Allergy shots?

[Pax]

I remember you didn't like the culture, neighbors, or politics (and I totally get that), so I must admit I'm a bit surprised. Did you try to sell your condo and couldn't? I know that can be difficult! OTOH, the grass is always greener on the other side, and if we hadn't been able to sell our condo in Belize, I am sure we would be spending winters, at least, there now.

Yes, we took it off the market when two offers fell through due to a nuisance lawsuit filed by our next door neighbors, they are suing the HOA for something silly and will lose, but in the meantime no bank will finance in the complex. Still not a fan of the culture and bigotry, or the politics, but at least going back we know exactly what to expect. Before it was one shock after another and lots of unmet/unrealized expectations. Knowing what we do now, we know how to"be" there and will simply enjoy the parts we liked and lower our expectations for the rest.

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds like a plan, Pax. I sure will be wishing for the best for you and your wife. I do know what you mean about trying something a second time around with different expectations (taking off the rose-colored glasses!) Similarly, we talk about possibly returning to Playa del Carmen, because there was an awful lot we liked there, and a few things we didn't. But since we have our motorhome now, that makes the decision making a little more difficult. We'll make some decisions before next winter, after seeing how this spring/summer traveling season goes.

[Crankin]

It's good you can be flexible, Pax. But, you can always sell when that silly lawsuit gets resolved.
I think a lot of people make these decisions looking through rose colored glasses. I know myself well enough to know the politics and cultural stuff would be things I couldn't live with. Yes, I prefer my bubble! While not on the level that Emily travels, we have downsized enough now, to ensure that we can continue to travel the way we have in the past few years, even when DH stops working. We sat down and thought about what we couldn't really give up and that was it, along with going out to eat. So, while I feel a little cramped in my new home (just a little, really). Anything else we do is either free or cheap, like cycling or hiking or nordic skiing.

[Pax]

We are trying to make peace with it, the lawsuit could drag on another couple of years so we either need to do that or make ourselves crazy feeling trapped. If we end up liking it okay this go round, we'll use it as our home base, if not I could see us selling and full time Rving for a while. We love our hometown, but there is little for us here as well, our closest friends have all moved away (many people are leaving Illinois due to the ongoing budget crisis) and we don't have family here any longer. So roaming appeals, and who knows, maybe someplace new and interesting is waiting for us down the road.

[zoom-zoom]

I've been doing allergy shots for 3 years...have 1-2 more to go, I believe. I have 9 airborne allergies (grass, trees, weeds, cats, dogs, horses, feathers, dust mites, cockroaches) and crustaceans. Nothing can be done for the shellfish allergy, though there is talk of oral therapies on the horizon for food allergies. If I could take pills for a few years and be able to eat shrimp/crab/lobster again, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

I have 0 regrets and found that after a year on the shots that my Spring symptoms were so amazingly reduced. The month of May used to kill me when the trees are all in bloom. Now it's really no worse than any other month. I only regret not doing shots as a teenager, when my symptoms and asthma first kicked-in.