How I Feel About Moving to Florida

WHERE DOES TIME GO. Here I’ve been thinking that I’ve been super on top of my blog, only to find out that the last post I published was 3 weeks ago..?! What is that??

So, hi, how are you.

You’ve probably seen on my social media pages, but…surprise! We are moving to the Florida!

Wut the wut.

That came out of left field. Not the moving part. The Florida part. The job Aaron is filling is fantastic for his career and I’m so very proud of him, so we weren’t surprised by a bad gig or anything. We were just somehow convinced we’d end up in Oregon, Virginia, or Texas. For a few reasons, those possibilities just seemed the most likely! Then screeeeeeech—Florida! I mean, can you GET more opposite than Alaska?

I’m going to just admit something here that will probably rub a few people the wrong way, but I promise I’m changing my tune: I always imagine Florida as home to all the crazy people. You know, the human-zombie, psycho burglar, pandemic-was-a-conspiracy type of folks. But as someone recently pointed out when I started spiraling into a ridiculous fear that someone in Florida will pull a knife on me at the playground…there are scary parts and people wherever you live. And I currently live in Alaska after having lived in New York City— so my ability to spot crazies and create a safe community is pretty well-sharpened (no pun intended). Plus, a universal truth wherever you go is that there are far more kind people than there are wackadoos.

So with this newfound open-mindedness about Florida, I am so excited to embrace white sandy beaches of the panhandle, only 5.5 hours from Disney and Harry Potter World (eeee!), complete with a zoo and a Target and multiple grocery stores (this feels big after living on a secluded island that is out of milk or chicken if you go on the wrong day). I will miss Ketchikan so much. So so much. I don’t think any place can ever match it in my heart, but focusing on the future is far more productive and exciting than lamenting the loss of leaving. Besides, it’s not a loss! We have gained friendships, memories, and a new happy place. Not to mention Warren is Alaska Native, so we’ll come back to visit, 100%.

We’ve already started making plans for the move, which will happen at some point this summer, though I’m not sure when. We’re going to take the car ferry out of Ketchikan down to Bellingham, Washington, then do a road trip down the Pacific/California coast! Once we hit San Diego, we’ll head east. It’s going to be a wild 3.5-4 weeks on the road with 3 kids in carseats across a single backseat row, but it’s going to be AWESOME.

While in Florida, I’ll keep Josephine home with Warren and me full-time. Right now, she goes to toddler class just two mornings a week for 4 hours, so not much. But those hours have been really helpful for me here in Ketchikan as I bonded with Warren as a baby and didn’t have many options for getting kids out of the house in the winter months. In Florida, with plenty to do (Zoo! Museum! Beaches! Flat places to walk! Daily park weather!), I am excited to spend my days having fun with my littlests! (Hard to believe they’ll be 4 & 5 by the time our 3 years in Florida are over.)

Florida also offers free preschool to all 4-year-olds, which means Anders will attend school this fall at no cost. We’re cutting out all childcare costs! Woo hoo! This is big. I’m hoping we can use some of that moola to go toward annual Disney passes since we’ll be so close. (For a family like ours who chooses to do a 4-week road trip…a 5.5 hour drive feels very close.)

Anyhoo, that’s the skinny! Can’t wait to wear sundresses and sandals, though I’m sure I’ll be daydreaming about Ketchikan after my first sunburn. It’ll be so fun to share this new adventure with all of you!