Chris WiegmanIf there is one positive to me being out of Florida for the past month, it is that it confirms just how bad Florida is for my health in general, even with all the family stress.
It shouldn’t surprise me. I’ve been to more stores in the last month than I had been to in the last couple of years combined in Florida without one threat or other issue for wearing my mask.
We’ve driven more miles up here in a month than I would in 6 months or more in Florida and no one has sweared at us and, actually, we haven’t had nearly the traffic to deal with in general that has reached the point where it stresses me out at home.
With the exception of gas, food here is significantly cheaper than in Florida and it’s been nice to get foods I simply can no longer get there. Here there are fewer grocery stores but they’re HUGE. At home there’s a Publix every few blocks but none of them are well stocked and many foods we used to take for granted, even after we moved there, are no longer available. It’s a little thing but with all the stress it’s been nice to be actually able to get some comfort foods I hadn’t seen in 2-3 years or more.
The weather has been wonderful. A combination of things means I haven’t taken advantage of it as much as I would like (I’m only getting 5,000 steps per day instead of my usual 10,000) but walking here is actually pleasurable. It will be hot here for the summer soon but here you know it will pass. In Florida it just never ends.
Normally it would be somewhat circumstantial to say this all has made me healthier but I do have data to back it up. It might not be the best but my Apple Watch shows numerous health improvements since I’ve been here. My resting heart rate is a full 10 points lower. My sleep is more consistent and of better quality. Even my VO2 max has actually gone UP here, less steps and all. I doubt my scale will like me when I get home (we can’t have everything, eh?) but I can really feel and see the difference and that is something I need to remember.
As I write this on Sunday I’ve been up here for exactly 1 month and I go home 2 weeks from today. Joy leaves this coming Tuesday and will drive home (with her sister this time) so we’re not all just leaving dad at once and I’ll miss her on this trip more than most but it is still the right move for all.
Now I just dread going back to Florida itself and can’t wait until I can get out permanently. At one point it really did seem to be the right move for us. Anymore I feel like the whole state is a layer of hell and I’m not sure I’ll ever go back, once we move, for even so much as a vacation.