[champion6]

I’m looking for responses from the FROGS out there – full-time TV residents.

You learned of TV, began exploring the possibilities and spent countless hours reading TOTV. You sold your house up north and bought your dream house in TV (possibly in reverse order). You moved lock, stock and barrel and now you’re here.

Then the reality set in – you are really in TV!

Which is greater – the anticipation or the reality? How do you feel now compared to the time when you were longing to be in TV?

[duffysmom]

The reality far exceeded our expectations.

[oceangirl]

Originally Posted by champion6

I’m looking for responses from the FROGS out there – full-time TV residents.

You learned of TV, began exploring the possibilities and spent countless hours reading TOTV. You sold your house up north and bought your dream house in TV (possibly in reverse order). You moved lock, stock and barrel and now you’re here.

Then the reality set in – you are really in TV!

Which is greater – the anticipation or the reality? How do you feel now compared to the time when you were longing to be in TV?

As far as I am concerned we are in TV. June is right around the corner. And my house that I have lived in for 32 yrs. is in the past. Plus it really isn't our home as we are renting from the new owners. You talked of the anticipation and reality well I am living in a complete fog. Every day I read TOTV and get new insight. I know we have made the best decision to become FROGS. My husband just said this morning on June 16 when we leave here he will be smiling all the way down to Fla.

[pooh]

The anticipation sure is a rush and it continues on even after you move here. Actually, it feels like you're on vacation for about a year and then, at least for me, the feeling changed...now it's like this place is where I've always been...and it's a wonderful feeling. It's HOME and that word alone evokes feelings of happiness, peace, relaxation, comfort. Of course, realizing there is always SO much to do or not do, is the icing on the beautiful cake.

[Jhooman]

Thank you Pooh for your lovely post.

[sands]

I completely agree with duffysmom. Seeing The Villages in person FAR exceeded even the high expectations I had from viewing their materials over the years; living in TV confirms that. I know people who have lived in TV 6 years and STILL say it feels like being on vacation every day.

I'm presently visiting what had been "home" for 50 years; I miss The Villages and can't wait to get back. I have many friends here, but -- bye, see ya, all the best and please come visit me -- but I can't wait to get back to The Villages! I'm so glad I'll be moving my mother down to live nearby. One less reason to ever have to leave paradise!

[VillagesFlorida]

Originally Posted by champion6

I’m looking for responses from the FROGS out there – full-time TV residents.

You learned of TV, began exploring the possibilities and spent countless hours reading TOTV. You sold your house up north and bought your dream house in TV (possibly in reverse order). You moved lock, stock and barrel and now you’re here.

Then the reality set in – you are really in TV!

Which is greater – the anticipation or the reality? How do you feel now compared to the time when you were longing to be in TV?

When I moved here there was no TOTV as far as I know. We happened upon this place "by accident" in 1997 when we were on a swing through the state, looking for possible retirement communities. We knew then that we would consider The Villages when we retired in "5-6 years". The next spring we came back to the area and looked at 7 or 8 other communities between Ocala and Leesburg. Of course nothing compared and we told ourselves that in "5-6 years when we retire we will move to The Villages". We never could have predicted at that time that we would have a contract on our home two months later, and move 4 months after that! So, we didn't have much time to anticipate the move. The next thing I knew I was in a Penske truck, hauling a flatbed trailer with our car on it, headed down the Maine Turnpike! I looked over at my husband and asked, "How in heck did THIS happen?" We knew no one here and knew less about the area. What we HAD seen in our two visits to The Villages was the prospect of a future unlike anything we could imagine. It has been almost 13 years of fun and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't pinch myself to see if all of this is real. So, yes, the reality of living here is more than we could ever have anticipated. It's just about the same as trying to describe this place to someone who wants to know more about it. You can't. You have to come here and see it to believe it. And, the "reality" of it all is something else!

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida

......It's just about he same as trying to describe this place to someone who wants to know more about it. You can't. You have to come here and see it to believe it. And, the "reality" of it all is something else!

Well said!! We've tried " 'splaining" TV to various friends who are curious. They look at us like we're lying to them!! We did, though, have some friends come and stay with us for a week in February...........and they were just blown away - by EVERYTHING! They couldn't get over how large the whole community is, all the infrastructure (restaurants, stores/shopping, the squares, etc.), all the golf carts, how neat and clean everything is, all the rec centers and activities, the number of golf courses, etc. We'd tried to describe all this up-front to them but, apparently, to no avail! "Seeing is believing!"

Bill

[SALYBOW]

Every day as I drive around I think to myself. I can't believe I am this lucky. I do think of this as home and even when I go north to see the grandkids I eventually can't wait to go HOME.

