Many people have asked me how I wound up here in the country on a farm from the big city of West Palm Beach. They are truly perplexed that a single woman would willingly pick up and move several states away, with no job, no friends, no family with 5 dogs and a cat to live in a hundred year old house and farm she bought over the internet, sight unseen. Me too.
The exact moment I made the decision to make a change, a break, an escape from South Florida was during the third out of three hurricanes to directly hit to my area in one year. Shucks, the storms were not that bad; alot of wet, wind, damage and inconvenience. It was the aftermath that drained my love for Florida. The atmosphere changed- everywhere. People, never known for being a wealth of love and friendliness were more rude and less tolerable. Drivers became more erratic long after the streets were cleaned and order restored. And everywhere you got hit with rising costs with the explanation "because of the hurricanes". Gas, electricity, taxes, HOA dues, insurance, food, everything. It was brutal. To remain in my little 800 square foot villa, I was going to need a second job and I was already working 50 hours a week in pretty well paying job.
As I laid in bed with four of my dogs and the cat listening to the wind, I did not make the decision, I just bumped up the time frame. I decided I was not waiting to retire to live a more rural lifestyle, I was getting out. I was going to take advantage of the housing boom that escalated home prices thru the roof and run.
When the winds died down, the rain slowed and the skies lightened, I walked the 40 steps to my best friends door and the first words spoken were me; "I am outta here".
The exact moment I made the decision to make a change, a break, an escape from South Florida was during the third out of three hurricanes to directly hit to my area in one year. Shucks, the storms were not that bad; alot of wet, wind, damage and inconvenience. It was the aftermath that drained my love for Florida. The atmosphere changed- everywhere. People, never known for being a wealth of love and friendliness were more rude and less tolerable. Drivers became more erratic long after the streets were cleaned and order restored. And everywhere you got hit with rising costs with the explanation "because of the hurricanes". Gas, electricity, taxes, HOA dues, insurance, food, everything. It was brutal. To remain in my little 800 square foot villa, I was going to need a second job and I was already working 50 hours a week in pretty well paying job.
As I laid in bed with four of my dogs and the cat listening to the wind, I did not make the decision, I just bumped up the time frame. I decided I was not waiting to retire to live a more rural lifestyle, I was getting out. I was going to take advantage of the housing boom that escalated home prices thru the roof and run.
When the winds died down, the rain slowed and the skies lightened, I walked the 40 steps to my best friends door and the first words spoken were me; "I am outta here".
That looks scary enough to me to say ?I'm outta here too!
ReplyDeletebtw
First!!!!
Man this really brings back the memories:
ReplyDeleteThis really makes me miss my friend even more,
what we went thru!!
Yep, DC, it was pretty challenging, wasn't it? Remember your Mother in Law calling the governor's office demanding they send us help because we had no coffee?
ReplyDeleteI had you covered though- you never missed a cup in the morning for all that time we had no power.
BTW- anyone blowing up that first photo- that is Dixie Cats place, the blinds are parted from her dog Canterbury peeking out to watch the storm. I took that shot from my living room.
ReplyDeleteOh, that Florida...
ReplyDelete(shivers)
Too Much Water!
I was in Miami Beach once, for a sign show, about a week before the beachfront was summarily demolished, again.
Gah. I don't know how ya do it. Did it.
Amazing.
and, and??
<')
Yup. No way! No way in he -L-L. On the rare chance we get hit here or might seriously get hit here I'm driving home. Mom and Dad live on a huge hill. Huge.
ReplyDelete