The Big Decision 5.9.2010

So, we've done it! After countless conversations about moving back home to Florida, Chop and I have decided that if we're going to do it, then let's do it the way we'd love to do it. There are so many things about Florida that we cherish, but to find the one ideal location ... this has been our quest. We are tropical people at heart ... the heat, the sun, the smell of the salt breezes at the end of another steamy day. There is something very special to us about Florida that we want our son to understand. But ... where, where, where? What can tie it all together for us?

You must understand, we also have a bit of adventure in our blood. There's something in our souls that wants to leave a legacy about who we are, how we've lived, and the choices we've made as a family. We want to be those people, not those people ... those people who believe that anything can happen with detailed planning and a realistic vision. Those people who truly and genuinely believe that living a full life means taking calculated risks. Those people who don't just stand around the water coolers chatting about the "what if's" but go out and explore the actual possibilities of pursuing those dreams. Most importantly, we want to be those parents who believe their children also can reach any dreams they may have in their futures. After all, why not? We finally realized, now is the time. Our boy is still a little tyke, and we can't think of one good reason not to start putting an active plan in motion. So, my friends, we're doing it! We are moving to Key West! This is our choice, this is what feels right to us. Somehow, someway, we are going to make this happen.

Are we crazy? Maybe!

Are we serious? Absolutely!

Are we moving next week? Hardly!

So, why Key West? We're certainly not conchs, that's for sure! One thing we do know is this: we want something that is special, something that fits both of our personalities. One of us rears from the Gulf coast, the other from the Atlantic side. Our parents and hometowns are separated by five hours from one side of the state to the other. If we live in one town, do we forever feel guilty about settling near one set of parents and not the other? It genuinely weighs on us more heavily that one might think. We adore our families, and we are so very lucky to be so close with them, but we also don't want to live in their shadows. For our son, we want to be able to plant our own roots.

We also find ourselves craving a community that is so proud of its town that to be a "local" is considered a privilege. A great part of me envies that person who loves their community so much that they never want to leave. I think I've been seeking that my entire adult life. Chop has that in his hometown, but the opportunities for professional success would likely involve long commutes and real estate expenses still beyond our realistic means. One day? Maybe. For now, it's not in the cards.

Key West offers something magical. To be fair, it also offers a thriving military community, something that appeals to us on a very personal and practical level. Though we whole-heartedly expect that living and working in paradise will be very different than the occasional visit, we love the idea that both of us - me as a retired Air Force officer and Chop as a Navy Reservist - will likely feel right at home.

So, here we are. Our plans are in motion, we have pages of tasks to ponder, complete and research. And we are very much at peace with our decision. So ... now the real work begins! Plan A - aggressively working on it! Plan B - working on that, too! Plan C - no doubt! Estimated date of arrival? July 1, 2011. ;D