Tag: snowbird

The Key to Curing Seasonal Depression

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

The beginning of winter is a great excuse to hunker down, start a fire and cozy up with a good book. The first snowfall or two are magical. But when it drags on and on for weeks on end, it sucks the happiness right out of your soul. Anyone that lives in the north has probably experienced the emotional weight of too many dark, gray days, often referred to as the winter blues. According to a poll taken by the American Psychiatric Association, almost 40% of Americans experience an overall decline in their mood in the winter.

It turns out that the best way to cure the winter blues is to go somewhere sunny and warm. Sure, you can try a lightbox or antidepressants, but they don’t treat the root cause: not enough real sunshine. So, we decided to get to the root cause and cure the problem.

I never thought I would say it but… we have become snowbirds. Well, semi-snowbirds anyway. Mr. U was on board with this idea long before I was. He would talk enthusiastically about spending part of our long winters in sunshine. I drug my feet. I love to travel, but I tend to be a homebody, close to most of my peeps. He was tired of the cold, gray winters being stuck inside (unless you were outside moving snow). So, I kept an open mind as we tested out different potential destinations. Last winter we finally decided on one and took the plunge into being Snowbirds.

Taking the plunge can lead to fun surprises, like the turtle that photobombed my picture.

Choosing a destination to snowbird

We were not totally starting from scratch. We had visited several warm winter destinations over the years and had narrowed our search down to San Diego, Arizona or Florida as potential places. If you are considering the plunge into the snowbird lifestyle, there are some key factors to consider:

  • Climate during the winter months. Do they get a lot of tropical storms or rain? Is it warm enough there in the winter months?
  • Initial cost of investment. How much do you want to spend on a second home? What are the HOA’s? Is it in an area that you could sell later and probably get a good return on your investment?
  • Travel time and expense to get back and forth. We did not want to spend a lot of time and money on travel, especially if we were going to go back and forth several times in the winter months.
  • Rent potential. Can you rent it out in the months you don’t use it to offset expenses? Arizona is not a travel destination in the summer months, but the Phoenix area is big so we knew people would need to be there anyway. I set up an account with Furnished Finder and was able to rent it out for six months over the summer to traveling professionals.
  • Distance from family and friends. This was very important to me. I wanted to be able to go back and forth easily and have it close enough that family could come visit for a get-a-way.
  • Things to do in the area. Our home up north is in a small city surrounded by trees, lakes and mountains, so we did not need a rural get-a-way place. We thought the contrast of living in a big city would be fun. There are numerous festivals, sporting events and activities going on all winter.

Why Arizona? It checked most of the boxes for us, particularly being a quick direct flight from home so we could go back and forth easier.

The ups and downs of snowbirding

We have only done this for a few weeks, so I am speaking as a novice, but I already see some clear advantages and disadvantages of being a semi-snowbird. I say “semi” because we only plan to go for a few weeks at a time and then return home for a few weeks. That way we can stay connected to our life up north. Also, a couple of our grandkids are in winter sports, and we wanted to make sure we could attend some of their events.

We do not want to miss too many opportunities to watch our oldest grandson wrestle. His dad (our son #2) is also one of his coaches.
And we don’t want to miss too many of our oldest granddaughter’s gymnastic events.
And these two are at the ages that I feel like they grow bigger every single day.

Several people asked me if we really wanted to leave our new home up north when we were just beginning to nest there. No, from that perspective I did not. But I was also looking forward to getting away from the cold, gray days. It feels like being torn between two lovers (not that I would know what that feels like from personal experience).😊 When I told Mr. U that analogy, he was not amused.

I love our new home up north and we are just settling in, but the sunshine and freedom from responsibilities calls me. When we are in Arizona, there is no rushing or push/pull on our time. We bask in the sunshine, walk and/or ride bikes every day and get to eat al fresco, but… I do miss my tribe.

January in Arizona.
Warm evenings in February.

If not now, when?

Retirement is full of options and possibilities. It is unlike any other time in your life. You get to curate a lifestyle that fills you without being tethered to a job. What does your dream retirement look like and are you living it? It takes careful consideration and then the willingness to jump in, sometimes half blind.

So, whether you are considering buying an RV and traveling for months at a time, starting an Etsy shop, getting a place to snowbird, or just renting a booth at the Farmer’s market to sell the tomato plants you propagated yourself, do it now, while you can. Be open to the opportunities that life brings your way. You can always change if/when that choice no longer suits you. It is easy to let fear get in the way, but if not now, when?

Exhale.

Should I Take Flight and be a Snowbird?