[K9-Lovers]

We've been here full time for one year now, and Pooh hit it square on the nose. It took about 11 months for me to feel like this is my "home" instead of a vacation spot.

The reality is much better than the anticipation. This is a fantastic place to live. And the best part is that mostly everyone is retired and in a good mood, ready for fun, and enjoying life.

Every morning I wake up joyful and anticipating the day.

[The Great Fumar]

Let me put it this way, I offered to take my wife to Orlando to a Broadway play on our anniversary , She said "some other time , I rather play golf and do lunch with the girls." I don't know why we bought this beautiful home, She's never here , she's always gone somewhere on her own golfcart...Its only two years old and already needs tires......I'm not complaining , She's a retired RN and has earned all this fun .....
The downside is she approached me yesterday about dance classes........woe is me !!!

fumar..........

[dog friendly]

Originally Posted by champion6

I’m looking for responses from the FROGS out there – full-time TV residents.

You learned of TV, began exploring the possibilities and spent countless hours reading TOTV. You sold your house up north and bought your dream house in TV (possibly in reverse order). You moved lock, stock and barrel and now you’re here.

Then the reality set in – you are really in TV!

Which is greater – the anticipation or the reality? How do you feel now compared to the time when you were longing to be in TV?

From day one I missed my grandkids and children. I said I would give it 2 years and here we are..... 5 years later. The stock market crashed, we lost money in real estate property, so we really can't go back, not that I don't like the villages, but family comes first..... to late..

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by pooh

The anticipation sure is a rush and it continues on even after you move here. Actually, it feels like you're on vacation for about a year and then, at least for me, the feeling changed...now it's like this place is where I've always been...and it's a wonderful feeling.

Champion, that is a good question. Often in life, the anticipation is different from reality, after the newness wears off. For me, my idea of what TV life would be like was a bit unrealistic. I thought we'd be doing tons of activities every day and dancing the Squares every night. But the frenzy wears off. I can really relate to what Pooh says about the feeling changing. The first two years I felt as if I was always on vacation and tried to jam as much activity as possible into a day. Then, my feeling changed to one of quiet enjoyment and less frenzy as I began to think of TV as home, and not a vacation spot. Now we do the activites we really enjoy, and we still hang at the Squares, but not as much. Don't get me wrong ... I think TV is a wonderful place to live. But for the most part, after a few years, you probably won't be dancing at the Squares every night of the week.

I'm a seasonal resident and not in TV full time. Therefore I still get to spend lots of time each year with old friends and family. I can really sympathy with Dog Friendly. I know quite a few folks who gave TV a try and then moved home to be near family and friends. Having said that, I think that for Wrinklies, life in The Villages is as good as it gets! And it never gets boring because there are lots of alternatives and every day is different.

[jebartle]

To answer the question, the REALITY far exceeds the anticipation!

Living in NC on a beautiful Donald Ross golf course, many members wiggled their nose and reminded me that it is hot in Fla. and loaded with bugs, why would I want to move to the Villages....After living in NC for 27 years, I know that NC ALSO gets HOT, granted they don't have the lovely Palmetto bugs, but they have some that look prehistoric....I asked one retired IRS agent friend (still blows my mind that they moved from Fla. to NC, where taxes are out of sight) why they didn't move to the Villages, and her reply, "Oh, we wouldn't like the Villages", I replied, "Have you ever been there, she said, No, but we wouldn't like it!...and that gets me to the point of this little story!....ANYONE who visits this corner of paradise falls in love!...I know we did! TOTV is a great example of the cornucopia of special people that make this place WONDERFUL!...Can you tell, I love this place!

[kofficer]

and I thank you all for your comments, as they just cement our journey, which is going from in a few years, to putting our house up for sale by the first of year, pretty much losing money to the market, but we aren't interested in waiting any longer. As soon as we sell here in Tampa, we are going to start looking for a resale, or decide on a build, and go ahead and get it. That way we can be semi-retired while we work one more year, to get some of the money we are losing on the house, back in the back. We are so looking forward to being there permanently. We keep looking at other places, but none of them can hold a candle to what we have seen in the Villages, i.e., convenience of stores, medical, etc. and the scope of activities. We have a few things we really are interested in getting into, and most of the other 55+ developments still think we want shuffleboard and bingo. So your answers to the question just gave us the cement we needed to just charge ahead, and not look back.

We visit frequently. In fact, we are coming up for the weekend to bowl (one of our most important necessities to any community we go to!) in the Pro-AM at Spanish Springs this weekend.

Richard and Lee in Tampa, for now.