Relocation from Ft Lauderdale to ... where?
Recently moved to the US and trying to figure out where to settle long-term.
Right now I live in Fort Lauderdale and work remotely, so technically I can live almost anywhere. At first South Florida felt exciting, but after some time the constant heat and humidity are starting to wear me down, same for the dog of my wife (pug). Summer here feels brutal for me physically.
We’ve been exploring other places. Recently drove through parts of North Carolina all the way to Wilmington. Also visited Savannah and Charleston.
The strange thing is - while those places are beautiful, a lot of the towns along the way felt too slow and almost empty compared to South Florida. Huge distances between houses, very quiet streets, not much energy, and overall a feeling that life just moves at a completely different pace. In Fort Lauderdale I feel like there’s always movement, activity, people outside, things happening.
At the same time, I don’t think Miami/Fort Lauderdale is our forever place because of the climate.
We’re thinking long-term: buying a home, starting a family, raising kids somewhere comfortable and stable. Ideally:
- warmer climate but not extreme tropical humidity
- some economic/tech activity nearby
- suburbs with decent schools
- enough life and energy around us
- access to nature
- not insanely crowded or stressful
Has anyone here gone through something similar after moving to the US? Especially remote workers who can choose where to live?
Would like to hear what cities or regions ended up feeling like the "right balance" between energy and comfort.
Update: showed this post to my wife, she told me that I need to mention that she wants to live not far from the ocean :/