[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by DebbieB

I actually just "stumbled" into TV. Yup, hubby and I had decided to move down south and since we had a daughter living living on the southern east coast, though she really liked the area, close to night clubs, the beach, I found it not for us and set off for a 10 day driving tour of Florida with it ending visiting a friend in Longwood, who had mentioned TV to me as possibility that I should keep in the back of my mind. The idea of "retirement" community wasn't really what I had in mind as hubby and I had talked about living somewhere on a lake that he could fish after retiring.

That said, I started my journey driving over Alligator Alley to Naples and worked my up the west coast, some beautiful areas, but lots of congestion and not finding anything that really fit for us. Got all the way up to Crystal River and decided to cross over and weave by lakes that I found out had dried up on my way to Longwood. Hours and hours go by, hubby is calling me asking me what am I seeing. Well, to be honest, I felt like I was in Pa., lots and lots of horse farms, cows, had no idea Florida had areas like that, was nice, but no lakes and kinda like nowhere land. Needed a rest stop for the night and hubby told me just down the road was a Holiday Inn Express, which unknown to me, was actually in Spanish Springs. Being very tired and hungry, I check in and ask the front desk where can I get a bite to eat that was close by, they tell me just less than 10 minute walk there was a square that had free entertainment and some restaurants, I should go there.

O.K., I go and WOW!, I see signs saying Welcome to the TV, I am like what? Oh yeah, I am supposed to look there, well, maybe tomorrow, I must be close, so I keep walking and I hear music and lots of golf carts are scooting by me, I am like what is up here? I walk into the square and never looked back, the band was playing some Jimmy Buffet type music and I am a parrothead, so really liked that, and sat outside just in awe of everything, the people I met as I walked around came up and welcomed me, guess I had that look, as they told me they too, had been where I was that day.

I stopped in TV sales office and decided to have a look, WOW! again. Later, I called my hubby and told him about this "city within a city" out in nowhere land that he would not believe!

Rest is history, did bring him back to TV for two visits, and our house will be finished being built Feb. 14th of this year! I love everything about TV and all it has to offer us. Looking so forward to new friendships, getting involved with all the wonderful activities that are here for everyone and may actually try my hand at pickleball too! I feel our lives will be enriched living here and an exciting new chapter of our lives will begin and awesome memories will be had! I have never ever seen anything like TV in all my travels and I have traveled all over to lots of places.

Great thread! Sorry to be so lengthy, but we you all get to know me more, you will find out I do have a hard time saying what I want in five sentences or less, just can't seem to do it.

DebbieB -- Excellent post. And you and your husband are closing on Feb. 14 -- what a great Valentine's Day present for yourselves! Hope your moving and settling in go smoothly.