BTW, there’s lots of cheap (and even free) stuff to do in New England — it’s just that we suck at advertising it. Seth and I have a book of nature walks in Eastern Massachusetts and it lists lots of places, just in this small area. I think all of them are free or they charge a small fee for parking. There are plenty that are good for kids (they’re labelled as such). Where we live, there’s the Charles River down the street, good for boating (NOT swimming) and scenic views and some other place in Newton for similar activities. What to do in the winter? I think we’re going to try snowshoeing. Outdoorsy, cheap, easy (unlike skiing). And the Butterfly Place is open in colder months — we went when it was snowing this year and it was sooo hot and colorful there — very happy time. Of course, none of this really addresses the cost of living, taxes, heating costs, etc. but it seems to balance out in the end when you consider salaries — I nearly barfed when I saw an ad in Tampa for an editing job that required a Master’s in English plus experience listed for less than what I made as a new teacher with only a B.A. Even if I had lived down there and taken that job, I couldn’t have made it. Even if there is a high cost of living here, a higher salary is still a higher salary.

In defense of New England, February and March are the only bad months, in my opinion. I like the change of seasons. I don’t mind the cold or the snow.

I mind the stifling heat and lung-clogging humidity that dominates the summer and fall in florida…6 months. Ok, Pensacola is a little further north, so I’ll cut it down to 5 months for the sake of the argument.