As I write this, we have three weeks left of our time in Florida.
Three weeks from today and we’ll be packing it all up and hitting the road the next day for the loooong ride home. I am not looking forward to that trip!
I already posted my initial take on our stay in Thoughts on The Villages, Florida, and Snowbirding, Part 1. This post will give an update on what’s happened since. I’ll then write one or two more posts once we are home to wrap things up.
As a reminder, I have been sharing photos of our trip on Instagram so follow me there if you want updates and/or to see what I’m talking about.
Let’s get started…
The Villages
Here are my random thoughts about The Villages in no particular order:
- If you’re looking for something to do in The Villages, you never have to look far. In addition to the 3k groups/clubs, the 100+ rec centers, the 50 or so golf courses, and the 200+ pickleball courts, there’s always an event or two going on like the farmer’s market every Saturday in Brownwood Square, a Mardi Gras parade, a local strawberry festival and the like. There’s supposed to be a weekend of partying in at least one square (Lake Sumter) this weekend to prepare for St. Patrick’s Day.
- As for pickleball, I have been playing a TON of it — averaging six times per week for 2-3 hours per time. My body is telling me to slow it down a bit. Today we’re having rain all day, so maybe that’s God forcing me to slow down. Hahahaha. I have found a pretty good men’s group where we arrange to play via WhatsApp. Good guys and good play overall. If we were here longer I think I would discover a few other groups and meet several more people who play at my level.
- As for the social side of pickleball, I probably know 50 people by name (first name) down here because of pickleball. So being active in the sport helps cover three of the five important retirement categories (fun, exercise, and social) I noted in Huge List of Awesome Retirement Activities.
- There are about a million roundabouts in The Villages, many of them on Morse Boulevard (one of the main drags). The pros are they keep things moving as Florida traffic lights change about every five minutes (miss one and you’re doomed — lol). The cons are they slow things down and even though there are signs detailing what lane to be in, many drivers either don’t read the signs or don’t want to abide by them, making for some near misses on occasion.
- I am driving much more down here than I would at home as we have to drive to work out, go to the store, and so on. Plus I calculated that we’ve driven 24 hours — the same amount of time it took us to drive down here from Colorado — on all the excursions we’ve taken to various Florida cities. Ugh. I am DONE with driving once we get home!
- We saw a movie (Uncharted) at the Old Mill Playhouse on Lake Sumter Square and plan to see The Batman there next week. Nice, but not as nice as our Cinemark at home (with the reclining chairs and reserved seating). Plus my daughter found a new place called RoadHouse Cinemas that’s a combination restaurant/theater (you can order and eat at your seat) with large, HEATED, lounge chairs that I want to try.
- It can be confusing to try and tell what’s going on where and when here. There’s an app that lists all the events, times, and contacts and they also publish a newspaper every Thursday that lists what’s going on at every rec center every day. The trouble is that these two can disagree and you don’t know which is right. Or worse, they can both agree and still be wrong because, as I have found out, the FINAL and ONE TRUE WAY of knowing what is going on at a particular rec center is to look at the sign outside the rec center where they post activities for the week. It’s supposed to be the law on what’s happening there. Never mind that there’s no way you’d drive around to all the rec centers to check these out or that these can be incorrect as well! Hahahaha. That said, the paper/app is 80%+ right so they aren’t bad.
- My dad is really thriving down here. He has gone from being a homebody to doing at least one activity per day (Zumba – to exercise and “meet the ladies”) to two activities per day (Zumba plus the pool or maybe two Zumbas) to three activities a day (Zumba, dance lessons, plus a trip to the pool, another Zumba, and/or a trip to the square to hear live music.) He keeps saying, “I have so much energy lately” and is really doing well. He’s starting to consider buying a place down here. Time will tell what happens as nothing is set in stone, but we are seeing firsthand how this place can take an eight-hour-a-day-cable-news-watcher and give him new life!
- We have been down to the pool quite a few times the past several weeks. The pool at the Aviary rec center is bigger but is a family pool (thus has kids now and then) so we mostly go to the Bradford rec center pool which is an adults-only pool (30 and over). It’s very quiet, nicely maintained (as is everything here), and is about a 10-minute walk from our house.
- My wife and I played bocce one evening and it was quite fun. The only problem was that my legs got eaten up by little gnats while we were playing. Sheesh, if the bugs are this bad now, what are they like in the summer?
