Oh, Florida. I’ve talked about it for years, dreamed about moving for as long, talked about moving for a year, and finally made the move in May…

and promptly all but disappeared off social media.

Because that first month?

SUCKED.

Holy crap. I mean, massive sucktitude of the highest magnitude.

Like the only thing keeping me from driving back to Indiana was the sunshine…because it was pretty much all that was working out for me.

How bad?

Well, one of the first things I saw in Florida as I pulled off to gas up, on my way back onto the highway was a cat that had been hit by a car, and had not yet passed on.

Talk about traumatic.

Then my AirBNB that I was so crazy excited for, had no wifi or internet because my host according to AirBNB had up and left the man she’d been living with for years…and then turned off the cable. My actual AirBNB host was a relatively pleasant Brit…that blissfully left town for 10 days (okay, so that went good for me, too)…but then expected me to chauffer him around…never mind the fact I was working nights. Um…

I could not find a house. Like legit, could not.

I couldn’t find a realtor to help me find a house. All they would say is “I don’t have anything like that” and that was it. No offers to help, nothing.

I would find something online, call the realtor only to have them tell me it wasn’t actually available yet and they weren’t showing yet (happened with where we are now…) and that was WEEKS out. Weeks!  They all refused to show with tenants still inside.

If that wasn’t the case, the home was already rented…in one case I scheduled an appointment to show it in three days, which was when it was opening for showings…but then I got a call that it was already rented – before they were even showing!!

My job was good, but instead of training me on my regular schedule, they decided to do 5 day weeks the first two weeks – which totally messed with my plans to you know, look for a home!

Because of that job schedule, and the inconveniently timed vacation of the only person in HR that could confirm my employment, I almost missed the cutoff for the girls school admission.

I had no less than five panic attacks – most of which centered around finding a home.

I never made it to the beach. (Heck, I didn’t make it there until last week)

After the host made it back from the UK he finally managed to get wifi back about 4 days before I was due to checkout…but I couldn’t access it, the password wouldn’t work (but he could, so no worries for him).

Yeah, I may have suffered from some internet withdrawals.

I missed my family crazy-bad. They missed me as much.

Erik had so many struggles getting things ready. We had a simultaneous panic attack on a phone call when it came to finding a home.

I gotta say, I knew it would be tough separated from them, but not THAT tough. Oy.

But that’s enough complaining…because the month is over. It sucked. It was TOUGH…but it’s passed.

Here’s some nice things about the first month…

I did have beautiful sun, and pleasantly not-crazily-humid days for all but one day that first month, and that was one of the first days I was there. It was a crazy-storm. In the best way.

I got to spend some nice one-on-one time with my son where he didn’t annoy the crap out of me (he aspires for that).

I actually got a little tipsy on one of our day trips…we went to the Banana Cabana at the Caribbean and there was some delicious alcohol consumed.

We went on a nature walk and I got some great photos and saw some alligators.

I did, finally, find a couple of realtors that were eager to help and we got approved for our new home the day after hubby and the kids arrived.

All the driving around looking for places helped familiarize me with the general layout of the area.

I had my first ever Pub Sub – and it was all everyone said it would be.

I got into my new job and really felt welcomed and at home right away. I miss my old work-home, but my new work-home is equally as lovely and the hours are amazeballs.

I LOVE working nights.

I’m in Florida.

I am home.

*~*~*

You know, I know that nothing worth it is ever easy…and I didn’t expect smooth sailing when I got down here, but the first month almost broke me in turns. There were days that I would say “I just need ONE THING to go right. Just ONE.”

And then it would.

It was tough finding moments of joy some days…impossible on others…but they emerged eventually.

Once my family got here, things evened out. Not everything is fully settled as I’m writing this. We are still waiting on our couch (will be here tomorrow). Erik is still looking for a job (he has an interview tomorrow). The girls are BORED and totally freaking out about not being able to make friends when school starts in a month…

But we are together. We are home.

WE ARE HOME.

And that is the best feeling in the world. Even if I had to go through hell to get here..