How Does It FEEL to be a Snowbird?

I have always wondered if I could really describe what it feels like to be a "snowbird". I am not talking about a person that owns a second home or travels all winter. I am talking people that fly south every winter to the same landing area. They are very like the Sandhill Cranes that have followed the same flight path since the beginning of time.

Our Arizona home!

It is a pattern repeated every year by thousands of retired people around the world. They all begin to get restless as the weather changes. That "other" home calls their name. I talk about this often here on this blog.

Unlike people that go on vacation to the same place every year, we go home to the same place. There is a lot of difference. I suppose you need to do it before you will ever understand. It really isn't about the climate or the fancy frills but describing what is it about is very difficult.

Oddly enough, the people that fly south often talk about how young they feel when the come to their winter home and how they miss all their warm weather friends when they fly back north in the spring. They are more isolated. It is just not the same.

So when we arrive here in the fall, we all gather together in the middle of the streets or near someone's home to catch up on all the news. We know each other's children and even grandchildren in some cases. It is like a family reunion only without the squabbles. When we want privacy, we just go inside our park model or condo. Everyone has a respect for personal space, at least there I live.

We hug a lot. There is something so wonderful about the human touch that keeps us happy. Even the very elderly get a lot of attention. I talked with a lady with a walker the other day. She was getting out her Christmas decorations and we chatted over a flower growing beside the road. Being alone does not need to happen.

There is something about being around age-mates that keeps us feeling youthful. We all move at about the same pace and share a common bond. We dance and play cards. I work in my tiny flower beds and my friends golf. Some read and others write. I suppose that is why we find each other interesting.

It might be cooler this winter or warmer or windier or even rainy. We don't really care. Home is home...we snowbirds are just very lucky in that we happen to have two place that are equally as welcoming. I like that.

Stay tuned. The 2015-6 season has just begun. The birds will be flying in by the hundreds. They will come from Canada and all corners of the United States. I am very excited about that.

Have a wonderful day.

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