Last year, we were informed that Dave’s duty station was changing. Not that we were transferring but that the duty station was literally moving. Long story short, it turns out it’s a regional move but the new location would mean at least a three-hour daily commute for him, no thanks. The cherry on top of this sundae is that my job is just about as far west in Florida as you can go and his new hangar moved east, about an hour and a half away from my job. So, we’re planning to sell the house in St. Pete and try to find a rental halfway between both of our jobs so we can split the commute. This will almost double his daily commute but it will almost slash my daily commute in half, so I’m selfishly thankful for that part at least. We’re very sad to leave St. Pete but I wanted to summarize what we’ll miss the most about it, which also happens to be the same qualities that will pull us back for regular visits I hope!
The beach. We can still jump in the car and head to the beach but it’s going to require more planning and time to do so. Fortunately, this area is blessed with miles of sandy shoreline, so maybe we’ll discover a new-to-us beach that doesn’t require an hour drive.
The culture. The best part of this city is its dedication to promoting and sustaining small businesses. Three Birds Tavern is a staple for us and un(fortunately) it’s not a chain so we can’t pack it up and bring it with us. What used to be 10 minutes away will now be closer to an hour. Again, possible to still experience but I’m sorry to say our designation as “regulars” will fade away.
Saturday morning walks downtown with Daisy. She loves walking the seawall along the marina. I attended grad school here, earned a Master’s degree, dined al fresco with friends and family, watched movies and concerts in many of the waterfront parks, and it is the place where I turned to for my weekly sanity check on Saturday mornings with the pup.
Home, sweet home. This was our first house together. It taught us a lot about homeownership, home improvement, and how to budget effectively. Although I’m looking forward to hopefully moving to a place with a little more interior and yard space, there’s something to be said for a owning a house that only takes an hour or so to straighten up. It was never going to be our forever home but the memories we made here are irreplaceable. 
We’ll miss you St. Pete.
asthecompassturns 