What Am I Doing Here? Part I

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.