- Speaking of pests, our cat has caught a couple small lizards that have gotten into our house and/or on the lanai. He loves to “get” and “hunt” them but we make sure he doesn’t eat them. If he spots one inside I catch it and release it outside.
A Sad Event
One Saturday morning in February we got a call at 6 am from my brother-in-law that his wife was missing and he couldn’t find her.
She’s had progressively developing Alzheimer’s that started when she was 60 or so and has been getting worse over the past five years. Her mother had the same thing at the same age.
As you can imagine, he was distraught and asked my wife if he should call 911. My wife said, “Yes, call right now.” 30 minutes later he called and said the police found her in the lake near their house drowned. What likely happened was she got up in the middle of the night, let herself out of the house, and wondered outside, confused, and fell into the lake.
She was a few weeks away from going into a care facility, but they just hadn’t pushed the final button to make that happen. Very sad, of course.
We drove to their house a couple hours away, came home that night, then my wife went back for a few days the next day. The whole family drove down there for a memorial service a few days later.
It’s another cautionary tale to enjoy life along the way as well as retire ASAP – because life is short.
The House and Florida
Here are some random thoughts about Florida, the house we’re staying in, and our time down here so far:
- In February we took a day trip to St. Augustine. We toured the fort (Castillo de San Marcos), walked/shopped/ate on St. George Street, toured the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, saw Flagler College, and took a trip to Vilano Beach. All in all it was a very good day.
- The end of February/early March weather was GREAT! Before that we had some colder and rainy days, but many of the locals told us it’s been colder and rainier for longer times this year than it is normally. The best days are when it’s 85 and sunny here and 5 degrees and snowing in Colorado. We text pictures to our friends on those days. LOL.
- We took a day trip to Clearwater Beach and had a day in the sun and water. The water was only 65 degrees, so it was quite “refreshing” but all those years visiting Lake Michigan prepared us for it. Hahahaha. We walked on the strip by the beach but there wasn’t much there. And traffic around Tampa was pretty bad.
- When we took the kids back to go home (their flight left from the Orlando airport), we went down early and did a bit of shopping at an outlet mall about 20 minutes from the airport. I always think I’ll see so much more than I do at those places, but I only ended up with one thing. But it was fun to look and see several stores we don’t often find in Colorado.
- While down here both my wife and I celebrated birthdays! Nothing special but we did go out to eat each time as well as had some nice treats at home.
- One day at the pool a lady told us about the nearby Russell Stover store (which had also been mentioned by someone in the Millionaire Money Mentors forums). We’ve been there a couple times and plan to go at least once more before we head home. It’s a good-sized store full of chocolate and an ice cream shop — what’s not to love?
- My sister-in-law and brother-in-law visited us this week. They are staying in Orlando and drove up to see us and The Villages. We played pickleball, visited the pool, toured Lake Sumter Square, ate at redsauce on the square, drove around Brownwood Square, and visited the Russell Stover store. It was a fun and full day.
- Overall, the restaurants here are “ok” in my opinion — not terrible but nothing great either. Our favorites so far (standing out from what is generally an average experience eating out) are Fiesta Grande on Brownwood Square and Willie Jewells barbecue at the Magnolia Plaza not far from our house (it’s the complex with the “swanky” Publix where my dad gets bowls of soup often). LOL.
- The part of Florida we’re staying in doesn’t have a Costco nearby. So we joined Sam’s shortly before we left home. We have been to Sam’s 4-5 times now and I can say that everything I thought I thought about Sam’s is 100% true. It’s basically a larger version of Walmart (which is not good IMO). Yes, there are a few good “finds” there but overall I am not impressed. So I can’t wait to get back to Costco. Hahahahaha.
- We do watch TV some, mostly at night as we are exhausted from the day’s activities. Of note, the new seasons of When Calls the Heart and American Idol have started, so we’re all in with those. 🙂
- Next week my wife and I are headed to Sarasota to scout out things there. We’ll also stop for a night in Destin on our way home. With these last two trips, I think we’ll have seen almost all of the parts of Florida we wanted to see (though I would like to get to Naples and the Keys someday).
Overall Thoughts So Far
As for our time here, we have loved it, but we do love home as well, so we are looking forward to being back (especially now that the inevitability of returning is within sight).
As we near the end of our time here, we’ve started to do a pros and cons list of staying at home versus snowbirding versus taking one or two 10-day trips in the winter to someplace like Hawaii or Grand Cayman.
