[equinejump7]

Anyone who enjoys living in Florida has Stockholm syndrome.

I've been here for about a year. It's not so awful that I feel as if I need to get out of here ASAP but definitely intend on relocating in the near future. Pretty sure no one feels as if they have any skin in the game with no state income taxes, thus they couldn't care less about community or decency - it's every man for himself here.

[Lincolnian]

I enjoy splitting time in Florida with New England. I imagine at some point I will spend the majority of my time there (currently about 1/3 of my time).

Florida is diverse in many ways. If you like city life Florida delivers, if you like a more rural setting Florida delivers. You can live in a tropical climate like the Key West, Miami or Ft. Lauderdale or a subtropical one like Daytona, Orlando, or Jacksonville. The vibe is different on the East Coast, West Coast, Inland, north and south and the panhandle. There are many different cultures, a large international presence and a strong economic base. If you like being outside and moving about mid October to early May Florida is hard to beat.

Whether Florida meets one's personal preferences and objectives is a decision that requires careful evaluation. One also needs to honestly evaluate their true motivation for moving. A big consideration that many fail to fully evaluate before they make a move is the importance of connections to family and friends. Many people hope that the move will solve a problem in their lives and often discount the importance of their familial and social connections. This can lead to a feeling of greater isolation and lead to that person mistakenly attributing their dissatisfaction with their new location.

The old saying that you can't run away from your problems is something to honestly ask oneself before making a big move. For those who the relocation works for their family, personal interests, and economic goals and the climate, culture and community structure is compatible with their preferences Florida can be their personal paradise.

[Mad_Jasper]

I love Florida. While Florida doesn't get in the way of my happiness, I determine the course of my life, not the government.

[City Guy997S]

Just my opinion after 48+ years of living here:

1. Florida is fine, if you are successful here you would have likely been successful anywhere. However if you came here with problems, Florida likely exacerbated those issues.

2. Florida doesn't mean you are living a "Disney experience" or "beach day everyday" 24/7. I live a bike ride from some of the best beaches in the state, I saw them a few days ago when I drove by but haven't put my foot in the sand in years, probably 15+ since I went into the water from the beach (boats sure, beaches its been a while).

If you move here as a service worker (restaurants/hotels/tree trimming whatever) you will be miserable working way to hard just to break even. If you have a trade or professional career you will be fine.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

Just my opinion after 48+ years of living here:

1. Florida is fine, if you are successful here you would have likely been successful anywhere. However if you came here with problems, Florida likely exacerbated those issues.

2. Florida doesn't mean you are living a "Disney experience" or "beach day everyday" 24/7. I live a bike ride from some of the best beaches in the state, I saw them a few days ago when I drove by but haven't put my foot in the sand in years, probably 15+ since I went into the water from the beach (boats sure, beaches its been a while).

If you move here as a service worker (restaurants/hotels/tree trimming whatever) you will be miserable working way to hard just to break even. If you have a trade or professional career you will be fine.

Where are blue collar service sector workers living the life of Riley?

Florida ranks pretty well in most of these lists:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/mortg...ving-by-state/

Seems to me that people who don't make a lot of money like to whine, & blame others...even entire states, for their place in life.

FLA has made my life better, but if I was undisciplined, wasted $'s, & was lazy, I'd likely be miserable here...or everyplace else I tried to live.

[cfbs2691]

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

Just my opinion after 48+ years of living here:

1. Florida is fine, if you are successful here you would have likely been successful anywhere. However if you came here with problems, Florida likely exacerbated those issues.

2. Florida doesn't mean you are living a "Disney experience" or "beach day everyday" 24/7. I live a bike ride from some of the best beaches in the state, I saw them a few days ago when I drove by but haven't put my foot in the sand in years, probably 15+ since I went into the water from the beach (boats sure, beaches its been a while).

If you move here as a service worker (restaurants/hotels/tree trimming whatever) you will be miserable working way to hard just to break even. If you have a trade or professional career you will be fine.

Great post

[halcyon1999]

Originally Posted by hokiepoke

I'm here for the beach, palm trees, sunny days, OnlyFans models and no snow. Florida has delivered in spades.

Fixed it for ya

[JenaS62]

I love Florida. Been here 23 years as of September 2023. Moved our kids out of a run down town in South Jersey and the difference is like night and day. I love being near the water, I love tropical plants and trees. The public university system is wonderful. I put three kids through college for less than it cost my friends to put one through up north. I love the warmth. A couple months suck but it’s worth it. My only complaint is the people that move here and then vote for the same people or policies that ruined where they came from. I like not paying state taxes or buying stupid beach passes. I also like having the ability to conceal carry which I totally take advantage of even though I have never needed it. Florida is home and changed my life for the good.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by Mad_Jasper

I love Florida. While Florida doesn't get in the way of my happiness, I determine the course of my life, not the government.

Can I ask if you have kids? If you do I advise you to home school. If your kids are in public, charter, or private schools add supplements that Florida schools won't allow at home so they will be able to succeed in other state schools and colleges. I think our kids may struggle out of stste in the future unless things change here in Florida. And no I am not "wake" a stupid word used in the wrong way in the last few years.

If I were young and had kids in school, I would not move to Florida!

I adopted Florida soon after college so have been here almost 50 years because it is my home and I loved it. I am a former teacher from a Northern state and in Florida. My kids succeeded in school here. Got good educations and no one batted an eye when one son got his engineering degree but also had math and creative writing minors. Doctor Seus, Shel Silverstein, Sesame Street, traveling and reading about and seeing history enhanced the school learning. They are Florida success stories.

BUT the new laws saying everything used in your class has to be "Oked" by the principal means if your child is struggling or advanced in school all the teachers can use is what is on the pages of the text books chosen by a select few people on a committee. A teacher needs to ask permission to add anything or they face fines, firing, and loss of their teaching license. I always taught using enrichments of songs, poems, reading books, writing additional worksheets and tests, and even telling stories to enhance a lesson, etc.. I would be afraid to in Florida now and my class would end up being boring.


One principal deciding what supplements 30-50 teachers in a school can use in their classes means days, weeks, maybe months waiting to get the OK and that moment of teaching is lost. A teacher knows instantly if something more is needed by a student, waiting a month to get permission to use additional ideas defeats the purpose and may mean the student never grasps the idea and cannot succeed in that class because they missed the basic step to continue on.

I think most school districts are scared to let you teach. They limit the books that can be read by a certain list of 100 books in many districts. We, retired teachers clubs, have trouble even giving out free books or deciding what is acceptable to volunteer to read in a classroom. Even old standards you learned in kindergarten like "Brown Bear, Brown Bear,"Ten little monkeys jumping on a bed," "Ten Little Indians", etc. are frowned upon and denied in some classrooms. Even though the government says no books have been banned, it is manipulated so possible repercussions are the rule in Florida today.

Of course this is just my opinion and I know many will disagree; but it is something to think about.

[Corrie22]

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

BUT the new laws saying everything used in your class has to be "Oked" by the principal

then there's the few bad apples that spoiled the pie....

...when the pie was fully aware of what was going on and did nothing about it

this is the result