Photo Credit: smallbiztrends.com
Life is good for us. We have happy, healthy children whom we adore; our health, family nearby; a nice home at the Jersey shore; and good jobs. Yet with all that, there is something missing and we’re seriously weighing a move close to Walt Disney World to find it.
We are in search of those elusive intangibles – balance and a simpler lifestyle with more family time.
Along with good jobs comes much work responsibility and often long, stressful hours. Couple this with long Northeastern winters and we spend too many nights exhausted and working on our laptops with the kids watching television and letting everyday stresses frustrate us.
We want to do better for our kids. All the success my husband and I have achieved in our careers will pale in comparison to successfully raising our kids to the absolute best of our abilities.
I worry often that we only have one shot, a single chance at raising our kids to be the best they can be, to have the skills to reach for the stars and fulfill all their dreams, and to teach them to have balance in their adult lives. It is an awesome responsibility and although we’re on the right track we strive to do even better. That’s where Walt Disney World comes in.
I’m not so naïve as to think that we will not have job stress and long work hours in Florida but Walt Disney World makes us better versions of ourselves and we hope to find a better work/life balance. Once we set foot on property, we become insulated from the outside world and all its challenges. We focus on our family and spending quality time together in a joyful place.
We’ve tossed around whether we want to be a day’s drive, an hour’s drive, or a 20-minute drive from Walt Disney World and we’ve decided the only way to see if the Disney grass is greener is to be within a 20-minute drive of our happy place. When the weather is cooperative in New Jersey, we love our family walks after work. The kids are content with a snack while we stroll and reconnect with each other with good conversation and no distractions. The places we walk are nice but nothing special and they get old after a while. We want to achieve this quality family time in a place we never tire of, with miles and miles of areas to explore and great food choices. That means we need to be close enough to take advantage of all Walt Disney World has to offer in the evenings and on weekends.
Is thinking of picking up our whole life and moving 2,000 miles away from family and friends just to be close to Walt Disney World radical? We don’t think so. Whether we are successful in our lives will be ultimately measured by how our sons grow into men. People move for their careers every day. There is no job more important to us than to be the best possible parents we can be. And if that means we have to move to excel at our “job”, then we owe it to our kids to seriously consider it.
There are a lot of complex variables in a decision like this; the Petermann’s from The Relocated Tourist are a great resource as they share their journey that will bring them closer to Walt Disney World.
Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You can follow her on Twitter @DisneyExplorer or become a fan of Beyond the Attractions on Facebook.
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Lisa, I could not agree more. I share in your opinion entirely. Great post!
Lisa, when I was little my parents moved us out of Brooklyn so we could have a better lifestyle living at the Jersey Shore…. lots of parents have made similar moves. So, what difference does it make if your move is to the Jersey Shore, Central Florida, North Carolina, or any other place? If a move will make you happy than I say, “Go for it!” Good luck! I’ll be pulling for you!
Lisa, I wish you and your family the best of luck!! Since I’ve made so many amazing connections in the Disney community it only feels right that we move closer to the Mouse or at least have a vacation house there so we can go whenever we need that break from reality. I can’t wait to read about your (& Stuart’s) move to FL very soon!
[...] drive. Lately, that daydream has become a little bit more for my family. We’ve decided to seriously consider moving within a twenty-minute drive of Walt Disney World and even spent a few hours in Celebration on our [...]