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After spending four months in Florida this winter,
I was looking forward to coming home to New Jersey.
It's not that I wanted to leave Florida.......
not at all!
If I could have figured out a way
to be in both places at the same time,
that would have been ideal.
Short of becoming the subject of a clone experiment, however,
I was ready to head back up north.
Truth is,
I missed my family, my friends, my house, my car......
and, ooohhh, my Nespresso machine!
(I did NOT say mostly my Nespresso machine,
but, yes, I admit to yearning for a cinnamon
brown sugar nonfat latte more than once 😍)
Four months is a long time to be away from home......
long enough to forget how to use the TV remote,
and how to microwave Skinny Girl popcorn to perfection.
I even had to think about how to get to my local Home Goods!
I know!!! Crazy, right?
I feel so fortunate that we were able to
escape the northeast's winter weather,
which was particularly harsh this year.
As we tell our friends, however,
when you go away for that long, it's not really a vacation.......
you're just living life somewhere else.
There's food shopping, and laundry to do........
There are bills to be paid, and an apartment to clean.
There's even an occasional doctor's appointment.
Granted, having the beach and pool nearby
does somewhat place the ratio of vacation to living real life
at about 50/50.
60/40.
Who's complaining?
I'm not complaining.
And, being in a warm weather climate
was balm for our pandemic-weary souls.
Yet, it is SO good to be home.
Like I always say, if you aren't happy to be home,
something is really wrong.
As much as I loved my time in Florida,
the answer is an emphatic NO.......
I would not want to live there year round.
There's a greater chance I'll be drafted as the next quarterback for the NY Giants than that ever happening.
That said, I do miss these 10 things
that were part of my daily life in Florida........
🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴
THE BEACH
I miss the ocean being right at my doorstep. Okay, not literally.........there's an elevator, a parking lot, a street, and a gate with a lock on it between my doorstep and the beach. But still, it's close enough to walk to any time of day.
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| Morning....... |
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| Noon....... |
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| Or night. |
The ever-changing views of the Intracoastal Waterway, seen from our balcony, provided endless hours of entertainment. It sure did beat doomscrolling the news feeds!
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| Look out!!! |
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EXOTIC BIRDS
If you know anything about me, you know that I love taking pictures of birds. I got a particular thrill from telling flamingos, peacocks, pelicans, herons, and the like to "smile for the birdie"! I don't think they appreciated my humor.
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SPECTACULAR SUNSETS
Sure, we've got sunsets here in NJ, but I'd have to go out of my way to find a view unobstructed by trees and utility wires.
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DINING AL FRESCO WITH A VIEW
The barbecue area at our building serves up million dollar views of the Intracoastal, even if dinner is just a $12 pizza.
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MORNING WALKING PATH
My daily exercise was a two-mile walk on a path adjacent to the ocean. It was a nice way to get my cardio workout done, although, not so much when the humidity was high, and my WiFi bars were low.
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THE SOUND OF THE WAVES
I know there's an app for that, but please!
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THE "QUIET" AREA
My favorite spot on our condo property is the quiet zone, right alongside the Intracoastal. There's no yapping on cell phones, and no gossiping with the mah-jong ladies. It's a little slice of silent heaven, perfect for napping, reading, or just watching the boats go by.
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| Ssshhhhh!!!! |
OUR APARTMENT
Slowwwwwly coming together, and starting to feel like home-sweet-other-home.
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MORNING RAINBOWS
Life isn't all rainbows and unicorns in Florida, but when you're lucky enough to have ROY G BIV as a companion while drinking a morning cuppa joe, it sure does start the day off on the right foot.
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Soon I'll be counting the days to leave for Florida again.
But.......not just yet.
I'm still happy to be home in NJ......
sipping a nice iced latte........
and spending time with my friends and family.
Till next time,
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LINKING WITH:
Amy, How nice to have spent the winter in Florida during the pandemic. I love all of the things you miss about Florida and you have a place to look forward to visiting again. I enjoyed looking a the photos of Florida.
ReplyDeleteLove the FL photos.
ReplyDeleteYou can sign up for my emails by going to my sidebar and leaving your email address.
Thanks for stopping by....
Great post! Someday I would love to visit your kind of Florida! I have only been to Disney and the wrong part of Miami in the 80's! Your pictures are stunning! So happy to have you in my inbox again.
ReplyDeleteAmy, Love your posts and your photography. I live in Arizona and love it. Do miss the Ocean along the Connecticut coast. Take care and keep the blog going.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful rainbows 🌈
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful Florida photos! I love Florida and haven't been there in years; I miss it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous place to live for the winter months. I too am like you I want the warmth and to be away from the harsh winters in the midwest but I do not want to live in the heat and humidity of the summers down south. I too would miss my family, grand girls and my midwest living but to be snowbirds during the winters is a ok with me too. Your pictures are beautiful and I am so happy you enjoyed the winter. We have a few more years before we will begin that journey of full time retirement and being snowbirds. xoxo Kris
ReplyDeleteYour location is beautiful, Amy. I really like the looks of your apt and esp the quiet zone! I'm sure there are a lot of people now anxious about ownership in FL after the Surfside tragedy. Me? I'd just settle for a nice vacation sometime after the hurricane season. Hopefully we'll get down there this fall. In the meantime, I suppose we'll just settle for the diamonds on the waters as we view and walk the Kanawha. :)
ReplyDeleteOH, how gorgeous, and the condo looks fabulous---what a change from NJ/NY. It's the unobstructed light for your photos! Hugs, Sandi
ReplyDeleteI get it. Florida would not be my choice for year round living. As you know, we thought about it but glad we didn’t make the move
ReplyDeleteYour apartment looks perfect and the location is stunning!
So very nice. Looks like a hard place to leave.
ReplyDeleteYou get the best of both worlds... sounds like a good deal to me.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Four months is a long time -- but you can't argue about the beauty of it all. Especially with this odd winter we in the north shared. Your photography shows it to the very best advantage. Those birds, especially, make me gasp!
ReplyDeleteFlorida wouldn't be my choice, and I am not a huge fan of hot weather, but to spend part of our winter in New Zealand would be appealing. My wife wouldn't stay away from home for more than three weeks though, so unless we decide to live in separate countries for part of the year it's not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteI do miss living near the ocean, but there is no place like home especially when you are near family.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has a Nespresso machine. I've never had coffee with it. Sounds like you really love it.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
I've never considered wintering somewhere warm (not that we are able to right now), I like the changes of climate. I lived in a tropical country for a decade of my life and I like having four seasons even though it doesn't stop me from complaining about the cold or the heat. The snow has it's own magical charm.
ReplyDeleteBut your pictures make it look really good..
Amy, I can see why you miss Florida. Those to items are wonderful. Beautiful sunsets, amazing dining and the beach. My husband is from New Jersey. Enjoy your time at home.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are outstanding, Amy and you have such great views and subject matter in Florida! Pretty home, too! I can see why you love it there. I'm a NYer and live in a small beach community, but it's painful here from October to May. If I could pick up and find it somewhere else for a few months, I would, too!! Happy Weekend!
ReplyDeleteLoved looking at your Florida photos. Your apartment, from what I could see, looks beautiful! Glad you're back!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
Delete