I have been trying to write this without making it into a love letter to New York or a complaint about Florida. It is neither.
A few years ago, we moved out of necessity. My oldest was three, almost four. My in-laws were sick, and we needed to bring them into our home so we could take care of them. We needed a house that could hold a lot more than just our little family.
We lived in Yonkers. A larger home there, or nearby, was not in the budget. The truth is, we did not have the ability to simply stay put and make it work through willpower. We needed more room, and we needed more help.
Florida gave us both. My parents are here. My brother is here. There is a real support system around us, not just people we love from far away. When the kids need something, when a day goes sideways, or when caregiving becomes heavier than expected, being close to family matters. It has mattered for us.
So the move was right. I still believe that.
But I miss New York.
What I miss most is not one thing. It is the life that was around us. My sister is still there. We have cousins there with boys close to my oldest’s age. I think about how much easier it is when kids grow up around their cousins, not just when everyone can manage a flight or a long drive.
I miss the weather too. I know that one may sound crazy to anyone who has lived through a New York winter. I do not miss scraping ice off a car or standing outside in the freezing rain. But I miss fall. I miss a real cold snap. I miss the way the seasons gave the year a rhythm. By the time spring came around, you felt like you had made it through something.
And I miss the access to the city. From Yonkers, New York City was close enough to be part of normal life. It was there for dinner, a walk, a museum, taking the kids somewhere new, or simply being around that energy for a few hours. It did not have to be a big trip. It was just there.
Florida has given us things New York could not give us at that moment. We have more space. We have family nearby. We have a setup that lets us be present for the people who need us. I do not take any of that for granted.
But I do not want to pretend that making a practical decision means you stop missing what you left behind. It does not work that way.
Right now, we are priced out of buying in the New York area. That is the hard part to say out loud. Missing it is one thing. Being able to act on that feeling is another. A home that would work for our family there is not something we can realistically buy today.
Maybe that changes one day. Maybe it does not. I do not need to have that answer right now.
For now, I can be grateful for Florida and honest about New York. Florida is the right place for our family today. New York is still home in a way that is hard to explain unless you have left a place you never really stopped carrying with you.