Hating a place IS a great reason to move and I missed that part of the post.

VERONICA,
THE THING i HAVE NOTICED AVOUT TV IS THAT PEOPLE BECOME YOUR FRIENDS MORE QUICKLY THAN THEY DID UP NORTH, POSSIBLY BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE TIME TO SPEND TOGETHER. WHEN MY NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER HER FRIENDS BOTH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND OUTSIDE OF IT RALLIED TOGETHER TO GIVE HER THE HELP, SUPPORT AND PRAYERS SHE NEEDED. SHE ONLY KNEW MANY OF THEM FOR A SHORT WHILE. WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME SITUATION AND THAT ENCOURAGES ALL TO HELP ONE ANOTHER. It is not too hard to get friends here there are so many places to meet them.

Veronica leaving your support circle is damned scary and something that every person who has moved has experienced. If you hate where you live - move! If you like your support circle more than you hate where you live - Stay! Only you can decide which is more important. Personally I would move back home in a heartbeat.

yes, great advice. thanks so much chaX3.

Come down and try it for awhile. Renting for awhile is not making THE commitment. Only by trying to see what it's all about will you discover for yourself what you want. I'm a shy person, but made friends right away. My opinion is that since we've left old friends and family behind, that we're looking for new friends to fill in the missing pieces and it works. My neighbors helped my husband take care of me during my cancer scares and we now take care of a neighbor who became a widow 3 years ago. She is having cancer surgery next week and she doesn't have biological family here to help, but the "family" she's acquired while living here.

We take care of each other. That's part of living here.

A beautiful post indeed.

each and every post on this tread is beautiful to me, and i thank you all for taking the time to respond. your responses are really very helpful, and the advice was great, in my opinion. tv is full of beautiful people - just another reason why i wish i lived there!

Veronica, here's some personal examples of how we help each other.

I was riding my scooter and got a flat tire. A bicyclist stopped and offered to help. I explained I had a flat and no way to fix it and my phone was dead (stupid me). He rode to Sweet Bay, bought a can of Fix-It Flat, came back and fixed the flat for me. He refused to even take any money for the product (and then gave me the can, "Just in case!").

My daughter's clutch went out in her car. A landscaper stopped and helped her so that she could drive it to a mechanic to get it fixed.

One of my dearest friends was dying from congestive heart failure. Her game group rallied around her, visited her every day at the hospital, at rehab and at home until her daughter came to take her to stay with her until she died. She made one comment that broke my heart, "I didn't know so many people loved me." The reality is we did care, tremendously, and were glad to be there for her.

Yesterday, I couldn't reach my friend who was supposed to come to Crisper's but didn't. When she didn't answer either her home or cell phone, I rushed (with another friend who didn't even know her) to her home. Fortunately, all was well. Today, we're taking the friend who came with me to the airport so that she doesn't have to take the shuttle.

This is the heart of TV -- not the developer, not the homes, not the activities, the people, the caring, the kindness. Strangers help strangers. Acquaintances jump in when needed. Friends are the family that isn't here.

Veronica....we're waiting to meet and greet