Bye Bye Florida

Yes, I did need to decide where home was. My sister still lives there and my husbands brother and wife live in Miami as well. I can definitely do a winter vacation if I want and include a cruise in the bargain!

@Jeanniemaries We have no regrets. The decision was taken the day we got stuck in a snow blizzard on the highway from France to Switzerland. We were stuck in the snow during 8 hours waiting for help. We said, this is the last time, no more two houses.

Then you totally get it. It was stressful to uproot myself every few months! I bet you have no regrets!

@LadyDuck That sounds horrible! So glad to hear you have no regrets too.

I've always felt at home once I move, but it was the not being anywhere permanently that made me unsettled.

@Jeanniemaries I have lived in the same house for over 20 years.

@marguicha I have lived in my home for over 30 years before we moved to Florida but before that we had lived in 17 homes! I am hoping for a long stay in my new home,

@Jeanniemaries It is so nice that you have you have your house in Florida and some family there too. Thankfully we have family members there, here, everywhere! Can't wait to get back to the sun-winter and I have never been friends!

I actually dislike the snow and cold and that was the one issue I had with making Ohio my permanant home. I do still have my home, although it's rented now, and I have my sister still in Tampa. I plan to spend time with her and my husband brother and wife in Miami when the weather gets to me. My daughter lives in Fayetteville, NC. We should meet up sometime in NC!

@Jeanniemaries That's good.

It was hard when I tried to do it before I was ready. But this time I was mentally onboard with it and although physically it was hard, mentally I feel like I sailed through the change knowing I was on the right path.

Thank you! I hope so. I joined a book club and hope to make new friends, My old friends are still here but it's always good to make new ones.

@Jeanniemaries yes I hope you will soon get a new friend

I am too. It was a shock to suddenly KNOW this was the right thing. I'm glad I could act on it immediately.

I sure have already! You alone know how awesome Tampa is!

I came down in June intending to stay until January, I realized in late Sept I needed to do this,. I didn't want to wait until January to start because it would be too cold and snowy to unload everything in Jan or February. So I had to jump into it immediately and do it before the snowy time begins here. I barely made it. We are getting our first snow on Thursday,. I could have continued to do this staying longer here, but it seemed reckless to maintain a home in Florida for only a couple of months stay every year. I can still go and winter there visiting my sister in Tampa and my husbands family in Miami. I could combine a couple of visits with cruising in between and have a good month or six weeks vacation if I need it. I owned my home and now I have it ready to rent permanently.

@Jeanniemaries at least Ohio is a tad warmer than Michigan and maybe a bit less snow although we were near Troy least weekend and it was quite brisk. Brrr.

Yes, I've lived in the midwest for most of my life!