I am excited to be a "blogger" but more importantly, to be part of something at its inception.  New Beginnings is my mantra for this year. Someone else, I believe AnitaS stated it as Fresh Start. This longing, yearning for something new made me pick up my family (3 kids, hubby and 1 very ornery Siamese cat) and move from Maryland to Florida last year.

I could have chosen Miami since I have family there, but because I was not trying to live that vida loca lifestyle, that was out.  I also have family in Tampa; if I wanted congestion, noise, and shoulder to shoulder living, I would have stayed put.  So after months of reading your newspapers from Maryland, studying demographics, and comparing school districts and such, I chose Clay county (St. Johns was also in the running).  I haven't been disappointed yet.

Everyone complains about the traffic at Blanding, I say, ha, try Rockville Pike any time of day.  I hear grumblings about the rising crime and I say, try having gangs moving in to your neighborhood.  "Nothing to do here", "...lagging in cultural activities", are constant complaints and I say, are you kidding me????  Florida, the only state that has won the gold medal award for its state parks (twice in a row) has beaches, birding, hiking, Native American festivals, battle reenactments, our family hasn't stopped yet!

New beginnings, fresh start, call it what you will, but my love affair with this area is just beginning...