It's a Beautiful Day in my Neighborhood

I have made several decisions in my life that look like spontaneous and economically dangerous decisions. Some friends and family members believe that several of these decisions were absolutely insane.


Foolish decision #1:
I decided to get married at 18 right before graduating from high school. Was it foolish? Absolutely! Was it a mistake? Without a doubt! Am I sorry? Hell no! By getting married to a Marine at 18, I was able to get out of my mom's house, move to California, and most importantly, I had my beautiful son.  Add to that, it also gave me the kick in the rear that I needed to get into college.



Foolish decision #2:
Leaving my job in advertising after 5 years for direct sales. Again, it was a dangerous move, and yes, it did have economic repercussions. I had a "safe and secure" job. I had a retirement policy, and I had a customer base that loved me. The reasons for leaving now are really unimportant other than the fact that I felt I had to move on. In hind-sight, though, my job would have been in serious jeopardy since it was in the newspaper industry, and many of my previous coworkers have been let go. I have also built a far more diverse resume that has opened doors that would have been closed to me before.

Foolish decision #3:
This is the most recent, and I have yet to have the benefit of hind sight. I left my home in Charleston, SC after almost 14 years to begin again in Bokeelia, FL. I had never even heard of this place. I quite literally picked it off of the map because I liked the way it looked. It took me a month or so to find a job, and yes, my home is not what it was back in Charleston. What I have found, though, is a tropical paradise. The weather is consistently wonderful. The wildlife is diverse and the plants are exotic. I live 5 miles from a site ripped from a Corona Beer commercial. The people are laid back and friendly. I have moved from my home to find my heart.

Ironically, it is right outside of Cape Coral and Fort Myers - two cities hard hit by the current economic downturn. Driving to work, I see vast areas with homes sitting empty. I see commercial shops in beautiful new buildings just waiting for life. It is like a model home community before the opening date. In North Ft Myers, there are luxury waterfront condos going for less than $100,000.  A home in Cape Coral can run $40,000. A trailer for sale on Pine Island is a mere $2,000.  We are 2 hours from Disney World!

These are two cities holding their breath and waiting. Perhaps in a few years, I will be able to look back and see that this move that I made purely on an intuitive level was the best decision of my life.