Big Move and Bigger Hurricanes

The biggest event of 2024 was my husband and I selling our home on a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico and moving about an hour to the other side of Tampa Bay. The driver for the move was evacuation fatigue and, wow, was it the right decision. We were already settled in our new home by the time the back to back hurricanes Helene and Milton hit. Helene flooded and devastated most of the homes on the barrier islands. Our old home was spared but many of our friends and neighbors suffered a heartbreaking amount of damage.
The neighborhood we moved to is older with many towering oak trees. We live on the edge of a small, man-made lake but are high enough up from the water that flooding is extremely unlikely. Milton took down quite a few trees in the neighborhood (and surrounding town) but we were extremely lucky with just some fence and pool screen damage and the loss of food from a several day power outage. Oddly enough, even though we were right in the middle of the hurricane (the northern eye-wall passed over us), my husband and I sat on our back porch during the worst of it.
Starting Over
I thought when we first moved I would be able to continue with my part-time work and gallery membership close to the old home. Unfortunately, Tampa traffic laughed at me and by the end of the summer I was out of both.
We are in a suburban area now as opposed to a tourist area. So the art scene is …well…non-existent. I’ve been looking but I think I may be returning to the world of on-line art like I was doing in early 2023. More on that below.
Since my part-time job was more of a paid hobby time, I’m not really looking for a new one over here. If something wildly interesting comes along again, I’m open. For now I’m content to work at home.
Virtual Me
Like I said above, there is not really any sort of art scene where I am now. Tampa is the closest but still soooo far if you count the crazy traffic. So, I’m leaning into online life again.
I started a new show on my YouTube channel called Creative Soul Life. My goal is to build a community of like minded women who have to have creativity in their lives…whatever form it may be. And, like me, use creativity as a form of self-care and necessary enrichment. I’m also putting the audio out as a podcast on Spotify, Apple and Amazon.
My art can be found on my website. I also have prints there and on Etsy. It ran nice and steady during the move when my studio was mostly packed up. I’m also adding some of my nature photography on Fine Art America. I’m working on a new project combining my art with my love of the outside. I’ll share that later this year when I get a little further along.
With some pushing from my eldest daughter, I’ve been fairly steady on Tiktok the past several months. Although it may not be accessible by the time you read this! I’m not sure where I’ll try and connect with people next. I’m on Facebook and Instagram but they are so ad and ‘suggestion’ heavy that I get irritated about thirty seconds in. Got any suggestions?
Still Digging in the Dirt

I’m still deep into gardening, more so after working with and learning so much from my friend and former employer, Elise with The Urban Harvest. And my new home has an acre of land to plant on!!! I also found a gardening club that’s even larger and more active than my previous club.
Gardening club? Yes, that is my treat I promised myself when all the years of kid-volunteering were done. My grandmother and one of my aunts were in various clubs and talked highly of them. I always said when I could be a part of something/volunteering/etc just for me…it would be a garden club. I joined my first 3 years ago in Belleair Beach and will probably always try to seek one out.
2025 Plans (ish)
I’m going a little loosey goosey in my planning for 2025. I’m trying to lean into a slower pace and leaving my Type-A personality behind. I’m hoping for more time outside in the garden and in nature. I want to foster deeper connections with my relationships, husband, family and new friends (including friends I’ve not met yet!). For now I’m happy to just take each day one at a time and see where 2025 takes me.
How about you? How did your 2024 go? What does your 2025 look like?