How did you come to live in Florida? - Page 2

EatRice · 05-18-2006, 02:45 PM

I was born here.

TwistedFun · 05-18-2006, 06:16 PM

born here too.

IVOZ06 · 05-18-2006, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EatRice

I was born here.

I am so sorry for you...

c5inparadise · 05-22-2006, 01:11 PM

About 10 years ago I started to REALLY get tired of the lousy weather that we have in Mass. The average high doesn't break 75 until mid-June, then doesn't get above 75 after mid-September. That's 4 months of AWESOME weather by New England standards, not by my standards. Compare that to Palmetto FLA where the average high dips below 75 only once, in January!! Granted these are averages, but you get the picture. Also, with the change of seasons in New England, the trees aren't bare and the grass isn't brown for about 5.5 monts a year.....very depressing.

So to make a long story shorter, about 5 years ago I decided to sell my house in Mass and build somewhere in the southwest part of Florida. I spent a week visiting realtors from St. Pete to Naples and decided on Palmetto. Closed on my house 3 years ago and couldn't be happier. The catch is that I'm a single parent and I have a daughter in Mass who is 2 years away from graduating high school, so I spend most of my time in Mass. I'm lucky enough to be able to spend one week per month in FLA during the school year and 2 weeks in July and August when she's out of school for the summer. Once my daughter starts college, hopefully in FLA, I'll be able to spend most of my time in FLA. I'd move down full time but the gf doesn't want to. I know, find a new gf, but I can't do it, this ones a keeper

Anyway that's my story and I'm stickin to it.

One last, but very important detail...my vette is at my FLA house, so every time I get down there it's like I just bought it all over again.

**Rich Z** · 05-22-2006, 01:28 PM

I went to tech school up in Mass for a company I worked for quite a few years ago. This was in July. One of the guys in the class and I decided to run to Cape Cod for a day to hit the beaches. We were laying on the beach and I was watching people jumping into the water and noticed most of them commenting that the water was a bit cool. "Wimps", I thought. So anyway, I finally got toasty enough laying in the sun that I figured it was time to cool off. So I just got up and ran down to the water and dove in.

DAMN!! I literally popped back up out of the water like a seed squeezed out of a grape! That water wasn't "cool" it was downright COLD! When my heart started beating again, I got the heck out of the water and laid on the beach to try to warm up again. I heard later that the water temp was 52 degrees. IN JULY!

Heck, in Florida, I'm not even sure the water EVER gets THAT cool at any time of the year.

So yeah, entirely different world down here......... Anyway, hope you do get to move down here permanently. There is nothing on earth that could get me to move back to Maryland. I hate snow and ice. I would often hear people down here making comments like "Oh, I just love the snow!" And I would say "Yeah? Well have you ever shoveled that crap? Driven in it? Had your car going sideways down the road when you found yourself on ice?"

Not for me. Yeah, we have hurricanes, but it's a hit or miss type of thing. Up north, you WILL get cold weather, no ifs nor buts about it.

c5inparadise · 05-22-2006, 01:54 PM

I can't remember the last tiime I actually swam in the water up here and I probably never will again. I was at Siesta Key beach last July and the water was 90! Combine that with a few adult beverages...

**Rich Z** · 05-22-2006, 02:39 PM

Yeah, the neat thing about Florida is that it's kind of like a beach with a little bit of dry land stuck in the middle. From anywhere in Florida you can generally get to a decent beach within an hour or less of driving.

Before my business took over my life, my favorite time of year to vacation in Florida used to be September. Water was bathtub warm and snorkeling in the clear warm waters was almost akin to just floating in the air. Plus the nearly daily late afternoon lightning storms over the Gulf made for excellent photo opportunities of the fireworks. The wife and I used to go to Englewood for vacations at that time. A few weeks in May and a few in September every year. Now I am lucky to be able to get 3 days at a stretch for a getaway.

But heck, except for a brief period of time in the deepest of the winter months, I can wear shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt every day of the year. It does get cold up in north Florida some days, and we will get frost maybe half a dozen nights per year, but it's a rare day even in those events that the daytime highs don't reach at least 50 degrees. To a guy who was born and raised in Maryland, I've got no complaints about that.

Shadow · 05-23-2006, 07:05 AM

I was born here, as was my mother, father and all their family

Dad's family as some may recall, were on Captiva and Sanibel Island just after the mosquitos

(mid 1800s or so).

I live in Tampa, have relatives all over the state including the panhandle.

I love the panhandle and South Florida!

Headed down to WPB/Royal Palm area today leaving tomorrow

jonnyboy · 05-28-2006, 03:54 PM

i came here in a magnificent way.

i just kinda poped out! lol

ZoomZ · 05-29-2006, 02:15 AM

Born a cracker , raised a cracker and will die a cracker right here in Orlando .

I spent 4 months working in west virginia on heavy construction equipment
with my brother in law one year and that did it for me .

I dont care if i ever see snow again and i never want to be that cold ever ! !