And The Verdict Is....

Let's just say yesterday was one of the most stressful days we've had in a long, long time. From a housing standpoint, we looked at just about every place that had a "it's not terrible" status applied (the top 4 were: Flagler, Melbourne/Sebastian/Vero Beaches, Indian/Redington Shores, and Naples - but we looked at Sarasota, Jacksonville, Ft Myers Beach, and Bradenton, too). Going inland got us rents around $750 to $1,100/month. Staying on the coast was usually around $1,300 and up.

Flagler Beach on the east coast was the only one that had anything affordable either on the beach or within walking distance. There, we were finding coastal places that were $850 and up, most even included utilities. Plus we had another housing option, a little more inland, that would avoid upfront costs and utility deposits and allowed us to go month to month (thanks guys). Flagler has outdoor movie nights, a weekly farmer's market, a few places within walking distance to hang out, Friday entertainment, is close to not-ugly shopping, and even has cafe owners with a St. Kitts connection. It's also near park trails for running and has a great beach. Jobs weren't plentiful, but there were a couple of possibilities. Until we called them. Gone already. Uh oh.

We threw out a wider net on the job front - to all of Florida (again) - and couldn't find anything salaried in either of our fields (extending the job search nationwide didn't help either, or worldwide for that matter - in warm climates, of course). Looking at the going hourly rates, we questioned whether we could afford to live on them. After pulling out our calculator, we realized the answer was no. Moving north meant getting a car, insurance, and paying for gas. That would add about $400+ to our monthly bills. Michael wasn't making great $ in Key West, but he was making more than the going rate. Taking into account the extra car costs and the lost wages, we realized that we were losing money by moving (anywhere). Even when you factored in a crappy job for me, we were barely coming out ahead. Was it worth it?

Nope. So after a mini-meltdown, I contacted our current landlord and asked him if he had rented our place out yet and explained our situation. He was happy we wanted to stay and told us all we needed to do was put a rent check in the mailbox. My relief brought involuntary tears to my eyes. Michael's boss has been wanting Michael to work daily as long as he's in the neighborhood and will be quite thrilled to know he has him a little longer. All know we want to move eventually, so we don't have to play games.

The only reason I had given notice in the first place, triggering all this madness, was because I didn't think we could go month-to-month here. I didn't want to be locked in for another year. It now seems we have room to breathe and can wait until the moment's right (although we will likely end up paying double rent one month - it's never perfect). We're no longer looking at having to jump in another rental car tomorrow, taking any low-paying jobs, buying a new car, and signing an apartment lease all in one day, only to then have to rush back down, get a U-haul truck, pack up, and drive back up... Of course, it could all click tomorrow and then we'll be sorry we just paid rent here... Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.

Yes, we're staying in Key West (for now). Is that anti-climactic? We don't know for how long, but possibly through October (or winter...). Which means Fantasy Fest pictures, so brace yourselves.




So what are we doing to prepare ourselves for a longer stay? Buying earplugs, and if we stay much longer: a ceramic heater for the bathroom (the houses up north had central heat), expanding our winter wardrobe to more than 2 sweaters, and buying better gear for a cold ride on a moped. We've had a great response from you blog readers (and friends), and we'll make contact with the St. Kitts transplant in Flagler. Maybe things will come together in a less chaotic manner. Maybe we'll get a call from someone in St. Kitts who has figured out that they made a big mistake by not hiring or partnering with Michael. Maybe one of those Hawaiian jobs will click. Maybe....