Retirement in Florida. That was the dream. My dream, to be exact…for as far back as I can remember.

Being a lifelong resident of Pennsylvania with family nearby (not to mention a job that, like most, did not become hybrid until after the start of a global pandemic) made the dream seemingly unattainable. 

After the death of my husband, I began to feel a restlessness rooted in staying where I was, and I can pinpoint exactly when that sensation reached its peak: September 2023. 

A visit with my uncle, aunt, and cousins took me from South Carolina to a beach on Tybee Island…and I vowed to start researching Southern towns near the beach once my vacation was over. 

The plan was simple: look for an area where I can easily transition from working to retirement (and not have to move again).

I knew my trip was coming to an end. What I didn’t know was that unfortunate news awaited me. I returned to the news that  I had lost my job of 21 years due to a reduction in force. The end date was December 2023. 

By January, I had a new job…the elusive 100% remote role. This, of course, meant nothing was keeping me in Pennsylvania, and I took this as my sign to resume my search for a retirement-friendly town that was just right for me. 

At first, my idea of moving to Florida was met with skepticism: after all, Florida’s political climate has been somewhat of a hot topic these last couple of years. 

I don’t know about Florida right now, Katherine. Why not look at the Carolinas or Texas?

But after all my research, I kept coming back to Florida.

In the end, I found myself drawn to a beautiful condo located in a convenient area. After seeing that it had been on the market for a couple of months, I decided to take the plunge. I put my own house on the market with every intention of making an offer on the condo. To my surprise, I had three offers in less than 24 hours. 

I put in an offer in March, closed in May, and the rest was history. Or, at least, I wish I could say that.

The process was far from easy. With everything falling into place so effortlessly  in the beginning, I could hardly believe it was actually happening. But no sooner the offer was made on my home, I was besieged with issues that needed addressing before and after the inspection. That, in addition to dealing with a very demanding buyer, made the possibility of re-listing my house feel like a certainty…which meant I would lose the home I had already made an offer on.

Deeply troubled with how things were going, I prayed. I asked all kinds of questions: why was this happening when I felt so sure that I was being led to take the leap. I prayed about it and then the chain of events fell in place.

Despite all the challenges, I found hope in the pursuit of my dream, and learned a few things along the way:

1) When we feel an unrelenting restlessness it is a sign we need to seek guidance. We are not meant to remain where we are forever. 

2) Though well-intentioned, sharing our dreams with others will not always lead to happiness. Some will find a way to talk us out of our dreams. My advice is to share them with someone who has already been where you’re trying to go. 

3) Expect opposition to follow… especially if you prayed about something and things seem to fall in place. Working towards a dream is always met with struggles and setbacks. If it were easy, more people would follow their dreams

Remember where there is hope…there’s a way. ♥️