I loved Miami but had to leave; Now live in the city in the Kleine Florida

• I left Miami to save money in a small city in Florida while planning my move to the northwest.
• This was meant to be temporary, but I am still here 15 years later without plans to leave Florida.
• I like to raise my son here because of the relaxed vibes of the city and access to nature.

I enjoyed living in Miami in my early 1920s, but the city felt like it was getting more and more expensive to live in.

At the time I worked full -time at school and I barely paid my bills from month to month. Unfortunately I could not imagine that I was working to result in a job that paid me well enough to get me out of this cycle.

So I decided to save to move to Portland, Oregon, a city with a lower cost of living that I had fantasized for years because of the lively culture and sufficient access to nature.

My first step was to lower my costs of living by moving a few hours north of Miami to a small central town in Florida to the Space Coast, where the rent (and costs of living in general) were more affordable.

Although this step was supposed to be temporary, I am still happy here 15 years later and I hope to retire in a small city in Florida.

Miami was fun, but I enjoyed learning to rest in a town with a slower pace

Once I heard a woman who had just moved to Miami and said, “What’s not fun about Miami? Every day is a party!” I thought her observation was perfect.

By the time I left Miami, I was tired of the lively, always-on-the-go lifestyle of the city.

Miami has high costs of living, but I also had trouble saving money while I lived there because it felt like there was always somewhere. These activities almost always came with an extra costs, whether I paid for parking, a club of admission price or dinner in the city.

Although I missed Miami’s lively culture when I moved for the first time, I grew the preference for the way of life of the small town that encourages peace and time at home.

For example, at 9 p.m. many people in Miami are just on their way to a dinner in one of the many options of the city. In my quieter city, most restaurants are not even open so late.

I spend more time outside than ever before

The longer I live on the Space Coast, the more I get outside.

I actually go to the beach more than ever in Miami, where it could be a hassle. The beaches do not feel so busy here. I think they also feel cleaner.

I also started walking a lot more, because there are some great state parks and forests in Central Florida. Even in my own neighborhood I have seen more wild animals than ever in Miami, including turtles, rabbits and deer.

One reason why Portland was so attractive for me was that it seemed to have so much beautiful nature and green. If I hadn’t moved from Miami for a few hours, I would never have discovered how much natural beauty I could experience without leaving my state.

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My new city also feels more tailored to what I want for my son

Since I moved to the Space Coast, I became a mother and I thought more about what I wanted for my son. I wanted him to spend more time -out in nature – something that I only had to experience as an adult.

When he thinks about ‘going out’, I want it to be a beach or a hiking trail instead of the most popular new restaurant. I want him to benefit from a slower way of life, one that prioritizes peace.

Our city is a great place for all the above.

Eventually I also became a teacher, and if I still lived in Miami for my Lessalaris, I could never afford the same life that we are living now, including having our own house and going on vacations.

I like that we don’t have to scrape past every month.

After 15 years I still love life in the small city in Florida

Sometimes I still miss Miami’s buzz and are apparently endless options for restaurants and events. I will always consider it at home, but I am so happy that I have experienced a piece in the small city in Florida.

This step was only intended as temporary, but 15 years taught me how much Florida has to offer outside of Miami.

Now I have no plans to leave the state.