We are snowbirds from Dec to April. In the Gainesville area,
Every year I love it more and more. You get use to the weather,Just like WNY snow!!!!!! We are blessed to have met nice people,and blessed to be able to do this,

We are snowbirds from Dec to April. In the Gainesville area,
Every year I love it more and more. You get use to the weather,Just like WNY snow!!!!!! We are blessed to have met nice people,and blessed to be able to do this,

Talk about a big change! I moved from Alaska after spending 54 years there to the Florida Panhandle in 2007. It was a big shock weather wise and other wise, but have grown to love it. I can go outside and not freeze my butt off any day of the year. I don't have to change tires on my vehicle twice a year. I don't have to try and shovel 10 feet of snow and I never get snowed in. I might have to stay indoors and SEW some on those very hot & humid days. I might have to put on a warmer jacket on those mornings when I wake up and it's in the 30's (like this morning). I have to drive 15 miles to the grocery store as opposed to 125 miles ONE WAY. I had to get use to some places closing at noon on Saturdays. Outdoor workers start working at 5:30 in the morning during the summer, but they quit very early afternoons. It also warmed my heart to hear the young people saying "yes mam" or "no mam", and you don't hear that from the young kids up north. Alaska is home & will always be home, but Florida is now my home, and like others say, "Home is what you make it".

We are snowbirds from Dec to April. In the Gainesville area,
Every year I love it more and more. You get use to the weather,Just like WNY snow!!!!!! We are blessed to have met nice people,and blessed to be able to do this, when I get pinecones I always spray them before I bring them home.

We are snowbirds from Dec to April. In the Gainesville area,
Every year I love it more and more. You get use to the weather,Just like WNY snow!!!!!! We are blessed to have met nice people,and blessed to be able to do this, when I get pinecones I always spray them before I bring them home.

I lived in West Palm Beach for awhile and found the schools to be really bad! Look for private school if there are children involved.

I live about 40 min. from there. Yes the weather is hot, but If you are not in air conditioning work place, house, car, stores, then you are in the pool, or at beach. Look at the fun they will have. And best of all we have Blue sky's and wonderful sun shine. My family lives in OH. I see them about twice a year. But talk to them everyday.
LC

We just moved to Gulf Breeze, FL (northeast FL) outside of Pensacola last month and just have to comment. Previously, we lived in Newfoundland, mainland Japan, southern Japan (Okinawa several tours)), Germany (several tours), and Iowa where we retired in 2006. As someone mentioned, home is where you make it. My husband loves the heat, I love the cold - hence our choice of Northwest FL since it does have a seasonal change. We will head north for the summers (his concession to my needing cooler climate) and head back here in Sep (my concession to him needing more warmth), but it really doesn't matter where we live, we made our HOME everywhere and our kids are now living in Newfoundland, Michigan and Kentucky and all love to come to FL any chance they can, so we may see more of them in FL than we did in IA.

I love the people here, really outgoing and friendly. Everyone, and I mean everyone, we have met so far has been courteous and kind and outgoing. We have been exhausted at the amount of events going on in our area and have signed up the the opera season, have toured SOME of the museums, are looking forward to spending more time on the beaches and seeing those lovely porpoises playing around in the water, taking in some of the lectures at the various colleges. Will be attending a gallery night in downtown Pensacola tonight where all the galleries and events are open til midnight, Tri State Fair going on right now. Big and Rich are at the Naval Air Station tonight. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this area!!!!! In IA we were about 100 miles RT from any town with more than 2 stores, now we're 5 to 15 miles from anything we need or want. Plus we're only 1 hour from Mobile, AL, 3 hrs from New Orleans, LA or 6 hours from Atlanta, GA. How cool is that! Life is what you make of it, try it with a positive attitude and open yourself to the local customs and habits and you will enjoy it. Separation from family is not easy, military members have known that for centuries, yet they have adapted and become stronger for it.
Sorry for the long post, but relocation is something close to my heart and something I've experienced so often.

I came to FL in 1955 as a newly wed. Have relocated several times to various States. Tennessee, VA, CA, NDakota, Mississippi,KS., mostly for short periods of a year or a little better. But kept coming back to South FL. This is Paradise to me. There are lots of things to do here, all year round. Lots of crafters and (on negative side...crafty people.. pardon the pun). I recently discovered that the SAV-A-Lot stores in this area really are that, best meat, best prices.. Milk, 1.32 per gal. WD is $1.79, Publix about the same. Dollar General stores prices on Cat/dog food, litter, and soaps/cleaning products...better than other stores. At my age (76 in a few days), I have time to shop.

And on the other side of this debate...Our youngest daughter was raised in MN. When she married the 2 of them were transferred to Hawaii and they loved the warm weather. He was then transferred to GA where they still there. They love it, heat and all. DSIL attended law school in FL (travelled back & forth each week) and DD was in school in GA. There are always things to do (they love the outdoors), have met many very nice people and whine like crazy when they come home to the cold. So...have to say that our DS also loved it when he was stationed there.