Our thinking is still in flux and is likely to change before we make a final decision. There are several issues and we’re still working through them, but we have no problem with The Villages or with Florida. Any reservations we have focus on snowbirding in general.
The fact is, we live in a GREAT place. Colorado Springs is awesome, even in the winter. So going somewhere can provide “better” weather at times, but it also comes with some drawbacks, the biggest being we’re simply more comfortable at home. And it really is difficult, if not impossible, to replace that comfort of home anywhere else.
For a shorter trip, it’s no big deal. You travel to a location, live on vacation for a time, things are fun even if not as comfortable, and then you’re home again a week or two later.
But 2.5 months anywhere besides home is much more of a slog. You’re without your comforts, space, much of the things you like to do, the people, etc. that make a great home great. Yes, there are some off-setting benefits, but do they compensate for what you give up? We’re still working on the answer to that for ourselves.
A couple issues for me is that living away from home in a new, temporary place makes it hard to establish any routines, especially when you are traveling and seeing sights like we have done a lot. And I am a person of routines and like routines. In addition, I have found it much harder to get work done down here (which I also enjoy). But it doesn’t fit into the flow of our days nor is there a place that’s completely conducive to working the way I like to. It creates the feeling that you’re never completely settled, which is not a feeling I enjoy.
One thing we can do is take the things we’ve found here that we like and recreate them back home. For instance, we have been thinking about what to do with our back yard. Here in The Villages it’s common to have a screened in lanai that’s in the back yard. We really like and use it (when it’s not too hot or rainy) — and the cat LOVES it. One thing we’ll investigate upon returning home is adding one of these to our Colorado house.
Those are my thoughts for now. Any questions or comments?
Bryan says
One other short trip while you’re there is New Smyrna Beach. Cute little beach town with some interesting restaurants on Flagler Ave. my favorite is Breakers right on the beach. Easy day trip from there.
Bryan says
Also forgot, you can drive your car on the beach there. So pack for a beach picnic if you want also.
ESI says
We’ll have to save it for next time — I don’t want to drive as little as possible before we head home. I have been to NSB before, though it was decades ago when we lived in central Florida.
Sharon Prefore says
On your trip to Sarasota, find Captain Curt’s restaurant and gift shop. Award winning clam chowder a must! Also visit Marie Selby Botanical Gardens downtown Sarasota.
Martha Pettengill says
Excellent report, thanks! When you’re in Sarasota, you might want to check out the town of Venice (“shark tooth capital of the world”)! Charming downtown area, some nice restaurants. My Dad owned a home there in the “Harbor Lights” park for many years (up until last year)—and it was a very nice community. Hey, there is a COSTCO in Sarasota, by the way!! (Woot!!)
Very sad about your sister-in-law; my condolences to your family.
ESI says
Thanks! We’ll see if we can check that out!
Mark says
Venice is about 30 minutes south of Sarasota, but you can see the whole downtown by parking once and picking a nice place for lunch. I thought we were going to buy there before I walked into our current house in Bradenton. You know the right one when you see it!
B Dedics says
We live very close to the new WEC…..so if into horses. It is a welcome treat to be able to attend many events there. Our community has the small town feel yet we are not far from Gainesville ..40 miles and Orlando. About 90 .. Plus in middle of state..Ormond Beach in ocean and Crystal river, cedar Key on Gulf. A must is trip the Keys too..maybe 5 hours
K D says
I enjoyed the vicarious look at snow birding. We too like being home and routine but don’t love Mid-Atlantic winters. There is no obvious place to move but I keep thinking about it. I have several friends and a few neighbors that will be moving within the next few years for a variety of reasons.
MI-226 says
Sounds like a successful trip overall. We liked the Villages on our visits there. We considered it for all the options you outlined. We love FL in general. The winter weather is amazing. But in the end, we also love our Mid-Atlantic home even more. We’ve done longer trips and shorter trips and have settled on going down to FL for several 2-3 week winter visits over the cooler months. We’ve also decided that we have the best of all worlds at home. We live at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains, we live on a beautiful lake, we can be at the ocean in just a few short hours, and family is close. So we’ve decided against a permanent move to FL (or anywhere else) at this time. We have also decided against purchasing in FL (for now) because we like the option of being able to change our destinations without feeling like we aren’t “effectively using” a second home. We’ve found that we can have the best of all worlds and not be locked into a particular “vacation location” by simply renting “trip” homes for our many visits. We may change our minds as we age more (mid fifties now), but for now we feel like we have it all. Il ove the idea of adding a lanai to your CO home. We added a huge outdoor stone fireplace to our patio area after a visit to a resort in AZ a few years ago. Have enjoyed every minute of it. It sounds like you already have the best of all worlds. Maybe keeping those options open are the best of all worlds! 😉
ESI says
Yep. I think we’ve come (or are coming) to the same conclusion. 🙂
Darvin Sutton says
If you truly want to be warm in Winter, you need to be in SE or SW Fl. Central FL too up and down. We have owned in Ft Myers and Ocala.
