home for 2 weeks, true I will probably be cold and miss the Sunshine, the Ocean. I don't know, we have to make the best of this and hopefully things will turn around..... maybe others are emotionally stronger than me, I find the isolation stressful and depressing and I am looking forward to going back leaving the heat,humidity,traffic and ANTS for a while. I may just bring a little of that
Florida sunshine with me though!
I sure hope things turn around soon for you guys. Six months is not that long, though. I'lll bet once the job situation improves, and you start settling into more of a routine, you'lll begin to feel better. Also, the trip back home will surely help, maybe even help you decide where is best for you. All the best
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I've heard quite a bit about people who are incredible excited about moving to Florida and then when they get here, the reality doesn't quite live up to the daydream. It's not as fun and exciting as vacationing and the hassles of everyday life set in. Plus they miss friends and family and everything seems unfamiliar. Have any of you guys gone through that? Was it temporary? Our family want to be prepared for all aspects of a possible move, both logistical and psychological. Thank you!
I moved to FL from the midwest almost 30 years ago. ALL of my family and friends were "up north," so yes, it was a tramatic move in some ways. Back then we didn't have emails, digital photos and skype to stay in touch. Long distance phone calls were EXPENSIVE. 
) 
Thanks for your perspective
