Two years
ago when I told my family my girlfriend and I were moving to Florida, my news
was met with controversy. I was bombarded with questions mostly starting with “Why
on earth would you do that?” Being Boston natives and having to tolerate harsh
winters and extremely hot summers we had good arguments as to why we no longer
wished to live there. I spent the first 25 years of my life up in the north
east and after landing a job in Tampa I realized it was time for a change. I
was warned by friends and family how hot Florida is (granted most people had
just been to Orlando and at theme parks during the summer) and how miserable we
were going to be. I was also warned about the poor transportation and how hard
it was going to be to commute with Katie (Katie is my girlfriend and she happens
to be partially paralyzed). Despite all of these warnings we were still quite
eager. We looked for Florida Wheelchair Van Rentals and found a company we
really liked. Almost instantly we received an answer and in no time embarked on
a journey that began our lives in completely new place.
The truth
is there is no perfect place to live and wanting to emancipate was as good a
reason as any. Every state and city has its positives and negatives and there
are other more important factors than weather. The perfect city is a myth but since day one,
Florida has been the utopia described in Huxley’s Island. Here are a few things Katie and I have discovered since
moving to the sunshine state:
Don’t let the nickname fool you!
Despite being referred to as the sunshine state, it is not always sunny
nor is it always warm! There are many days of rain and not just a few hours of
rain, I mean real rain. Like in any tropical destination, we have had whole
days of rain in which a good movie and kettle corn is a must! The weather also
gets cold, not north east cold (you can keep your north face jacket locked
away, you will not be needing it) but sweaters might be required. Katie and I
made the mistake of keeping our autumn and winter apparel back in Boston and
boy did we regret it. I know you guys up in St. Paul Minnesota might be reading
this and saying “cute” but if you come down here with the idea that it’s going
to be 100 degrees every day, you’re in for a treat. We have suffered 30 degree
nights which doesn’t compare to Boston but this is still worthy of your best
fleece.
You won’t be the only ones from
out of state
Upon moving, Katie and I thought that due to her condition and our
conspicuous Bostonian accent (we’re not too proud of it) we would be easily
spotted but that wasn’t the case. Florida is a haven for out of state
foreigners looking to start over, just like us. Despite being accessible, Katie
has found many activities that we have been able to do on our free time and
with couples just like us, there is always something to do. In our two years
here we have met very few born and raised Floridians. We thought it was going
to be full of retirees and older couples but that is a common misconception,
there are many families looking to relocate as well.
Boredom is not an option
Not into theme parks? Not a problem, Florida has thousands of locations
and activities for the whole family. Stray from the beaten path and go on tours
that are frequented by locals and not the hackneyed touristy stuff most of us
have grown to loathe. Being an accessible couple we can’t do EVERYTHING but
Florida has opened its doors to us and there have been very few things we can’t
do. From culinary adventures, breweries and recreational parks there are tons
of opportunities that we can take part in to really see the state. Florida’s
cities aren’t as fast paced as the big cities up north (with the exception of
Miami) so you will see the difference almost instantly.
Its been almost two years since we moved here and believe me, we’ve never
looked back. Initially, I believed that getting around (before my accessible
van arrived) was going to be tough. On the contrary thanks to companies that
rent out their vehicles made just for families with a handicapped relative getting
around turned out to be one of the easiest things to do. We used Wheelers Accessible Van Rentals. Wheelers is a company that offers wheelchair van
rentals, wheelchair and scooter rentals in all 50 states. They provided us with
free airport pick-up upon arrival and curbside delivery. Wheelers made our trip
so much easier and getting around the first month was a breeze. If you’re
looking to move down south or just planning an annual trip, be sure to check
them out. They have pretty low rates and know the industry well having been
around since 1987. Florida Wheelchair Van Rentals, North Carolina WheelchairVan Rentals are just some of the services they offer. We used them and here we
are almost two years hence and trust me, we do not miss the snow or the cold!
Wheelers also offers
Orlando Wheelchair Van Rentals
Illinois Wheelchair Van Rentals
Indiana Wheelchair Van Rentals
South Carolina Wheelchair Van Rentals
Texas Wheelchair Van Rentals
Wheelers also offers
Orlando Wheelchair Van Rentals
Illinois Wheelchair Van Rentals
Indiana Wheelchair Van Rentals
South Carolina Wheelchair Van Rentals
Texas Wheelchair Van Rentals
No comments:
Post a Comment