I have dreams of moving to Florida some day. Is such a move the right thing to do? I have come to the Disney area for extended stays during the hottest parts of the year to challenge whether or not this is something I would want to do regularly. I have also used this blog to question some of the ideas about moving to Florida and becoming a local with a regular life instead of being just a vacationer. I try to keep an open mind and read many blogs including the Moving to Florida Blog.
One blog that provided a lot of encouragement was the Relocated Tourist. Through blogs and facebook postings, we followed a family's 5 year journey as they moved from Wisconsin to the Disney area and became locals.
At the end of a "five year vacation", the family returned to Wisconsin. The Relocated Tourist author has created a new Blog named After You've Wished On That Star. In it, the author provides a hard look at the realities of living in Florida and living near Disney. She provides insights that weren't provided in her original blog. Whether the new blog is truly how she feels, or, whether she is tainted by the move is yet to be seen. But I believe the new blog tells the real challenges behind chasing a dream. She provides warnings about being tunnel focused on the dream and not seeing the big picture.
We have all heard, and I have blogged about the challenges of moving to Florida and having to deal with real life issues - things inexperienced in a vacation. I have tried to compensate for that with five week long trips to the area when I have to work, pay bills, grocery shop, perform minor house repairs, family issues back home, sick family back home, and have to deal with everyday life during that time. It is very interesting for me to compare five weeks to five years and get that perspective from the new blog.
I wish the original Relocated Tourist blog was still online so we could see this story come full circle - from the excitement of the early days, to the hard hitting realities being written about today.
As I always recommend, if you are considering making a move some day - research it. Get as much information as you can. Don't just read the things you agree with, but challenge yourself to read things you don't agree with. Understand why you don't agree with them and form your own opinions.
After You've Wished On That Star is a great resource and I encourage you to add it to your reading list if you are considering making a move someday.
