Judy Grillo
  • Home
  • Writer
    • Services & Clients
    • Rates & Terms
  • Teacher
  • Trainer
  • Reveler
  • Blogger
  • Listener
  • Home
  • Writer
    • Services & Clients
    • Rates & Terms
  • Teacher
  • Trainer
  • Reveler
  • Blogger
  • Listener

What Am I Doing Here? Part I

10/22/2021

0 Comments

 

While it may seem like I was simply playing all summer, the mind was always at work. With a never-ending pandemic and sheer stupidity on the rise, I had to ponder winter spots to lay my weary head.  

Having crossed all of Florida, Georgia and Beaufort, SC off the list, there were few glaring options! The parameters are a warm enough spot where I can play outdoors all day long all winter long, but also one that can be a rental option the other 6+ months to pay for itself. Yes, a few months of indoor sleep and a few more months of continued roaming about the planet!

So, Hilton Head seemed like a fit with high-season from March through September (and hopefully, resale value in a few years). Add ocean, 50 miles of bike/walk paths, proximity to three interesting cities, and listings in my price range, and voila, here I am.  I signed up for a 6-week Airbnb room that was barely affordable to have time to peruse, sign, retrieve my Maryland stuff, and return for a winter move-in. Very sensible. 

In my first week, it took exactly 3.5 hours to see every listing that was a price option. Of the 7, two were interesting but didn't fit the community or rental parameters. Now in week 3, nothing in a new location has appeared, but that's okay. In very little time, it was obvious that this is not the place for me.

If you Google "town center", you'll get a mall listing as there is no town. Rents are now sky-high, so the folks keeping this place running live on the mainland creating daily 2-hour traffic back-ups. The island paths are great for a short walk or ride, but this is not cycling as cars always have the right-of-way; stop and go, stop and go. Is this low season?

Plans are to expand to a 6-lane bridge as they continue to develop and develop while marketing their historical reputation. A recent airport expansion has trimmed trees and eliminated small businesses, and from the "heel region" it's feasible to wave to jet passengers from the beach. This will be Florida north in 18 months or less.  

Call me crazy because I am. In '04-'05, when I was planning my Florida exit, I drove the entire East Coast seeking a livable spot and landed in Maryland. Why I remain delusional 15+ years later is a good question. Let's call it optimism. 

Part II coming very soon.

0 Comments

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Author

    Cyclist, writer, teacher, avid reader, bike/ped advocate, nomad, pie lover

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.