Why Does Everyone Hate Florida So Much??

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I live in Chicago and have visited almost every part of Florida, I am actually going to be visiting Ft.Lauderdale at the end on January. I ask anyone here that has ever lived in Florida and they have nothing but terrible things to say. They tell me the schools and education systems are bad and that the majority of the population have low Iq's and are poor. I don't know why this is, everyone seemed pretty normal to me?? I would like to move there one day and start a new life with my husband but I'm worried about salary and job placement for both himself and I. Why are some peoples experiences so bad, its so beautiful and the people are very nice. I just don't get it. Can someone help me understand why this is??

I think people have alot of misconceptions and unrealistic expectations when moving here...

they see it as "the promised land", a warm tropical paradise where all their problems will disappear that they had up north.

Florida is definitely a "transient" state... there is very little to no community mindedness here... people treat everyone as strangers (because they assume they are), and their is an overall sense of apathy, towards community, neighbors, schools, work, even friendships and family etc.

It has very little history and that only adds to the mindset.

Some people, once here, realizing they still have their problems they had up north, or that they were simply traded in for a whole new set of problems, become cynical, angry and disillusioned...people here tend to have less manners, are more rude, and more thoughtless in general I think...

I know these seem like generalities, but I have lived all over Florida, and grew up here near Tampa even, so this is from a true Floridian...

take-it-or-leave-it

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Specializes in Med-surg, IP surgery.

I am a Florida native and raised here. I lived in several other places during my younger days of wanderlust. I chose to come back here because it offers everything but mountains and snow. Fantastic beaches, gorgeous rivers, you can motorcycle almost year round, the seafood is always fresh, and everykind of fishing you can think of are attractions to me. My kids are in accelerated classes in their high school and my taxes and insurance are reasonable. I do NOT like hurricanes though.

As for nursing I really think it depends on where you work. I am employed by one of the 100 best places to work in the US and it is a very decent place to work, paywise and staffingwise even though when I mention the floor I work on everyone either or grimaces or makes the sign of the cross. I have to say the hospital I worked at previously in Santa Rosa County was a good example of how bad it can be. No UTC, no PCTs, all private rooms so you ran your butt off and never more than 3 nurses on the floor and the charge had as many patients as everyone else.

I believe how you do in any area is what you make of it. Negative attitudes usually envoke negative atmospheres.

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I am laughing because I live in Michigan and we have many of the same problems. We have horrible humidity in the summer where it is often over 90 degrees, with horrible mosquitos because of all the water. TONS of elderly people driving. ALthough, you can call it what you want-palmetto bugs are glorified cockroaches. :)

First off- Palmetto bugs are way bigger than regular cockroaches AND they fly. Secondly, we have a humidity problem ALL YEAR LONG, not just for 3 months. and the mosquitos, they are around as long as it's 60 and over which is pretty much all year-round. :D

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

LOL! I LOVE it here! Being from OH orig., I do not miss frozen car doors or sliding home on black ice. We live in southwest Fl., and actually the school grading on state and fed. levels is higher than what the schools are where we were from in OH. It's all in where you live, and if you're willing to make the best out of it. I've heard it said anyone who has lived in Fl., either loves it or hates it. There's no middle. On a side note, moving here was NOT my decision, it was my husbands. I am an only child, and VERY close with my family. I was devastated for about six months. I cried all the time and was just homesick. Finally, one day, I got in the car and drove around. I found activities to do, places to go, and made friends! Good luck to you, and I hope you enjoy this diverse, unique state!

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Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

Little to no mosequitos , it is why we have mosequito control in our area.

Mosequitos were out of control in Minn. or Wis...

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Specializes in telemetry, medsurg, homecare, psychiatry.

OK, I AM THANKFUL I KEPT MY FLORIDA LICENCE ACTIVE. I AM DEFINATELY GOING BACK. I agree, it is important to try to make wherever you live your home. Finding friends, and making a life is key. It can be a very difficult transition. But, keeping in mind the attitude that you also have to make the effort to find the positives is important no matter where you go.

My advice is to try out a 6 or 12 week assignment first, then make a decision to make a permanent move later.

Bring your kids along, most agencies will even pay for your housing stay while your their.

Good luck!

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I miss Flordia!! Raised in Philadelphia. Lived all over the country. Moved 50 times. I graduated from nursing school in Clearwater. Lived in Largo, Bellaire, Tarpon Springs (great Greek food), New Port Richey, Gainesville, Destin, Santa Rosa Beach. I did not work in Destin as the pay for an RN was $12 hr, same as CNA in Clearwater. I liked that I could go outside everyday, instead of spending winter indoors. Love the beaches, the fresh seafood. The only mean people I met were at my first job in a nursing home (Mean Nurses). I still email my Florida friends. Hope to move back to Florida in the future. Anne

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My wife wants us to move to Florida.

I graduated in May with my BSN and work in ER 7p-7a with my diff I average 20.50/hr.

Our daughter is a pt at St Jude's (we are just 1.5 hours away presently) so it would make that part of our lives more difficult. She does not tollerate cold very well, and I don't like it much myself, so a warmer climate would be good for her.

Tuition reimbursement is an important requirement for any job that I would be looking at.

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That is so sad, I live in North Florida and love it. I suppose that you can find things you hate anywhere, like, I'm not a big fan of hurricanes. I recently moved to get my kids in a better school district, but I wouldn't leave the state. :twocents:

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I grew up in Florida and have lived in 6 different states in my adult life. There were good and bad things about each place. Winters in Michigan, the ungodly heat in Texas, the miserable gray skies and rain all winter in the Carolinas...The worst thing about Florida was the tourists driving slowly, pointing at the palm trees, and thinking everybody in the whole state worked for Disney World!

I was not a nurse in Florida, I was a teacher at a private school. The school system in Florida is no worse than in any of the other places I have lived. My daughter went to 5 high schools in 4 states and none of them was any better than the others. She passed the FCAT at 13, HSAP at 14, North Carolina EOC's at 15, and then when we got to Virginia, they made her take all the SOL's for all the classes she had taken in high school and she passed those too and graduated from high school at 16. I am not at all sure she actually learned anything after switching from private school to the public school system. I am sure that the Florida schools were no worse than the others.

There are bad drivers everyplace. I would rather drive in Tampa than Charlotte, NC any day! I was making the same pay as a teacher in NC as I was in FL, the only difference was the amazing amount of hassle I had to put up with in NC! As far as low IQ's go, stupid is not dependent on geography!

Every time I scrape the ice off my windshield or walk the dog in the freezing rain I curse my husband's company for moving us here and think, OMG I want to go HOME!!!

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Specializes in IMCU.

The heat and humidity! I live in TN and I don't even visit Disneyworld in the summer time. I love visiting Fla in the winter!

Mahage

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Specializes in Nursing instructor, Geriatrics.

Thanks for the info NewGoalRN. As for the diffs., I think someone else must have stated something because I don't recall talking about diffs. although in Boston they are very high. $7/hr or more for a night shift in the major teaching hospitals with a minimum of $2 for day weekend shift diff. I have been out of hospital nursing since 2001 but try to keep up w/ what is happening.

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