As far back as our Seattle time, I recall foreshadowing an eventual landing in Florida. I remember telling people that we might be "pools and palm trees" people, which is pretty weird when I think about staring at the Cascades while saying those words, and being so infatuated with the mountains. I still am. But we did in fact land in Central Florida, and I have a big old palm tree in front of my house.
We do not, however, have a pool. I used to think that this was just something you did if you owned a house in Florida. It seemed like a really good idea, but a number of things have changed my mind. First, every subdivision with an HOA has a pool, so it's kind of redundant. Sure, it's not as convenient, but I wouldn't call it inconvenient either. Second, pools are another expense. Some friends of mine here are annually putting money into pumps, heaters and the sheer energy cost of operating it. Maybe that's not a huge deal, but I tend to be energy conscious, and all of that energy used to keep the place cool in the summer is not trivial. Third, realtors will tell you that they don't really add to the value of the house, and sometimes they can even be a liability as people don't want to have the expense related to it. That part surprised me, but it seems reasonable to me.
So we don't have a pool. I guess we're just palm tree people. I wouldn't rule out a hot tub though, some day.
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