I made it!

[Pacifist Patriot]

There have been many instances when I thought this would never be accomplished, but after 31 years in Florida I made it out.

I met my husband in college here in Virginia. We always said we would move back when we retired. After the youngest graduated from college in May, a shared light bulb went off. We both work fully remote jobs at virtual-first companies that will never force us into an office and don't care which state we live in. Our children are spread out from Boston to Tallahassee with the baby leaving for two years of grad school in China two weeks from today.

In a 10-week time span, we pulled off a move I thought would take at least a year to coordinate.

We closed yesterday, and I am sitting in my home office with beautiful trees outside my window and a definite sense of a lighter load. Florida has felt oppressive for many years, but I had no sense of the weight of it until today.

I'm home again.

[spooky3]

1. Welcome home! nt

[Walleye]

2. Congratulations, Virginia is a beautiful state. A lot of my family is living there and from there.

Not an easy thing to do, pick up and move

[Staph]

3. Thanks turning Virginia even bluer!

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. In a weird coincidence, the couple who bought our homes in FL...

moved from VA. From what I've been told about them, we may net 4 blue votes out of this! 😄

Home singular. On my phone can't edit the subject line easily.

[2naSalit]

4. Congrats!

Glad you succeeded!

[Keepthesoulalive]

5. Welcome

I escaped Florida over 20 years ago and moved to Virginia. We love it here.

[democrank]

6. Dreams do come true.....

Best wishes in your new life

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. So glad you made it.

Rarely do people get to live in the place they really want to be. Mostly jobs leave us stuck somewhere.

I have the remarkable good fortune to live in Santa Fe. I moved here 15 years ago when my marriage of 25 years ended -- he met someone else he decided he wanted to be with, and I said, "Goodbye, Kansas." I actually checked out several other parts of the country, but Santa Fe kept calling my name.

[highplainsdem]

9. Good for you!

The GOP seems determined to turn Florida into a humid red circle of Hell. And if you no longer have most of your family there...

[GiqueCee]

10. It is especially rewarding...

... these days to hear a story with a happy ending!

[GoneOffShore]

11. Felicitations! Glad that you made it out of Florida.

[Upthevibe]

12. Pacifist Patriot.........

AWESOME!

I am SO happy for you. I lived in Virginia in the late 70's when my ex-husband was in the Navy. We enjoyed it very much.

I left my home state of TX in 1988 and moved to California. It's the best decision I've ever made. From 2016 - 2024 I worked for/with a friend (who has a small business) in Dallas. It was AWFUL! The weather was absolutely unbearable and because TX has their own power grid we lost electricity on a regular basis.

No offense to Texans but it's not at all for me. In fact, my high school reunion is coming up at the end of October and I don't even know if I want to go. There are some real right-wing trumpsters who'll be there, (I've kept up with various people on FB) and I don't know if I can enjoy myself....

[live love laugh]

13. Beautiful Virginia ❤️

[Picaro]

14. Welcome home

[byronius]

15. Applause.

I’ve lived in a few red states so far, including Texas (where I was born) — but California is my forever home now. Not perfect, but it’s not Alabama either.

These days I get mild panic attacks anytime I go to a red state.

Good for you.

[kimbutgar]

34. Native Californian here

I could never leave the state. My in laws moved from California to Arizona and my mother in law says all the time she misses California.

[1WorldHope]

16. What a wonderful outcome, seamless, it seems. ☺️

[SunSeeker]

17. Congratulations! nt

[blm]

18. 💐💐💐

[Duncanpup]

19. Congrats

[LoisB]

20. Congratulations! I am very happy for you.

[Trueblue Texan]

21. Congratulations! nt

[Warpy]

22. I was born there

and have always been grateful to my parents for moving soon afterward, although I don't think it was their idea at the time. It was a very different place nearly 80 years ago, mosly interior swamp and palmetto forest and coasts of unspoiled beaches.

Well, it's almost all spoiled now, thanks to rampant development along with reckless destruction of wetlands and draining of aquifers.

My parents retired there and while my dad thought it was where good people went when they died, my mother said she loved to see the big condo high rises being built because they'd make Florida sink faster.

Now thayt they're gone, I have no reason to return to that state. That makes me happy.

[Permanut]

23. Nicely done! Navy vet here..

I spent several years in Norfolk - based on a tin can, so we were gone a lot. Odd thing is, when I arrived from boot camp in January 1967 the bay was frozen over.

Anyway, Oregon native, enjoyed seeing things on the other coast. Took a bus to New York City a couple times, Good memories.

[Dave in VA]

24. Virginia is for Lovers!

Welcome!

[Buddyzbuddy]

25. Congratulations!

[SheltieLover]

26. Congrats!

You are an inspiration!

[IbogaProject]

27. Whoop, get registered to vote

I think you have a governor to vote for.

[Pacifist Patriot]

29. I do!

[Nittersing]

28. 10 weeks!!!!

That is impressive!! I suspect you're a pretty organized sort to begin with.

I just took a nice, long reinvigorating deep breath to enjoy the moment with you!!

[Clouds Passing]

30. Made it out of Floridistan safely! Congratulations 🎉

[UpInArms]

31. Bravo!

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[Martin68]

32. As a fellow Virginian, I welcome you back with open arms! Where are you located? I'm just outside of Charlottesville.

[Pacifist Patriot]

35. I'm in Lexington.

[Martin68]

38. Nice town. We spent a Fourth of July there one year.

[liberalla]

33. Congratulations!!! You made it!

10 weeks? After 31 years? Yes that is a real accomplishment!
I'm very happy for you!
Welcome home!

[Figarosmom]

36. Happy for you😊

Virginia is a beautiful state. Hope you have many years of happiness there.

[livetohike]

37. Congratulations! Enjoy every minute. n/t