Tracy's World

I am looking out of the window of my office right now and I see big fluffy flakes of snow falling from the sky…lots of them! It is a beautiful sight as long as I am inside looking out. However, this beach-loving girl gets the shivers at the thought of walking outside to my car.

I lived in northern Michigan for seventeen years. In Cadillac, the winters are very long and the summers are way too short. Living there while in high school was okay because I was involved in downhill skiing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and ice fishing. But as I grew older, the snow just wasn’t quite as fun.

When my children were young it was a chore to dress them in their winter suits so they could play outside. The poor kids were so bundled up they could hardly walk. When they fell over, they couldn’t get up by themselves. They looked like little penguins waddling around in the yard.

I can remember the day I decided I was leaving Michigan for good. It had reached below zero several nights in a row and the night before my decision, we had freezing rain. I woke up early and headed out to my car to go to work. I was bundled up in all the gear, had my purse in one hand and an apple for snack in the other. I slipped on a patch of ice on the sidewalk and my feet flew from under me. I dropped my purse and I could see my apple soaring through the air as I hit the ground on my back. I stood up furious and shouted out loud, “I am moving to Florida!!!” And, that is exactly what I did.

I lived in Florida about eight years and it was wonderful. I lived on gorgeous, Amelia Island and it did get cold for a few days in the winter, but I could handle it after all I went through in Michigan. My days were spent in the glorious sunshine with the roar of the ocean in my ears.

When I moved to north Georgia, never did I think I would have to suffer through snow again. I know, we only get about two inches at most, but temperatures still fall into the low teens and the wind chills your bones. Being cold is really one of the only things that makes me really mad, immediately.  I would rather be hot and sweaty any day.

So, I am planning to move back to Florida one of these days. Destin, Florida’s Emerald Coast is where I will go. Lying on the White sandy beaches and swimming in the beautiful blue water is how I picture the rest of my life. Walking along the shore watching the pelicans dive and the dolphins play sounds like paradise to me.