January always signals the final arrival of the annual mass migration of snowbirds to their winter nests. For the most part they are a welcome addition to this southern land, pumping millions of dollars into our economy. For those that live and work in this peninsula state, forgive us if we sometimes grumble. As a permanent transplant from a much colder climate, I too once felt the sometime resentment of these mostly hospitable and gracious southern people. As a former resident of one of the most populated corridors in the States, traffic congestion was a way of life. How silly are we to think, the northeast cornered the market!
As most northeastern snowbirds arrive, they flock to the coastal areas of this tropical land. Our landlocked species from the Midwest and central Canada, fill in the midsection of central Florida. It is this midsection, we now call home. Not that a coastal home wasn't considered, but the practical side of being a permanent transplant, better known as the "clipped winged snowbird wannabe', was purely a matter of economics.
As the only gainfully employed member of this golfing twosome, the older half now retired, economically speaking, central Florida has it all. Fantastic weather, ask the MOUSE, he too calls this region, home. Economically speaking, the past few years have not been kind to many, but many still flock to this region, need we ask why?
We had long considered being snowbirds but decided, much like an icy plunge into the cold waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean during the winter months, it was feet first and all in! Having just passed our fifth anniversary, we consider ourselves Floridians. Once asked by a newly arrived clipped winged snowbird wannabe,"when will I get that sense of belonging?" Without hesitation, I ask, "did you bring your medical records?"
Our neighborhood, highways and byways are alive, we renew old friendships, welcome those that sometimes experience that nervous unexplained feeling of homesickness, urging them to relax, open their eyes and understand, change does the body, mind and spirit good. Allowing it to invade your being you experience a re-birth, a sense of belonging!
As most northeastern snowbirds arrive, they flock to the coastal areas of this tropical land. Our landlocked species from the Midwest and central Canada, fill in the midsection of central Florida. It is this midsection, we now call home. Not that a coastal home wasn't considered, but the practical side of being a permanent transplant, better known as the "clipped winged snowbird wannabe', was purely a matter of economics.
As the only gainfully employed member of this golfing twosome, the older half now retired, economically speaking, central Florida has it all. Fantastic weather, ask the MOUSE, he too calls this region, home. Economically speaking, the past few years have not been kind to many, but many still flock to this region, need we ask why?
We had long considered being snowbirds but decided, much like an icy plunge into the cold waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean during the winter months, it was feet first and all in! Having just passed our fifth anniversary, we consider ourselves Floridians. Once asked by a newly arrived clipped winged snowbird wannabe,"when will I get that sense of belonging?" Without hesitation, I ask, "did you bring your medical records?"
Our neighborhood, highways and byways are alive, we renew old friendships, welcome those that sometimes experience that nervous unexplained feeling of homesickness, urging them to relax, open their eyes and understand, change does the body, mind and spirit good. Allowing it to invade your being you experience a re-birth, a sense of belonging!
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