I'm Moving Out of Hell

Yesterday, Mom bought moving boxes and packing tape. Today I helped with packing the boxes. We got an estimate on the flooring so we can sell this house. We're moving out of Florida, which for me has been a tropical hell.

We have discussed this since last week, and the decision was finalized yesterday. We need to get out of Florida by September.

Unfortunately, a monkey wrench has been thrown into the works. Mom may require surgery. It's just our luck that everything seems to be happening at the same time.

Jeanette Isabelle

I hope your Mom's surgery goes well! Congrats on getting out of there, where are you folks moving?

I must note that while there are very nice places to live, everywhere seems to have advantages and disadvantages. I grew up in the Midwest and lived in SD and MN for many years. The weather was a downside, brutally hot and humid in the summer and bone-numbingly cold in the winter. And tornados! The weather is nicer out in north Idaho and SW Montana where I live now (well, Montana winters can be comparable) but wildfires are a constant concern.

Mom does not want me to reveal the new location even though it's possible to track us once we get there. Also, as she pointed out to me, our new home has yet to be set in stone.

Jeanette Isabelle

Well, hopefully it works out for you guys! Good luck with the move.

Best of luck with the move!

What went wrong in florida for you? Is it just the climate?
Qjs

Not trying to speak for Jeanette_Isabelle but the climate, skeeters and hurricanes would have chased me out long ago!

The short answer is yes.

I spent most of my life in North Texas, where it did get hot in the summer, which was okay. We did get some humidity, but no one used their air conditioner in February. Here, it can get uncomfortably humid even in February. We do get some beautiful days, but for the most part, we don't get any seasons except for one.

Also, I'm a city gal, but we're about ten miles from the city. We currently live in a planned community, which helps in some ways, but we don't have sidewalks nor streetlights. When I lived in Texas, I never heard of a place that does not have street lights. Even the most remote locations in Texas have street lights. Here you have to be living in the right place to get a street light.

And while this part of the county is growing, the infrastructure was not designed for growth. Most of the businesses are built on one street, turning this area's main positive into a mess.

Jeanette Isabelle

Fortunately, the skeeters are not as bad as I thought they would.

Jeanette Isabelle

Different strokes for different folks. Happiness, for me as a teenager, was Dallas in my rear view mirror.

It is good that we can all find different situations and inevitably, the one spot that works.

I'm pretty happy in Montana but I couldn't rule out moving back to Idaho if the right job opportunity presented itself. My job here is very good; meaningful work and the benefits are great. If I didn't stay in the west for whatever reason I wouldn't mind moving back to Minnesota again. The tax situation is not ideal but lots of forests and lakes, plus some excellent amenities if you're within a couple hours of Minneapolis/St. Paul. After all, Cantus is based there.

Florida ia not Hell;
Hell has less humidity.

Whilst preferences regarding weather and climate vary a lot, there is in my view a lot to be said for living in a moderately cool climate.
Heating appliances are generally cheaper, simpler, and more reliable than air conditioning.

In cold conditions one can wear warm clothing, but there is a limit as to what clothing may be removed in the heat, at least in public.
And even in private, if still too hot after removing all clothing, then discomfort and possibly actual danger from heat stress await.

If it is too warm to sleep, and air conditioning is not available, not much can be done.
If it is too cold to sleep, then warm pajamas, brushed cotton sheets, and an extra blanket are needed, these are sold everywhere and not expensive.

BTW, no street lights here!

Yeah, I can deal with cold a lot better than heat. Once all the clothing is removed if it's 100 F you're still gonna be hot.

If hell is a place or a situation, move out. But for many, hell is internal, a mindset or a perception or a trauma, and it travels with them. A thought.

Saw a good quote on Facebook recently:

Excellent history lesson....

I think of my father, born in 1910. This meant he was standing in front of the Army recruiting office, waiting for it to open on De. 8, 1941, and participate in WWII.

He later advised me, "Join the Navy. They have better chow." Still later, he protested against the Vietnam War. Having served in the South Pacific and Japan, earning a Bronze Star, he knew what he was protesting....

But there are positives in our history. Of interest to me was the development of cardiac replacement techniques, highly experimental in the 1950s, but mature by 2010, when I got a new heart valve. It came with a lifetime guarantee!!

Life is defined by its series of challenges. Every time is different.

I want to be sure I have this correct. The warranty expires when the patient does?

Jeanette Isabelle

It means the warrenty is non transferable.

Definitely don't buy the extended warranty then. That would be a waste of cash.

I'm not sure what happened. I remember it being definitive that we would move by September but where remained flexible. Mom later said it is not conclusive that we would move, but we needed to be prepared to move by September if that door opens.

Mom considered the negatives of the area we were contemplating. That is not a problem. We'll find someplace else. Mom recognized the challenge of moving in general. Mom is not as young as she used to be, and the only way she could move is to hire professional movers. That would be expensive.

Mom is getting this house fixed. There's that. Otherwise, this tropical hell, which is far away from the rest of our family, will remain our bug in location.

Jeanette Isabelle

Well, you'll just have to make the best of it for now!

you do know that you have a world class medical facility just up the road at Shands...

UF74

I doubt that there is any place, even the most desirable, that doesn't have its negatives. California has a generally mild climate (not always!), but we must endure earthquakes and wildfires.

