Among other places, I have lived in Cheyenne Wyoming, Vail, CO, and even had a stint in Japan’s Misawa Air Base. What do these locations have in common? Snowfall. Blankets of the cold white stuff filling the air and descending to cover the world. Residents make the best of it. Skiing, sledding, snowball fights. However, living in this environment has a cost. Sidewalks and driveways must be shoveled and often. Today is January 6,2024. Happy New Year friends and family. As I write this it is 73F, and days before many Floridians look as if they have been forsaken. My tropical people don’t do well with temperatures dropping below 80F. As of this very moment my beloved Cheyenne is 24F. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Wyoming. Horseback riding, clean, crisp air, open prairies. But in the Winter, you might need some of the warmth our peninsula offers. Vail Colorado is 20F, and again, snowboarding in The Back Bowls – Vails Legendary Terrain, walking over the covered bridges in town while smelling chimneys being utilized. Misawa at 32F also has its beauty and ways to experience the sublime in nature but with an average combined flight time of 18 hours, I will focus on something a bit more proximal.
The average water temperature in St. Augustine Beach in winter reaches 65.1°F, in spring 70.3°F, and in summer the average temperature rises to 81.5°F, and in autumn it is 77.5°F. My girlfriend and I went for our version of the polar plunge. We did stay in for 3 minutes though. Other Floridians looked at us like we were crazy; I liked that.
So here is my pitch to those of you considering coming down to Florida. Play golf year-round if that’s your thing at the St. Johns Golf Club. Go surfing year-round, if that’s your thing Where Salt Meets Soul. Play tennis, pickleball, do all the yoga, pyro Pilates, vinyasas Yoga & Pilates in St. Augustine, etc. Ride the bikes, move the body, and get all the vitamin D sunshine the sunshine state has to offer.
Speaking of yoga, I kept bumping into this cool lady at a pyro Pilates class. Don’t let the name “Pilates” fool you. This class is all burpees, lunges, planks, jumping jacks, sit-ups, pushups and variations of all that stuff. Janet Thumith turns out to be not only one of those lean-mean-fighting machine snowbirds that keep returning to St. Augustine each year for a few months, but she is also an instructor and whips me into shape. I asked her why St. Augustine, and this is what she had to say:
“This is our 1st year as snowbirds, so the experience is new to us! We were drawn to St. Augustine because of its beauty. We love the tree lined streets with Spanish moss hanging from the branches, the beautiful beaches, and the historic downtown! Our son is a ‘history buff,’ so we know St. Augustine will keep him interested for a long time! We like the casual atmosphere of this area, and it makes us feel most comfortable. We enjoy connecting to neighbors of all ages! Our hot tub makes our home feel like a retreat and brings us much relaxation! The pool and amenity center are a nice place to hang out and meet people. St. Augustine is close to a reputable hospital and an easy commute to the airport both very important to us.
My husband loves to kayak. If a neighborhood didn’t have easy kayak access it got crossed off our list! He tows the kayak with his bicycle and off he goes!
We like the fact that our neighbors are very friendly! Oh, and no snow!! It was a little strange to decorate for Christmas this year when it was 70 degrees out! But, we adjusted quickly!!
I stay most connected by doing hot yoga and hot Pilates at Hot Spot Yoga STA. It’s difficult to connect, but I do my best to keep going to classes to strengthen my bond with people! This is the biggest challenge for me. I miss my yoga community back home in Plymouth Hot Yoga 1620. I am creating a new community here, but it takes time! I’m thankful that people are friendly and for the ability to teach Hot Pilates here!
Our life is enhanced by being in St Augustine! The warm weather and sunshine fill my soul! The ability to wear flip flops every day is such a joy!! We have found many restaurants to try, historic things to do, and even a beach to look for shark teeth (and we found a bunch!). We have so much to explore and are very excited about it!
As life brings its challenges, we finally said to each other ‘what are we waiting for?’ and we found St Augustine and just went for it! No regrets!! Looking forward to many more years being snowbirds here in St Augustine, FL. If you are thinking of being a snowbird, find a place that has what you enjoy and we say, just go for it!!”
If Janet’s convinced you to ditch the snow shoveling and check out the good life for yourself, visit islandpropertiesco.com to book your temporary stay while you secure more long-term lodgings. We’ll be seeing you on the green, at the beach, or in hot yoga!