BethC. says
I’ve been semi retired for 2 years. We’ve taken a couple of 3 week trips in areas with lots of outdoor activities when it felt safe to do so. We own 3 timeshare weeks in Florida, and added time at other locations for a 5 week trip overall. We were not sure if we would like being away for that long, but we loved it. This year, we’re taking a 6 week, 6 state, 6 baseball team swing through the Midwest. We thought about retiring to NC, but we love our home and are well positioned to visit several great cities. We are about an hour away from the beach, and have access to great healthcare and restaurants. Taking longer trips might satisfy your need to get away, while allowing you to still maintain the home that you love. We’re staying put.
Chuck says
Thanks for your article. Love your blog. We live in Colorado year-round, have also considered snowbirding, but at present getaway for shorter periods in the winter. Don’t know if you’ve seen while you’ve been away that a California company is turning the closed SteinMart in Colorado Springs into a mega-pickle ball complex.
https://gazette.com/business/indoor-pickleball-complex-coming-to-colorado-springs-in-conversion-of-vacant-retail-space/article_85278f00-5c6f-11ec-a820-cfc09ef9d946.amp.html
ESI says
Yes. They were supposed to be done in February (as that article says) but my friends back home are saying it’s not ready yet and they are simply hearing that it will be open in 2022 sometime. Time will tell.
Lifetime Fitness is adding 4 indoor courts this spring and I’m excited about that!
Paulz says
The easiest way to figure out the entertainment is to go to the website! Everything is updated real time, so you never have to rely on a few day old paper. Hope it helps- https://www.thevillagesentertainment.com/
We go to the AMC theatre that is fairly close. Reclining seats are wonderful!
I agree on the generally-ok restaurants and the lack of a Costco. We head down to Tampa/Sarasota every other week and enjoy a change of scenery. Its only a 90 minute drive, enjoy some truly great places to eat, and stock up on all our Costco essentials. We make Costco our last stop and bring a cooler, so by the time we get back to TV everything is still frozen.
ESI says
I’m not talking so much about entertainment as I am the activities — what specific pickleball courts are used, for what, and when, and so on. Same for classes and so on at rec centers.
The AMC Theatre is about 30 minutes from us…a bit too far.
DC says
I am extremely saddened to read of the death of your brother-in-law’s wife. Such a terrible way to exit this world. On the other end of the spectrum, I am heartened by your dad’s rejuvenation. Thank you for your very informative postings on Florida.
Frank S says
Thanks for the two part info/articles about The Villages; I had heard about them and how large and populated the place was, but nothing else; what a neat long trip; your approach with family being there and visiting was spot on, the way to do it; I am a serious pickleball junkie (4-5 days a week, indoors in winter, outdoors summer or bad weather), so it was great to hear about the access and number of courts; I think nice folks are always glad to take a game or two with a beginner, as others did with us, but overall would rather play with same level players; (watching Ben Johns play on YouTube tells me there is always room to grow a lot in the sport, I am humbled);
We are in northern GA and are slipping down to Seaside/Watercolor, FL area later this month for a few days; suppose to be pretty nice with a lot of bike riding, looking forward to seeing that area of FL; yes, will slip a couple of paddles in the trunk….just in case a game comes up; prior to covid, we had been spending 30-45 days a year in Europe, primarily Italy……..don’t need to pack a pickleball paddle for there ‘yet’;
Thanks again for the informative articles, enjoy the rest of the ‘journey’,
/frank
B.C. Krygowski says
These two blogs were an interesting read. All the older people I know who live in The Villages love that place. And yes, the bugs are worse in the summer but not terrible (having lanai’s help a lot). And man has it been a colder winter than normal for us. One thing you left off your list: The Villages hospital is now a UF Shands hospital (Shands is consistently ranked among the top 10 hospitals for various specialities in the nation). Next time you’re in Orlando, try one of the El Inca Grill restaurants. So yummy. And if you don’t want lizards inside, try leaving cracked open (empty) eggs outside the front and back doors. It supposedly scares the lizards away, making them think there’s a predator nearby. (I don’t know if this actually works, but it’s what some Floridians do. Me, I just have young kids that love to catch them, lol).
