I've never denied that. My kid leaves the nest this year, so another year maybe before the nightmare ends
I'm also lost in California, but can't think of a better place to be lost right now... A long time ago, in my hitch-hiking / walk about days, I found myself lost in Florida and found the people in the northern part of that state to be unusually friendly, but while the Everglades in the south was beautiful beyond belief, but my God, the locals there, for the most part, were as mean spirited and ignorant a group as I think I've ever come across. Fortunately, there were some sweet exceptions and the fishing was great.
I am in west central Florida, just outside Lakeland. Moved here from NC for work. Met my Thiboaux girl here so I kind of like it. A lot to do here but the seafood can't touch LA and the barbeque can't touch NC. Fishing's still pretty good but I haven't been in a very long time. Florida is really three different "states". Folks in the panhandle are what I call more "traditional south", open and friendly. A lot of military families. The central part is more mixed and about 1/3 native with about 1/3 from other parts of the south and 1/3 retirees from the midwest. Michigan and Ohio mostly. There is also a rising population of south Florida refugees. Say they want to raise their kids somewhere normal. Fair amount of LA people here due to phosphate, fertilizer and chemical businesses. Most people are friendly but a little less open. South Florida is just a different planet. No offense to New York but I think they ship their meanest people to Dade and Broward counties.It is a true melting pot and way to crowded for me. Watch your back and your property. People in LA will feed you and give you the shirt of their back, in south Florida they'll just take your shirt. There are some great places and people down there but they are getting harder to find.
Good luck with that. It is great at first, then you get bored. No more games or events to go to. The house gets a lot quieter too. It's all great at first then you wonder what to do next. Then sometimes they come back and the cycle starts all over. Fortunately for us, the second cycle only lasted a few months.
