The Changes They Are A'Comin!

Downtown Reno, NV, originally uploaded by Ken Lund.

Things are going to be changing in our household after January 1st... I don't want to go into great detail but once we know more about the details I will share them. There is going to be a move in our future, one that we have been contemplating for a *VERY* long time.

Why? Myriad reasons, not the least is a wanderlust that both Scott and I share, but wanderlust is the surely the least of the reasons behind such a move.

I have NEVER lived anywhere outside the state of Florida since I was about 6 years old. My parents came to Florida to retire in 1967 and here I have been ever since then! I will soon be 50 years old, so do the math... nearly 45 of all my years on this earth have been spent living in Florida, and never anywhere outside of it.

I have never traveled to Europe, in fact I have only visited a small handful of US cities in my lifetime, mostly because I have never been able to afford to travel. As far as US cities go, I have visited El Paso Texas (on vacation) and I have visited Washington DC (on a conference with my ex). Outside of that, I really haven't been much of anywhere outside of the swamp that is north central Florida.

Don't get me wrong... lots of people love and adore Florida, and I will always consider it my "home state" no matter where I may end up, but to be honest I have had enough of Florida. After 45 straight years of Florida and more Florida and nothing but Florida, it's time (past time really) to move on.

I can no longer tolerate the extremely hot and humid summers, and I long to experience the four seasons and most of all SNOW! I want to be able to get outside in the summertime and hike on trails and sit out on my porch without being bathed in sweat and have to come right back inside to the A/C. It gets warm in Nevada, but nothing like this stagnant humid 95 degree plus heat day after day for months at a time.

I hear it is windy in Reno. I love wind. There is no wind inland in Florida. It's windy at the shore, of course with the sea breeze, but most people can't afford to live on the shore, it's very expensive. Inland Florida is like a hot humid swamp in the summertime, and I'm ready to climb out of the mire. I just can't take it anymore. I don't know if it's middle age and menopause that has me even more intolerant of the heat than I've ever been before, but I simply cannot tolerate heat. I am sure having developed asthma in the past couple of years doesn't help that either, since I feel like I cannot get my breath when it's still and hot and humid.

We moved out here to the woods in Micanopy a year ago and I looked forward to getting outside more, but to be honest, as soon as we moved in here last spring, the heat came and didn't let go until late October sometime, so I have spent the majority of that time.... indoors in the A/C. No July 4th picnics for me, it was miserable here on July 4th, with rain and heat and tons of insects. We went to watch the fireworks here in town that night and got eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Our electric bill during the summer months is so high we have to scrimp on other things to be able to pay it. I will look forward to leaving these things behind.