The Backstory

Sometimes life takes you on a journey you didn’t plan, and that’s exactly what happened with our dream of moving to Florida. Josh and I fell in love with Southwest Florida during one of our trips as snowbirds. We visited the Cape Coral area and knew it was where we wanted to put down roots. The sun, the canals, the beautiful beaches—everything about it felt right. We could see our future there.

 

We started searching for the perfect home and land, but it felt like every door we knocked on kept closing. We faced rejection after rejection, being told “no” more times than we’d like to remember. It was frustrating, but it didn’t stop us from believing that somehow, some way, Florida would eventually be our home.

 

In the meantime, an unexpected opportunity came along. We stumbled upon a farm in Virginia—beautiful land with rolling hills and enough space to start something new. We were drawn to it and, despite our Florida dreams, decided to take the leap and invest in the farm. Soon, we found ourselves raising cows and chickens, getting deeply involved in farm life. For a while, it felt like the right move.

 

But then things took a turn. A logger we had hired to clear some trees for us turned out to be dishonest, and before we knew it, we were dealing with stolen trees and land that wasn’t in the shape we expected. The last 12 months have been a grueling process of getting our land back to where it should be—restoring fields and making it what we had envisioned from the start.

 

As we worked through the challenges of farm life, we started to realize something: this wasn’t our forever plan. Sure, we loved the land and animals, but our hearts weren’t fully in it. What we really wanted was to be in Florida, living the life we’d dreamed of for years.

 

So now, we’re making a shift. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we’re working hard to figure out how to make our Florida dream a reality. It’s going to take time, careful planning, and some big decisions. But we’re committed, and we’re excited to share every step of the journey with you.

 

Through our YouTube channel and this blog, we’ll be documenting it all—our trials, triumphs, and the decisions we make along the way. Whether it’s figuring out how to replace our income, choosing whether to sell or rent the farm, or navigating the challenges of moving across state lines, we’re putting it all out there. Florida is where we want to be, and we’re ready to make it happen. Join us as we share this adventure and, hopefully, inspire others to follow their dreams, no matter how many obstacles stand in the way.

 

Stay tuned for more updates as we navigate this next chapter of our lives, and thank you for being part of our journey!

 

—Abbie & Josh