Living arrangement and the fact my immediate family is moving to Florida. Mom and I are already here in Ocala, Ellie will be moving to Orlando and Brittany and her husband will most likely move to Tampa.


This is the part of Florida Mom liked best after considering different parts of Florida.


Dallas is not well known for the arts but Dallas has a higher percentage of artisans and creative people than other U.S. cities. In the mid 1800s, a community of artists from France moved to the area to start their own town. The area they settled was not fertile so a year after they moved to the nearby town of Dallas because of crop failures.

Dallas has a central hub with trains going out and the rail lines are expanding. Moreover, Dallas has bike trails which too are expanding.

Jeanette Isabelle

If you don't mind driving a little Orlando and Jacksonville, while not as large as DFW, can give you at least a small big city feel. Orlando now has a train and in Jacksonville the bridges are a cool place to look at the lights.

I live just on the other side of Orlando from you. Even though I live here I would make a terrible tour guide of Orlando because I tend to avoid the big city. I would most likely be passing Izzy on 40 or 19 while headed towards Ormond beach to ride the loop and then head back home.

In Ocala you might want to check out the Appleton Museum of Art. I'm sure that there are opportunities for volunteering and it might be a good way to indulge your artistic side.

http://www.appletonmuseum.org/

-Learn a new language.
-Learn a musical instrument.
-Read a lot.
-Play chess in the park.
-Participate in local 5k races or whatever distance.
-Learn how to barbeque really well.
-Sit on your front porch and people watch.
-Sit on your front porch and read a newspaper.
-Ride your bike a lot and talk to strangers more often.
-Become the mayor.

If work permitted, I'd prefer to live in a small town.

I live within the boundaries of greater Los Angeles, in Ventura County, so I can partake of many of the advantages and amenities of urban life. That is often very fine and beneficial.

This July I will once more journey to a small(pop. 4000+/-) town in South Dakota (Hot Springs) to dig for mammoth fossils. I have done this for the last fourteen years, and I look forward to yet another season. I really enjoy the change in pace and the different perspective. I know squat about Ocala, but I'll bet the area has its own special advantages. Seek them out.

I can almost see the largest mall in our city from my house for the last 6 years and I think I've been in it maybe three times. There should be plenty to do in any city, local parks, libraries, etc.

Thanks for putting it in perspective. It is not so much about what I do but where I do it.

I'm surrounded by palm trees, I'm within driving distance from a beach and all I can think of is, "Get me out of here!"

I can't leave because I will be separated from my family.

Jeanette Isabelle

Some disaster preps are best kept private. For example large stocks of food, fuel, blankets and other supplies are best not advertised lest one becomes a target for thieves, looters or official requistioning.

In a small town this takes more care since everyone knows everyone and is apt to remember those who purchased large volumes of supplies and perhaps to consider them as "hoarders" who should be "made to share"

In a big city, large volumes of supplies may be purchased for cash in any large supermarket not too near ones home. It is unlikely that the staff will take much notice, and even if they consider the transaction a bit odd, they know not your name or address and will probably never see you again.

In a small town, unusual transactions are apt to be remembered and use of cash rather than plastic cards does not help if everyone knows you.

Stocking up therefore needs to be done gradualy, or at a distant out of town store.
Mail order helps a bit for some goods.

Moving supplies from a vehicle to storage on one's property is also something that neighbors take notice of.

JI... welcome to the state, even though you are not that enthused about it... do you have any questions on tropical storm supplies?

Well said. Fortunately, in a way, very little in the way of disaster preps can be obtained in my suburb (with the huge exception of groceries). Most everything else I have came from out of town -- I hope my UPS driver can keep what he's seen come to my house under his hat.

Unfortunately, in a way, the CERT I belong to has been significantly increasing our outreach efforts to bring preparedness information to our community. I've been selected by the team leadership as the speaker for all of our largest events.

It's working well for me to contribute my time and efforts to CERT and other volunteer organizations, even if that has a deleterious effect on OPSEC. And with my pistol instruction business based out of my home, many will know that I'm own firearms.

The key, I think you would agree, is to evaluate your situation thoughtfully before saying or doing things that let people know what you have at home.