We have officially been in Florida for two years. It doesn't feel that long, I would say it feels like one year. Maybe that is because time basically stopped with COVID? There were two big things that I wanted when I moved to Florida: 1) to be close to family; and 2) to be closer to resources (hospitals, shopping, etc.). There were also lots of little things that appealed to me, for example, the theme parks, more opportunities for the kids, and good state colleges. But, for all the positives, there were also things that worried me or things I knew I wouldn't like, such as the weather and not being near all the history we enjoyed.
Basically, I was right. Everything I thought I would like--I do. Everything that worried me, I still miss or don't like. I also really miss our neighborhood. The neighborhood we live in now is absolutely beautiful, in fact, it is the prettiest neighborhood I've ever seen. Oak trees line the streets, there are lots of green spaces. We can ride our bikes to some amenities. The elementary school is within walking distance, it is convenient and scenic. However, it is not like the neighborhood in Maryland, which only had 60 houses. We knew most of our neighbors, we all moved in around the same time (as the houses were built) and watched our kids go from pre-school through elementary. Here, the houses were built around 2003. There are plenty of people who have been here since the beginning, and they all know each other, but we don't share any history. We didn't watch their kids grow and they didn't watch ours. I miss knowing everyone. That would be very difficult here anyway, since the neighborhood is more than 10x the size of EJC, but it is still a loss I didn't think about. I knew I would miss people: neighbors, friends, coworkers, but I didn't think I would miss the feeling of having established roots. It wasn't even a feeling I realized I had until I didn't have it any longer. And, of course, I miss our big, beautiful house. The house here cost us a lot more, but is much smaller and not nearly as nice.
Thankfully, the transition was easy for the kids. They have friends and activities and have done well in school. Unfortunately, Thomas still hates it here. He hates his job, he hates the weather, he misses the battlefields and museums. The theme parks have grown on him, at least a little. And, of course, he does like baseball. Because of COVID, I think he has only been to one Spring training game. We had tickets to another, but baseball shut down a day before that game. Then, there was none this Spring, well at least not for in-person attendance. But, it is back on now, so he has gone to some Flying Tigers games (the Tigers' low A team) and we just went to a Rays game (blog to follow). Of course, in Maryland, he could see the Nationals. So for him, there just isn't any benefit. Well, other than wanting me to be happy. I think we could return in a year, but I am not sure we would uproot the kids right as they begin high school. Maybe? But, I also know you can't go home again. We couldn't pick up where we left off.
I think I could be happy in either place. I try not to romanticize Maryland. When I find myself missing something, it is easy to remind myself of the reasons I wanted to leave. Oh! I think I've mentioned this, but one thing I really hate in Florida is driving. Not the heavy traffic, which I expected, but the lack of right turn lanes and the weird timing on lights and the terrible, awful drivers.
So, what do the kids think? I asked them for their overarching perspective:
Jack didn't want to move. He doesn't hate it here, but says it is hard for him to really know what he thinks since he hasn't experienced a "real" year here (we moved at the end of May and COVID shutdowns occurred 9.5 months later).
Anna wanted to move. Florida is what she thought it would be, but she misses Maryland more than she expected. But, she says she is happy here.
Kara says it's fine here. It is what she expected. She doesn't like the weather at all, but she does like all the places we visit.
Luke likes it here. He thinks it is "fine and not that bad, it's been a lot of fun." He especially likes the water parks (we just visited one, so it is fresh on his mind).
If I remember, I will do another blog for our three year anniversary. Hopefully, we'll have had a "normal" year at that point. And, just for fun, here are our current annual passes: Universal Studios; Legoland; SeaWorld/Aquatica/Busch Gardens/Adventure Island; Leu Gardens; the Orlando Science Center; and the Brevard Zoo. Our expired passes are: Disney World; Kennedy Space Center; and the Central Florida History Center. It is crazy how many places we've visited in our two years! But, Thomas would trade it all for a trip to Yorktown :)
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