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In reply to the discussion: I want to leave Florida. It ain't that easy [View all]Marthe48
(16,894 posts)Her mother moved to N.E. Ohio, and then Cleveland. I have a letter from her NY cousin, who asks, "How are things out West?" My grandmother and her cousin were close. My grandmother lived with the cousin's family for at least 2 years,, either while my great-grandmother worked and got on her feet. After the cousins were adults, they didn't get to see much of each other, because of distance. My grandmother never learned to drive, and she was widowed young. I don't think her cousin drove. She and her husband owned a farm, so it was probably hard to get away. I remember one visit to NY when I was young, and I remember one or 2 visits, that might have just been the cousin's adult children. I remember that if my grandmother called her cousin, she had to call the operator, tell her the number, hang up and wait for the operato rto call back saying there was a connection. That was early 1950s. Wow.
All this to say that travel and communication is a lot easier now than it was even 10 years ago. If you happen to move, research where you want to go. If you are part of any organizations, or have professional, military, or hobby connections, see if the places you would like to move have those organizations in place. They could help you make new friends, and feel like you are connected a little faster. If you move, make sure you have all of the current contact information for people and businesses you want to stay in touch with. You can use Facebook, LinkedIn and so many others to stay in touch. I have friends who retired and moved far away, and we stay in touch on fb. I know people all over the world, and we use fb. I am not a social butterfly, so the online contact is enough to satisfy my human connections. But maybe not for you. I have friends who have grandkids on the other side of the country, and they travel frequently to see the grandkids. Mine are 10 minutes away, and I'm grateful.
I have thought about moving because Ohio has turned into a butthole state. But most of my friends wouldn't move, so if I did move, I'd still worry about their mental and physical health. So I'll stay and keep supporting Dems and undermining r's, to the best of my ability. I wish you good luck in making a decision, and hope you have a safe landing.