Why did you move to the beach?

[Matt J]

We moved here because I lived in PCB for 10 years and just couldn't do it anymore.

 

[Lisa_at_the_beach]

Sometime in the late 80's or early 90's there was an article in Southern Living about Seaside, Florida. I read about Robert Davis' "vision" and drooled over the pastel colored cottages. I pulled the article out of the magazine and put it in my save file. Fast forward. 1993. Hunter was 5 and Justin was 7 and I decided to take them to Disneyworld. The drive from Texas was killer, so my travel agent picked a spot halfway to overnight. Destin, Florida. I'd never been there, never heard of it. We left Texas and got to Destin after dark. Checked in and went to bed. The next morning I threw open the drapes and gasped. Had I been transported to the islands during the night? Could this be the SAME Gulf of Mexico I grew up on in Texas? Where was the black water? The boys and I just stared out the window.....Of course, they did NOT want to leave and go to Disneyworld for 10 days (who does that by the way....10 days at Disney??? Was I nuts???). We did Disney and then on my way back I remembered Seaside, Found 30A and drove down for the first time. I stopped at every real estate office along the way and gathered as much info as I could. Within a couple of months I'd bought a condo and was looking to purchase a house. We escaped to 30A every chance we got, long weekends, regular weekends, holidays, non holidays.....we burned up I-10 between Texas and 30A. One day during Spring Break Hunter and I were riding down 30A and got behind a School Bus. We both looked at each other and went....THEY HAVE SCHOOLS HERE. That was March. June 15 we packed the dogs, cats, lizards, snakes, birds and boys and left Texas for the last time. I knew not a soul, but it didn't matter......at last....I was home.

 

[DD]

Sometime in the late 80's or early 90's there was an article in Southern Living about Seaside, Florida. I read about Robert Davis' "vision" and drooled over the pastel colored cottages. I pulled the article out of the magazine and put it in my save file. Fast forward. 1993. Hunter was 5 and Justin was 7 and I decided to take them to Disneyworld. The drive from Texas was killer, so my travel agent picked a spot halfway to overnight. Destin, Florida. I'd never been there, never heard of it. We left Texas and got to Destin after dark. Checked in and went to bed. The next morning I threw open the drapes and gasped. Had I been transported to the islands during the night? Could this be the SAME Gulf of Mexico I grew up on in Texas? Where was the black water? The boys and I just stared out the window.....Of course, they did NOT want to leave and go to Disneyworld for 10 days (who does that by the way....10 days at Disney??? Was I nuts???). We did Disney and then on my way back I remembered Seaside, Found 30A and drove down for the first time. I stopped at every real estate office along the way and gathered as much info as I could. Within a couple of months I'd bought a condo and was looking to purchase a house. We escaped to 30A every chance we got, long weekends, regular weekends, holidays, non holidays.....we burned up I-10 between Texas and 30A. One day during Spring Break Hunter and I were riding down 30A and got behind a School Bus. We both looked at each other and went....THEY HAVE SCHOOLS HERE. That was March. June 15 we packed the dogs, cats, lizards, snakes, birds and boys and left Texas for the last time. I knew not a soul, but it didn't matter......at last....I was home.

 

[Allifunn]

I moved here because my heart and soul DEMANDED it

 

[beachmouse]

We ended up here because we'd ended up in west Tennessee after grad school and utterly hated it there, and the first job offer either of us got when we were trying to get out of there was in Niceville.

 

[organicmama]

Sometime in the late 80's or early 90's there was an article in Southern Living about Seaside, Florida. I read about Robert Davis' "vision" and drooled over the pastel colored cottages. I pulled the article out of the magazine and put it in my save file. Fast forward. 1993. Hunter was 5 and Justin was 7 and I decided to take them to Disneyworld. The drive from Texas was killer, so my travel agent picked a spot halfway to overnight. Destin, Florida. I'd never been there, never heard of it. We left Texas and got to Destin after dark. Checked in and went to bed. The next morning I threw open the drapes and gasped. Had I been transported to the islands during the night? Could this be the SAME Gulf of Mexico I grew up on in Texas? Where was the black water? The boys and I just stared out the window.....Of course, they did NOT want to leave and go to Disneyworld for 10 days (who does that by the way....10 days at Disney??? Was I nuts???). We did Disney and then on my way back I remembered Seaside, Found 30A and drove down for the first time. I stopped at every real estate office along the way and gathered as much info as I could. Within a couple of months I'd bought a condo and was looking to purchase a house. We escaped to 30A every chance we got, long weekends, regular weekends, holidays, non holidays.....we burned up I-10 between Texas and 30A. One day during Spring Break Hunter and I were riding down 30A and got behind a School Bus. We both looked at each other and went....THEY HAVE SCHOOLS HERE. That was March. June 15 we packed the dogs, cats, lizards, snakes, birds and boys and left Texas for the last time. I knew not a soul, but it didn't matter......at last....I was home.

What an awesome story!

 

[Smiling JOe]

I moved here because my heart and soul DEMANDED it

I thought the SoulWallers demanded it. :funn:

 

[Allifunn]

I thought the SoulWallers demanded it. :funn:

good one, SJ

 

[acsuttondesign]

familiar story

Wow, what a year. I was thinking this morning at 4 AM while working on the computer that I remember when I moved to the beach and peace that I felt.
Like many, I left a very stressful job in Mississippi, sold my house, and moved my wife and son to the beach to start anew. I was scared to death but had a uphoric sense of peace. I had no job, I had very little money and knew I had to start a business. We did not know anybody in the Destin area. I had what I thought was a good business plan and started to work, calmly and methodically for the first time in my life.

Flash forward nine years, we have a good business, lots of friends, debt, problems, stress just like before we came. What an idiot I am..

I decided today to go back to that peaceful place of nine years ago. Reality requires me to continue to work hard but I will do so with a new and renewed appreciation for the wonders that this community offers. I will take the time to enjoy the mornings absorb the wonders that only this place offers. I am a lucky man, thanks for being my neighbors and friends.

Great story! I have a similar one myself!
take care,

 

[Andy A]

Here is my story and it covers 40 years before I realized one of my dreams and was able to move to the Emerald Coast.
In 1951, I entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program and upon graduation from junior college, I was sent to Pensacola for training. On our first liberty we all went to Pensacola beach and upon seeing the beautiful white sand and gorgeous water I was hooked. I decided that if I could ever afford to do so I would someday live here.
Forward to 1991 when my wife and I decided to come to the Panama City area. It turned out both of us had been here previously and loved the area. We looked for a week all the way from Mexico Beach to Destin. We found nothing and on the last day of our trip an Abbott Realtor, after showing us numerous condos, said, " I have one more place I want you to see" and brought us to Blue Mountain Beach. We walked through the door, my wife and I took one look and nodded at each other. Our offer was accepted the next day. We moved permanently to Paradise in 2003. We both agree it was one of the best if not the best decision we ever made.