Spending time with my grandparents in Illinois, everyone was looking forward eagerly to retirement, yearning to relocate to either California or Florida...

BTW, temps in Death Valley (California) hit 128F recently, but it was a dry heat....

True. Texas has more weeds than Florida.

Jeanette Isabelle

As I’ve said , we live very urban, NY-NJ Metro. I’m a city boy . I don’t like to brearh any air I can’t see! ( just kidding. Our local air quality is surprisingly good).

Over the years we tripped to Florida to visit relatives/ friends & taken the kids to Disney World, which I hated. Although, Universal was cool.

Over the years we inherited 2 small places in Florida. One was actually on Singer Island and was kinda nice. But , I couldn’t get past my dislike of the place. We sold them both.

To me , Florida is God’s waiting room! Hot, flat , buggy, filled with objectionable critters and bigoted, slow moving rednecks. Get one mile out of a major metro area and it all starts to look like a bad caricature of Appalachia. Intellectual and artistic pursuits are non-existent. Speaking of lacking intellect ,look at the mess they’re in because they won’t take basic public heath needs seriously..... “. Masks violate my Constituttional rights and so does closing the clubs and the bars!” Better to have tens of thousands sicken , perhaps be permanently medically compromised or even die from Covid19.

Twice my in-laws wife and kids had to evacuate and keep retreating, over a period of days, due to wild fires. Especially tough, as our oldest has multiple handicaps. I will give a tip of my hat to the state’s emergency services on those occasions. They did a good job of protecting the handicapped.

Friends who retired there have bee wiped out by the increasingly common ad mors severe hurricanes and wild fire. As for crime, In the North I feel relatively safe in almost all the areas I frequent, as long as common sense is in gear., Not so much In Florida. And I overall HATE the heat.and year round humidity. Never found a day in the North I couldn’t get warm. I never felt cool & comfortable in Florida.

I get the tax haven benefits and lower cost of housing, especially in retirement. But the trade off is too great for me to ever consider the move. Besides, it’s going to be mostly underwater or the new Venice , in a relatively few years. I feel. Sorry for JI.

C'mon Acropolis50, tell us what you really think. You're among friends. I hate it when you hold back.

As a northern boy, I get what you say. Heat and humidity? That's nasty, miserable stuff. No thank you.

I've never been to FL so I can't badmouth it but I also know I wouldn't live there. I'm not crazy about the cold but it beats heat, especially coupled with oppressive humidity. And hurricanes, don't get me started on hurricanes! Tornadoes are terrifying but they're not hundreds of miles wide.

deleted rude comment from a 1/2 century+ Floridian

Old geezer desert rat here. I spent some time in Florida some years ago and it is a rather interesting place. Flat with no mountains but world class cave diving and other scuba related activities.

On a short trip through the Okefenokee swamp, learning to recognize alligators, I realized that this country was the polar opposite of Arizona, where dry land was abundant and water was scarce. Florida is precisely opposite....

Cave diving is more challenging and taxing than nearly any mountaineering. The state has Everglades National Park an lots of archaeology. What more could one want?

A local weatherman was asked.....if you had to deal with the WORST 'storm/catastrophe' mother nature was going to throw at you.... what would you choose? He replied, "A hurricane. No matter how large or strong..... you gets DAYS advanced notice."

Yeah, I can see that the days of notice would be notice. With a tornado it appears (fairly suddenly), moves erratically and vanishes into the ether. Still, I no desire to experience either one.

We had all of the floorings (except for the entrance, bathrooms, and utility) replaced. Unless something drastic happens, we are staying in Florida. Mom does not want to deal with moving, regardless of the location. At least we're 92' above sea level and nearly a hundred miles from the east coast.

Mom got rid of a lot of books, and she still has too many. She's considering what else to unload. There are things other than books which she wishes to donate. I also need to go through my closet to make room for supplies.

Mom wants to make other changes to the house, such as painting. Eek!

Jeanette Isabelle

I, too, am a city person, and the one thing I miss most is streetlights.


We do have a few red necks in Florida, but not that many.

Jeanette Isabelle

Yikes! Less than 100' in elevation and a hundred miles from the sea!? That sounds scary to me. I'll stick to my place in Montana at 5,000 feet (although to be fair fire season is in full swing).

If Florida is underwater, I'll let you know I'm still alive. That is if I can.

Jeanette Isabelle

Interesting relationship to sea level....I am about a mile from the beach, and 200.5 feet above sea level. Going inland, the terrain is still higher. I am not too concerned with tsunamis.

You have more of a problem ending up in sea than the sea coming to you.

Jeanette Isabelle

I would rather brave non-stop sharknados than live in a city. With all the rioting, looting and destruction going on these days I can't imagine anyone wanting to live there. Much more dangerous, volatile and unpredictable than anything mother nature could throw at you.

I'm originally from Dallas, a place we haven't heard about in the news this year. Still, I do have a reason to be concerned for my sisters who are still in that area.

Jeanette Isabelle

Haertig: I cannot criticize the fact that you prefer the undoubted beauty of Colorado’s great outdoors to city life. To me that is a “Chocolate vs. Vanilla“choice. You’ve made your choice and the I’ve made mine and each happy in his own.

HOWEVER, the bias of all TV/ Internet media toward VISUAL news reporting ( left, center or right, it makes no difference) , results in skewed reporting. It steams me, because in places great cities in an unjustified bad light.

Politics redacted.