I grew up in New Jersey. Specifically, in South Jersey, which is very different from that North Jersey that you see on TV that NY treats as a suburb. We have farms and cows and everyone I knew had a garden in their backyard. People forget NJ is the Garden State.
I went to college in Tampa, Florida. I really loved the warmth and freedom of being away from home. After I graduated I stayed in Florida. But this was the height of the Economic Downturn, unemployment was high, pay was low, and there were little to no opportunities for college grads with no experience. I also didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I had studied film and TV in school but realized too late that I really wasn't interested in being a part of either industry. So, I moved to LA, I told people it was for the Film industry but I just wanted out of FL and to be someplace new. I really wanted to go to San Francisco not LA, part of me wishes I had, but I had a relative in LA I was able to live with until I got my own place. I worked 2 jobs until I found a better paying job that allowed me to do just one and make a living. Eventually, I had to leave LA. It's one of those places you either love or leave. I had to leave. And, I finally made it to San Francisco, well sort of. I moved to Oakland. It wasn't a bad place when I first moved to the Lake Merritt area but over the years the cost of living skyrocketed and homeless grew out of control. The outrageous cost of living caused the epic homeless problem yet people seemed content to ignore it rather than do something about it. I knew I wasn't going to be able to stay someplace like that. Add on top of that I was getting older and sick of renting. I wanted a house and at the smallest houses starting in the high $500K there was no way a single person could afford that, hence why I moved back to Florida.
I found that FL has changed and not changed a lot since I've been gone. There are way more people and way more traffic. But, public transportation, recycling, and other green initiatives are still in the dark ages and getting worse, not better. I hate the cold and I have no interest in snow so moving someplace north is not something I want to consider but I also don't want to live someplace that doesn't do it's part to protect the environment, especially when you have some of the most beautiful beaches and parks, why not save them! I don't understand it.
So that's some of me. The me I'm going to share on this blog. A little of my background. I'm into saving, recycling, reducing waste. So, my blogs will talk about these things and pets. I love dogs and cats. I only have one dog now but I hope to get another and a cat too. I've lived with cats, dogs, guinea pigs, birds, a turtle, and fish. I sometimes prefer animals to people. At least with animals I know they're honest. But that's for another blog.