B Dedics says
Tks for the cracked eggs comment. I’m going to try it. We have lanai and don’t get them in there unless Door is left open, but do get a couple on pool deck.
Liz says
A friend’s mom with alzheimer’s issues fell asleep and dropped a lit cigarette. Fortunately the person who was on their way to check on her didn’t stop at a store. The mom was okay, but the house had a lot of damage. They were able to get her into a care facility, but the outcome was a big wake up call for all involved. I am sorry your extended family suffered that loss.
My grandparents were snow birds, and my mom and aunt have seen the benefits as well. Friends of the family found and enjoyed renting in The Villages so much, they bought a place! I got a tour via golf cart that impressed me. If a person is bored living there, they would be bored anywhere. It’s great to hear your dad is enjoying what’s on offer & that you’ve found so much pickle ball!
Darby says
It was very sad to hear of the loss of your brother-in-law’s wife. Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease. My mother-in-law, her son, my husband’s brother and her daughter, my husband’s sister as well as my husband’s grandmother have all suffered with Alzheimer’s. Only one is still living if you can call it that. So far he has been spared. Perhaps that is why that part of your article stuck out to me. Although the death of your brother-in-law’s wife may have come as a shock, watching her decline is way more painful. She has been saved from a life in a long term care facility, something none of us would choose and her husband has been spared the heartache of watching someone you love literally disappear. Sadly the choice with Alzheimer’s is not to live or die but to die twice. My heart goes out to your family.
Mary says
My husband and I bought a home in Fort Myers/Estero for snowbirding. We live the other half of the year in WA state. It is a big responsibility and expense to have 2 homes but it allows us to address the issue you raised about being comfortable. I was never comfortable in hotels or rented places. So we accept the extra work and expense and responsibilities. Time will tell if it’s a worthy trade off. If you get back to Florida and are interested in nature I suggest Big Cypress National Preserve as well as the Everglades and also Lovers Key State Park.
Rosie says
Love your blog.We have been snow birds for several years, always think we are going to settle and buy, just can’t do it.
We make a point every year of visiting Homosassa Springs, Black Point Wildlife Drive, Orlando Wetlands and the Canaveral Seashore, among other places.
All of your thoughts on the Villages, is pretty much ours also. Nice activities, the Squares are nice, restaurants are ok.
Some homes we rented were very nice, a couple we would not go back too.
Overall, The Villages is a nice place to visit.
Jeff says
Sam’s club is just Walmart with a paywall to keep the poor people out and they make you buy in bulk. Change my mind.
Mike says
Before flying out of Orlando, just east is an up and coming community called Lake Nona. They are building a 55+ community that may be worth a visit.
Safe Travels on your return back home.
ESI says
We’ll have to do that next time. We drove from CO (so we’d have our car, bring all we wanted, and transport our cat), so we’ll be headed north when we leave.
Mary says
Did you know you can take the auto train out of Sanford, FL – an hour and a half drive. Drops you off near DC. It’s an overnight and someone else is driving. Makes the drive less grueling
ESI says
I didn’t know that, but it’s good to know!
I Googled it and it looks like $200 per person and a 16-hour trip, so it’s not fast. Plus, I’ve been to DC so many times it’s not “new” to us.
That said, my dad might want to go next year so we’ll keep it on the list. Thanks for suggesting it!
Mary says
I didn’t mean to take the autotrain to visit DC – just saying instead of driving the whole way home – you can take the train from FL to Lorton, Va then take your car off the train and travel from there to CO to get home. It saves some driving time but yes, it is about $200 per person then another $200 for your car
ESI says
Google maps says it’s the exact same number of driving hours from here to CO as it is from Lorton, VA to CO.
Mary says
Wow – I didn’t know that – Oh well guess you should drive from TV to CO
M264 says
Good write up. The looong drive back to New England has sabotaged my future retirement plan to be a snowbird. I’ve been in FL over 30 years and you never get used to the summer. Thirty years, and still haven’t made it to Key West!