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

If you are retired and live in an area that gets really cold, harsh winters, you may have considered the option of being a snowbird. A snowbird is defined as a northerner who migrates to a warmer southern state in the winter. And why not? The birds are smart enough to do it. I know that we have pondered it for many years. To take flight and be a snowbird or not to be a snowbird – that is the question.

I am writing this post sitting outside on a patio in Arizona enjoying the sunshine and palm trees while it is snowing several inches at home. We are, once again, pondering the question of whether or not to be snowbirds.

Our weather forecast at home this week is on the left. The forecast for Arizona the same week is on the right.

Last year at this time we were in southwest Florida trying out the snowbird lifestyle for a month, which I wrote about in the post, Travel: Living Like the Locals. We loved the area with the Gulf (of what?) adjacent to it. The water, beaches and sunshine lifted my spirits. I can certainly see why so many people snowbird there, but there were a couple big drawbacks for us.

First, it was a full day of travel with at least one layover. Florida is about as far across the U.S. as you can get from our home in the PNW. It was just too far away from family and friends. The other consideration was the possibility of hurricanes. Several people told us that the cost of insurance on their condos was outrageous, if they could even get it covered. Sadly, about nine months after we left, Hurricanes Helene and Milton swept through the area. So, while we really enjoyed our month there, we ruled it out as a snowbird option for us.

To snowbird or not to snowbird, that is the question

The advantages

As with any major life decision, there are advantages and disadvantages, and you have to weigh those based on your lifestyle. It is about rightsizing your retirement life. The most obvious reason to snowbird is to get away from lousy winter weather. I get tired of being cold all the time, shoveling snow and navigating icy sidewalks and roads. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing better than snow at Christmas. I love curling up by a cozy fire with a good book while the snow falls gently outside in a silent blanket of white. Bonus if I made a pot of soup to simmer all afternoon. It is beautiful and cozy… until about January. Then it becomes claustrophobic, dark and dreary.

Another advantage of fleeing to warmer temperatures are the health benefits – both physical and mental. We are much more likely to get out for a walk or hike in a warmer climate. And yes, we have gyms, but I prefer the outdoor gym. Of course, bike riding is totally out of the question in the snow. Sunshine also elevates your mood. Too many gray days can get depressing. Research shows that sunshine boosts your serotonin levels as well as vitamin D. During the winter months at home, we can go for days and days without sunshine, as you can see from the above photo.

A third advantage is the fun of exploring a new environment and meeting new people. We can get a little stale over time, and it helps to explore new places. It triggers our curiosity and opens up our creative thinking. Not to mention all of the different restaurant options! 😊 (I wonder if that defeats the health benefits?) It is wise to choose a place that has lots of things to do that you enjoy.

The disadvantages

Being a snowbird also comes with some disadvantages. The most obvious one is the cost. Renting a place for a few months adds up. You can buy something, but then there is the initial cost, as well as the upkeep and/or HOAs. However, if you buy something, you can rent it out part of the year to defray some of the costs and you should get a long-term return on your investment.

The other big disadvantage is being away from your life at home that long. This is particularly difficult if you sit on a board, volunteer or work part-time. Mr. U has a part-time job at home, but they are very flexible and willing to work with retired employee schedules. (That was a requirement for us.) For me, it is hard being away from family and friends for extended periods of time. I miss my peeps. This week we met a couple that snowbird in Arizona from Wisconsin. They were also torn because all of their family was back in Milwaukee. Their solution was to plan several trips back home for family events or just some grandparent time.

If we were to snowbird, it needed to be a quick flight back and forth to our home in the north. Arizona is only about a 2 1/2-hour direct flight for us. That meant that we could travel back and forth much easier and cheaper than Florida. Son #4 has a condo in Arizona that he rents out when he isn’t visiting there, so we knew we would get to see him there some. Also, it is close enough that family and friends can visit. Matter of fact, my granddaughter was just there last weekend for a gymnastics meet and we were able to go watch her while there. That being said, we would still not do the traditional snowbird life of being gone for a full 4-6 months at a time.

Never say never

After our month in Florida last year, we decided not to snowbird. One year ago, I wrote a post about that decision, explaining Why I Won’t be a Snowbird Any Time Soon. And then winter showed up… again. And we are not getting any younger. The timing seemed right, and Arizona checked most of the boxes for us. So, we finally got off the fence and purchased a condo in Scottsdale. Common sense be damned. It is past time to live our best retirement life.

We took the snowbird plunge. Note the cute little turtle at the bottom of the picture. There is a walking path right by our condo that goes along this pond. It will keep me more physically active in the winter just to go see the wildlife.