It was a momentous occasion today and it’s taken us two years, but I think we’ve finally found our beach here in Southwest Florida! If you’ve followed my journey, you’ll know that in the past, I lived in Tennessee but vacationed with my husband in Florida. We loved our time here so much that we helped destiny along by finding jobs here and moved to our lovely home along the I-4 Corridor between Tampa and Orlando last year. It’s been quite a transition, but all the pieces came together, more or less.
- Good, stable jobs: Check
- Friends: Check
- Home that we love: Check
- Community we’re happy to be part of: Check
- Neighbors we adore: Check
The one component missing was our beach. It wasn’t that evident until today. When we drove over to Anna Maria Island. I had driven through on my way home from Long Boat Key one time before David came down and found it charming. We returned one day to check it out but the timing was poor and the weather bad. David’s kids, who live in Somerset County, England, are coming back over for a visit this Sept. so we decided to rent a beach house there, trusting our luck. Today we figured we’d drive over and check it out.
I wasn’t prepared for the crystal-clear turquoise water! Or the powdery soft sand! Or the pine trees gently shading beach entryways and providing some gorgeous scenery of their own! The house we’re renting is located at the north end of the island and I’m so excited! I can envision great family beach times, yes, definitely. But I can also envision some times after they leave when Dave and I can jet over for a shorter trip. When he can chill and I can paint. And we can both feel our souls soar in the beautiful island breeze.