I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA (Go Steelers!) I have raised two boys as a single mother (with shared custody). They attended the same high school that I attended, and their fathers attended (meaning I didn’t venture too far out of my comfort zone with men…ok I didn’t venture out at all). I have worked in office work most of my adult life in and around Pittsburgh. I was single (ish) for 20+ years. After my youngest son graduated from high school in 2009 I made the decision to move to Florida. I tried desperately to move for five years to no avail. My vision was to live in a 2 bedroom apartment near/on the beach, keeping one room always open for visits from children, family and friends, working my ass off for the next 10+ years until retirement. My life was not boring but I had thought I had reached a place where I was going to coast into retirement. I had no boyfriend, an unfulfilling and financially disappointing job, my kids were living their own lives, I didn’t even have my dog anymore. Living alone quietly, but not unhappy. Just quiet wondering what would happen next.
In the meantime I started online dating. I met Phil. He is also from Pittsburgh. Okay so he is from Pittsburgh, but when I started chatting with him he was living in Charlotte, although had lived in Tampa prior to that for 17 years. After he met me on-line he decided to move back home to Pittsburgh. He is a widower, with four children, 2 of them still in school.
After a year in Pittsburgh getting to know each other, we are now living in the Tampa area, with two of his four children, and the dog Sam. After being pretty static for 55 years, everything in my life is different. Everything. These are my stories…
Oh my! I wish you well, I really do, but I think I would have gone it alone, especially since you were accustomed to that kind of life already and obviously making it. Although I can understand how two incomes would make things easier. There’s never enough for retirement these days.
I’m on husband # 2 and that’s enough for me. It’ll be just me and the cats if I live long enough. I might have to live in a trailer to afford it, but it would my space so I’m okay with that. I could write all day and night when I’m not working for money to pay bills and buy food.
Glad you made it to FL too and won’t have to shovel snow this year. I could never live in Pittsburg or any other cold place after my five years in Alaska. That did it for me. I’m living in the desert north of Vegas currently, have my house up for sale, and am moving anywhere south. FL is a consideration. We get some snow here in the winters, not too much, but one flake is too much for me.
Good luck to you. Visit my blog if you like. I actually have two – one for writing and one for my cats and life.
Sunni
http://sunni-survivinglife.blogspot.com/
Thanks Sunni – good luck with your move south. I’d try San Diego if I was out that way. And I’ll definitely check out your blog. Thanks!
I lived in San Diego twenty-five years before movng here. It was perfect excpet way crowded. Can’t afford to go back there as much as I might like too.
Hi Lynn,
You’ve won a copy of Into the Land of Snows. Please send your mailing address to himalayaspencerellis@yahoo.com. Hope you’ll like the book! I see you’re in FL. We have a family wedding in Hollywood in Nov. I’m hoping we can get to the Keys. Thanks. Ellis Nelson (www.ellisnelson.com)
Thank you!!! I’m looking forward to reading it!