I have found the winter weather is generally 5 to 10 degrees warmer the further south one goes from the Orlando area. And the Panhandle is even cooler in winter. I was considering Pensacola as a retirement destination but too cold in winter.
Lizards, yes, but I’ve never been bothered by mosquitoes or other bugs living on the coast.
Pat says
You may enjoy a visit to Longboat Key, it’s a barrier island in Sarasota on the Gulf of Mexico. We moved here three years ago from Pennsylvania and never left. Safe travels!
ESI says
Thanks! I’ll add it to my wife’s list!
Caren says
Go to St. Armand’s Circle in Sarasota. You can eat lunch at the Columbia Restaurant there. It is delicious and an historical restaurant. I wish you had time to come to Wellen Park/West Villages, south of the Sarasota/Venice area. You should put that on your visit list for your next Florida vacation. Our new town center will be finished in January 2023. Also, the Ringling Museum and mansion are a must see!
Eric says
Did you see the NYT long-form article on the villages?
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/03/opinion/florida-the-villages.html
Just curious as to your thoughts having been there for a bit.
ESI says
I can’t read it since they make you register to do so and I’m not up for that. But someone did post it in the MMM forums, several read it, and here’s the summary from one mentor that everyone agreed seems correct:
“I thought it was a very entertaining article! Read it the other day and sent it to my dad. I maintain he should move there lol. It was a bit tongue in cheek regarding the “unflattering” parts I thought. The liberal New York writer was clearly an outsider, but reading between the lines it seems she (I think it was a female?) had a pretty good time.
The “Disney” part / unflattering part for the record was more about how things seem fake – everything perfectly designed and well manicured, no homeless people or crime or poverty or even people of color (I think she said it’s 98% white which is a bit surprising). And the risks of spending all your time in that kind of environment versus the “real world” which can create a lot of groupthink, presumably. Though even the writer acknowledged that a lot of these people have worked for decades and deserve to spend their retirement in whatever kind of environment they choose.”
My response to this was as follows:
“My thoughts on these:
1. Things are well-designed and manicured. Very nice indeed. Not sure what’s wrong with this…
2. I personally am not a fan of importing homeless people, crime, or poverty to make the place I live more “realistic” (or whatever the reporter would call it). Hahaha. Plus it’s incorrect. If you want to know what’s really going on here (including crime), check out this site: https://www.villages-news.com/
3. It probably isn’t 98% white. Maybe “only” 95%. But still highly white. Some may dislike that. To me, I can get along if it’s 95% white or 15% white.
4. I don’t see the groupthink either. In fact, I see the opposite. Yeah, there are common beliefs on some subjects, but get 10 people around a pickleball court here and there’s probably some disagreement (or at least discussion) about something. Imagine this: you collect successful people (at least financially successful) from all over the country and put them in one spot. Most of these people, because they have been successful at doing things their own way, have pretty strong views on everything from how often the flowers should be changed out to who should be allowed to play when on a pickleball court (based on skill level). Throw in their different backgrounds, ways of living, ideals, etc. and you don’t get groupthink.
FYI, I have witnessed one fight and heard of two others at one of the rec centers! Hahaha. It’s not all as plastic happy-go-lucky as some think. After all, we’re a lot of people down here and people tend to rub each other the wrong way from time to time. Hahaha.
That said, every time we have gone to the pool we’ve met someone new and have had a long, pleasant conversation with them. We find out where they are from, what they are doing down here, and so on. I have even made friends from New York and California!!! Hahahaha. Who would have thought?
Anyway, more than you probably wanted to know, but I would encourage your parents to come down and do a lifestyle tour (https://www.thevillages.com/lifestyle-preview-plan). At worst, it’s a cheap vacation at a nice place. At best, maybe they will find their new home.”
D says
First… My condolences to your brother-in-law… 💔
My husband and I always thought we would travel about and enjoy a month or two someplace in the world. We never had an interest in moving or buying a second home. But… we did end up buying a home in Celebration FL and kept our home in NY on the foothills of the Adirondacks. We still travel all over the place and go on explores… which we love. We have found it difficult to sell our NY home, just because it is a great place. One of these days, maybe. We love having the second home in FL, to escape the NY winters and wander about. Also it is very comfortable to stay in our own home, rather than rent. Currently we travel about the US, but are looking forward to traveling overseas again once we can travel comfortably. It is rather interesting, as my husband and I and our 16 year old cat meander about… way too much fun… 🙂