Why do we never get an answer when we’re knocking at the door
With a thousand million questions…

For most of my adult life I had a dream of exiting the winter and spending it in a warmer climate. That dream became a reality back in August of 2021 when, with a lot of moving parts meshing just right (though it certainly didn’t seem like it at the time) we sold our 20+ year home in Norwalk and bought, sight unseen, a brand new build in Bluffton, SC.

There are a LOT of things to love about Bluffton. The proximity to the ocean on Hilton Head, the real lack of anything even resembling cold, a slower pace, a pool where I can swim laps for 6-7 months of the year, lower ordinary living costs. All of this exponentially compounded by the luxury of being retired and not having to give anyone or anything a “piece of my time” unless I choose to.

Of course, Hurricane season is longer than snow season used to be and while having the whole house generator eases a lot of that concern, a blizzard is not as concerning as a major ‘cane. While CT could be humid, it has nothing on the Stephen King like humidity dome that descends around early May and stays firmly in place until sometime in late Sept or early October. I never anticipated the incredibly horrible drivers who seem to always be out and about (as witnessed by the fact that our car insurance is actually higher here than it was in a much more highly populated CT).

I came to the conclusion this morning whilst walking Abbey THE dog that I really miss living in CT. I miss having a home without and HOA and having a home where there was space between the homes. I miss having a home with character and the bones of age and history. I miss the food, the access to the arts and concert venues, I miss family, both my blood family and my “chosen” family.

Again, many of those “misses” come with added costs….the older character drenched homes have a lot more associated costs. Having more land requires more and more costly maintenance and upkeep, and yes, heating the home in the winter is a major expense. (The food expenses are pretty much a wash though the far better quality and choices still win out back in CT). There also was no pool to swim in easily as there is now (that is a huge plus in SC).

Being, as we are, two retired teachers, it is not possible to have two places (that would be ideal) and the thought of wintering in the winter is still off putting. We are constantly think of alternatives that could help the balance…it is, in the long run, simply a question of balance…a balance that at this point swings up and down like the old Bronx park see-saw….