The Florida Project

As many people who know me already know? I have a dream of moving out of New York State and heading south. Perhaps we'll make the move when I retire? Or perhaps sooner. It is my career aspiration to retire someday and get a job at Walt Disney World as a boat hand on one of the transportation boats. I don't want to be Boat Captain because that is too much responsibility for someone in retirement. I just want to be the guy that ties the boat to the dock.

We have plenty of time to decide where we would like to move if we were to move south someday. As I have explored the idea of moving to Florida, I have heard four negative points:
(1) Hurricanes
(2) It is too hot
(3) Insurance is too high
(4) Florida is a nice place to visit, but too many move to Florida and expect it to be a vacation and forget that life happens.

Concerning Hurricanes, in the last two years? New York State has been hit with two. And Florida has been hit with none.

Concerning the insurance is too high? I live in one of the highest taxed regions in the US. The savings in property tax, income tax, and sales tax would more than offset any increase in insurance costs. Besides, I have heard from some who have moved to Florida already and their recommendation? Shop around.

The concern about the heat seems valid. We went to Disney in June in the 90's and I remember it being painfully in the 100's. We decided to really test the heat. In 2011 we went to Florida for two weeks in July. During those two weeks, it was actually hotter in New York than it was in Florida!

This year, our Florida Project will test the fourth complaint: living in Florida is very different than vacationing in Florida. For this test, we are going to rent a house for a month and try living there. I have arranged to work while in Florida. I will be transforming one of the bedrooms into my office, and taking all my office equipment with us. We will shop in Florida, deal with all the daily life issues, and get an understanding for what it means to live there. We are also returning in July to re-test the heat concern.

Staying behind is my college age daughter who will watch the pets and keep the house up in New York. And also staying are my parents who live in the attached in-law.

If we might not move to Florida for a very long time, why perform this test now? Because I was able to get permission from my boss to work from Florida and do this. And I don't know if I'll ever have an opportunity like this again. And if moving to Florida isn't a good idea? I'd like to know now so I can make different plans.

Much of this blog, recently, has focused on work being done to the house. For the next month, the focus is going to shift to The Florida Project as I journal our terrific adventure.