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Snowbird Lifestyle: They came to visit and didn't go home! Scary huh?

Arizona Park Model Interior

Some of the company might not go home! 


I have always thought that company and fish really stink after three days. My family is not company and neither are close friends. And if people are visiting and living in a separate house, that doesn't count either.

Maybe no one stinks in the end! It turns out I love company a lot. And it turns out many of those people came to visit and ended up staying for a very long time.

A friend that lives in Florida wrote me a note on my Facebook account today.  His comment was that people come to Florida for two or three month and repeat this pattern for a couple of years. In the end they usually buy a park model or condo and come back to the same place every year. 

We see this same pattern in Arizona. It would appear that snow birds are at home where ever they land! Here in Arizona those people that rent for two a three month and find they like the lifestyle will come back a second year, rent again and buy a park model during the second year. Economics talk...it is simply cheaper to buy a park model in a RV resort and rent the lot than it is to rent a park model year after year.  If they are relatively wealthy they will buy a home or condo. Either way they can make themselves at home. There appears to be something for everyone.

It is very easy to make friends...activities in the resorts are so diverse that is you will find something that interests you. Regional parties for those from the mid west or Canada, for example, give new comers an opportunity to find like minded people. Pickle ball and bocci is very "age" friendly and a huge group of people participate. These activities are great ice breakers. And I believe that the pattern is repeated in every snow bird landing spot in America. As my friend pointed out, geographical location does not change the course people will take during retirement.  

In our case we had traveled for nearly 9 years before we were ready to settle into one place. But, in the end, we did what most snow birds do...we stayed in one place for two years living in our Motor Home, bought a park model, sold our RV and are spending 6 month of the year in Arizona. We love it.

It is all very interesting...the study of human nature.

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