Palm Bay, FL

Everyone who knows me knows, Georgia is home. Always has been, and I am praying it will eventually not be, if this is where we decide to stay. All my friends back home tell me quite often how jealous they are I get to live by the beach. Huh. Well, I am going to layout what I love and hate about this place.

I HATE:

1) The drivers here. GA has some pretty bad drivers. But, Floridas population is probably over 65% elderly people. Yeah. PLUS, people from ALL over come here to vacation. So, you have all the bad drivers in once place. Sweet. 

2) Insurance premuims. Our insurance went up $150 a MONTH when we came here. This due to both the above things: old people and bad drivers. 

3) Drifters. You go in to 7-11 to buy a soda, and it takes you 15 minutes because the guy in front of you just wants to chat with the clerk. I am all for idle conversation, I can talk the ear off anyone. But, when I am in a hurry and am carrying a child whose main goal in life is to destroy whatever comes in her sight, please allow me to pay and strap her back in her seat (where things are safe). As you are leaving, that same guy is asking for a ride or a couple dollars. 

4) The beach state of mind. NO one is in a hurry to go anywhere. It is just a kind of "we will figure it out, we will get there sometime, we will think about that later" type of mindset. 

5) Half dressed people. We saw a girl in a sports bra, BIKINI bottoms, and running shoes jogging down the road the other day. THE ROAD. Not their pier, not the beach, THE ROAD.I am not sure I would jog in bikini bottoms in my own home, with the shades pulled, and my family asleep.  A man came to check our water meter and had on swim shorts and a tank top. He worked for the water company. Seriously?

6) The bugs. There is the little bug (looks like a lighting bug, just no light) called a love bug. The university right down the road had a professor who created this bug to try and kill of mosquitos. Well, guess what? Love bugs don't kill anything. They come in SWARMS and land alll over you, your car, your child (who then proceeds to eat them). Pest. 

7) The food. No Folks, no Taco Mac, no Krystals, no Martins, no decent mexican restaurants, and no Stevi B's. They have plenty of mexican places, but I like Monterey's at home. The places down here just don't measure up.

8) Last, but not least, my family isn't here. I cannot describe the ache I feel for my family. I want to go to my Mommas and nap on the front porch like I did back in the day. I want to go to my Aunt Wandas and have a cook out with the whole family. I want my MawMaw to go to church with me. I want my family. 

The things I LOVE:

1) My little family is here. I can dedicate all of my time and efforts into making the two of them happy, with no distractions.  Zachary and Savannah are truly all I need, but, it doesn't stop me from missing everyone else. 

2) I love being so close to the beach. We literally have to drive for 7 minutes and we are there. 3 minutes to the river. 

3) I love the people I have met. I am making some of the best friends here, and Savannah has tons of babies to play with. 

4) I love the people at my Publix. This sounds silly, but they are a blessing. I go in every week and the same guy rings us up, the same one bags my groceries, and the manager always comes over and talks to Savannah. They all call her by name and she is in heaven from all the attention. 

5) I am loving the church we are attending. 

6) I mostly love the weather here. It is too hot for me most of the time, but I love rain every afternoon. It is refreshing and Savannah and I usually nap during the shower. 

7) I love that we have a Target, Walmart, Publix, post office, library, hospital, Savannahs doctor, my doctor, and Zacharys shop (even though he never works there) all within 10 miles of us. Back home, that was near impossible to find. 

I am slowly learning to love this place. There's no comparison between here and GA. They are two VERY different places, but, my home is where Zachary is.