To Stay Or Not To Stay... - January 18, 2022

As I settle back into the “bundle up its freezing” life, I am well aware I will have to make a decision soon. The decision to extend our time in Florida when we go back in October. The couple who is in the unit now, gets first say as to whether they want to go back next year for the same time frame. They are there from January 1 to April 30. If they pass, we will get a chance to add on a few more months to our October through December time.

When I asked Alexa for the weather this morning she said, “One and sunny.” Yes folks, that means one degree. Well, at least it’s sunny. The temperature could quadruple by noon. You’d think that fact alone would have me saying “Yes” to an extended stay. However, there’s still a lot to consider. Being away from home for six months is almost like moving. Am I ready for that? It’s also downsizing – from 2500 square feet to 1300. Heck, my husband, and I will be bumping into each other, literally.

I’m trying to say “yes” to more things in my life. Sometimes when I think about committing to something, I think it’s carved in stone. If I say yes, then I must under all circumstances do it. In this case, there’s quite a bit of money involved. Nonrefundable money. My health situation doesn’t make the decision any easier as I’m never quite sure how my symptoms will manifest. And that’s a long time to be away from “my doctors.” After I write that sentence it occurs to me that it doesn’t make much sense to arrange my life to stay “home” because of a few doctors, who may or may not be available when I need them anyway. And oh yeah, there are doctors in Florida.

As I am writing this post, I receive an email from our agent. The couple currently renting have re-booked for next year. We do not have the option of extending our stay. Well, I guess that makes the decision easier. I did ask her to be on the lookout for any other units that become available, but I don’t have too much hope. Evidently, they are in short supply and if they become available are scooped up immediately. I see that “snowbirds” don’t mess around. They book a year or more in advance. And now that I have been officially called a snowbird by my agent, I’ll have to act like one. No messing around. No thinking about it. Book it immediately.

We’ve already checked into other possibilities, but they are triple the price. That is probably due to the three-month minimum requirement we have to give on the current unit. Who knew it would be so difficult to rent a place in the Sunshine State? I guess I was naïve to assume there weren’t swarms of other northerners sitting at their keyboards just waiting for a property to be listed so they could book it. Lesson learned.

Here's the good news. We ARE booked for three months again. According to my kitchen blackboard, it’s 255 days from today. Right around the corner! And the fact that we went at all last year has opened other conversations I never, ever thought we’d be having. Although I was disappointed upon hearing that we couldn’t extend, the thought that immediately popped into my head was, “That’s ok. It just means God has something even better in mind for us.” I truly believe that.

Our past” 90 Days at the Beach” was divinely guided, just as this continued journey will be. There’s no limit to what God can do when we place our trust in Him and let him steer the ship. I can’t wait to see what He will do.

"When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”

-Isaiah 60:22