What Hasn't Changed 

• Our love and passion for the gulf and beach, our adoration of our beloved NW Florida community and our commitment to being snowbirds
• Not only has our immediate condo community always been very welcoming and friendly, the surrounding area also remains very welcoming
• We continue to celebrate each wedding anniversary in our southern community
• Our business relocates with us and we continue to work remotely while in our snowbird home
• We still have an ongoing inability to find the right balance of what to pack and what not to
• We host gatherings and celebrations as well as being guests of our friends' dinners and get togethers
• Activities we enjoy include cooking fresh local seafood and dining at local restaurants
• The wide sidewalk connecting our beach community and our complex's parking lot remain the social hub for meeting new people and pups and connecting with people we've met over the years
• When meeting new pets and pet parents, there's a tendency to remember the dog's names and not-so-much the owner's names
• Exploring the area and discovering new attractions as well as returning to previous favorites is still important to us
• We immerse into the local festivals such as Gumbo Fest, Shrimp and Grits Fest, Mac and Cheese Fest and the Valentine's Architectural tour of area homes
• Being away brings ups, downs, highs and lows, just as it would if we were not away from our primary home
• We still have a long, never-ending list of restaurants to try, places to see, things to do and that's what keeps things fresh

What Has Changed 

• We feel much more at home in our southern community compared to the first years here and we know a lot more of what to expect
• Three of our beloved Golden Retrievers have spent time with us at the beach since we first arrived in January of 2016. Sadly two passed away from health issues while here. Rest in peace our sweet Reilly girl (2006 to 2016) and Bodie boy (2016 to 2025). Welcome to our newest female golden puppy, Shelby (2025 - )
• After renting the first five years, we purchased our own gulf front property in February of 2021, located just seven houses away from our original place
• We've downsized our living space in favor of owning our own place. The first five years, we lived in a massive 3 BR / 3 BA condo with large balcony located in a small condo complex of 16 units. The past five years we downsized into our own 1 BR / 2 BA unit with small balcony in a large complex with 188 condos, 60 cozy cottage homes and 12 large shore homes.
• Travel to our warm weather community is no longer in a sedan, we've switched to a much larger SUV
• We've purposefully downsized how much stuff we cram into our SUV for the trip to and from our destination
• Visits from friends and family from home have dwindled from the most the first two years and the least (zero) the past two years
• Beloved snowbird friends have departed our lives due to death, divorce, illness, aging and life circumstances, but we've also gained new friends throughout the years
• Owning and renting our condo as a vacation rental has brought additional pressures and stress as well as more time and financial resources invested to maintain it. Renting, although expensive, really is much more carefree.
• Other owners in our complex have befriended us the past five years via the owner's online group and networking at the annual meeting every autumn
• We've finally been able to enjoy beach service in March, summer and autumn the past five years: a lovely, luxurious experience involving sea breezes, two canvas lounge chairs and an umbrella in the sand next to the water
• New businesses, such the latest one, Sandos sandwich shop and tiki bar have joined our sidewalk community and others have moved or closed, including the Inn at Crystal Beach's 790 on the Gulf which moved further away
• We've added additional time at our beach condo: not only in the winter, but additional seasons such as summer and fall. Late autumn is by far the best weather to be here.
• On our way to and from, we've tried out staying in different hotels and cities, even different states, but we always seem to come back to two favorites.