In 2004 I had the opportunity to move to Florida. Friends invited me to come stay with them and stay as long as I wanted to. At that time I was in a relationship I no longer wanted to be in. I had a job that I was not happy with. I was working as a waitress in a local restaurant. I realized that working in the public gave the other person many opportunities. He could and did harass and embarrass me every day at my place of employment. I chose not to face that humiliation. I packed a few of my belongings and moved about twelve hundred miles away to Florida. A friend from Florida flew up to meet me and together we drove to Florida.
I loved Florida. I have heard people complain about the humidity in Florida but that was no problem for me. I enjoyed the smell of the Gulf of Mexico, the beautiful white sand and the sea breeze every morning. I was near a beach, so we usually had a, nice breeze in the mornings and evenings. There were a lot of new southern foods to sample and I learned to make Jambalaya. I loved that I was able to go the beach when I wanted to. We also traveled to neighboring states Mississippi and Alabama. It was all new and exciting for me.
Nevertheless, I had trouble finding a job in Florida. I didn’t know very many people so I didn’t have connections. I couldn’t even find work at a Wal-Mart store and there were several in the immediate area. I finally ended up working as a waitress again. Then eventually I found an office type job. But I wasn’t making enough money to support myself. So I lived with a roommate. I just happened to get into a relationship with him.
My family was twelve hundred miles away so after six years I returned home to be with them. The person I was living with had a very dysfunctional family. I decided I didn’t want to be part of the craziness I was witnessing. That family would make a good book which I may write someday. I do stay friends with all of them but at a distance for my own sanity.
So Florida is as far as I have traveled from my home state of Pennsylvania. I loved Florida and I did go back to visit a few years ago. But I plan on staying near my family in the future other than short trips.
History Lovers Corner 
What a brave move — it takes a lot of courage to leave everything behind and start fresh. Your story really shows resilience.
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Yes I guess it did take courage because I didn’t have a job to depend on when I went to Florida or when I came home. But I never gave it a second thought.
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