We live in the Atlantic Ocean’s hurricane path. We have had mandatory evacuation notices 4 times in the last 4 years and it’s getting old. We’re getting older and the idea of leaving your home, not knowing what you’ll find on your return is nerve-racking, to say the least.
Our recent experience
On short notice, you have to find a place to stay. We lucked out with a Category 1 Hyatt Place at 5,000 points per night with free breakfast. We have to try to guess the date you can safely return. This last one was tough, as it lingered over the Bahamas for so long.
We checked out two days sooner than our reservation called for as there was no real damage or delay in getting back home and Hyatt was gracious enough to refund our two nights 5,000 points each.
Surprisingly, I had just got a status match offer to Hyatt Explorist, as I am a Lifetime Platinum at American Airlines, as I mentioned in an earlier post. That may have helped and the 5 nights originally booked would have got me halfway through the challenge.
A possible move
We are considering permanently moving off of the hurricane’s typical East Coast path and getting inland over a hundred miles or so. We would be closer to grandkids, but starting over again seems like such a daunting task at our age and energy level. Again, first world problems compared to our neighbors in the Bahamas.
I just can’t imagine living in a nursing home in my later years and being bussed away from home to a strange facility? Stay in today, Rick. Stay in today!
I know we should live every day as they come, but am having a hard time living with the constant threat year after year after year.
The advantages of moving
So that’s enough of my whining. It is interesting how this hobby grabs hold of our thought process. As I look at alternative locations I compare flight opportunities and airlines from potential new homes and airports. With all these AAdvantage miles should I actually consider Charlotte over another city as it’s an American Airlines hub? The thought crossed my mind.
And what about manufactured spending opportunities? As we are driving around the place we evacuated to, I have to admit I was checking out the different grocery chains in the area. Glad to see some old favorites but wondering how they like to sell money orders for gift cards?
And to think of the friends you’ll leave, and, in our world, the store clerks you’ve come to know and count on. Denise likes PayDay bars and Tammi just won’t take a thing. We are indeed a crazy bunch. I guess the ultimate test will be when I actually try to MS in a new town. Am I crazy enough to let that outcome affect our decision? Only time will tell.
P.S. Since last mentioning Dosh, they have quit awarding cashback at Kroger in our current location and others around the US. I wonder if our potential new location will still allow it? I’d better go check??? Now, what’s that zip code again…
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Thanks for sharing the info on Hyatt. We also live in hurricane path, on an island. We used a different hotels points and were already inland for a funeral. We were fortunate to be able to get home and not delayed by all routes closed because of flooding. I don’t have Hyatt but will look into it.
You bought my wife and I dinner at the Belagio buffet years ago. We were there for a $65 promotion 2 nights Las Vegas. I live in N.C. both Raleigh and the mountains. I have rentals in coastal N.C. Every hurricane I think They will be gone. I understand your frustration…Michael NC
Hi Rick, I live on a sand bar (Siesta Key) off of Sarasota in Florida, so I know what you mean. However I go north for five months a year during hurricane season. Is that a possible solution for you.? If I remember, you were originally from Michigan. Perhaps keeping a modest second home up north would be a solution for you, too.
When I reserve now I block out individual night stays if I’m not sure how long I’ll stay. Having 5 different reservations for one night each is a pain compared to o e reservation for 5 nights, but easier to cancel if they have 24 hr cancellation policy. Plus most times you get bonus points for each night as individual stays (which otherwise is lumped as bonus points for one 5 night stay).
Only time not to do it I can think of is if using an upgrade certificate for club or suite.
I live on an island on the SC coast. Yes, told to evac. 4 years in a row. Moved here because no hurricanes at hit this area in about 30 years and 70 years prior, but now 4 years in a row. We have learned to leave late and come back early. The longer away the more stress. We have a raised house, but we still need to move everything up a good bit due to potential storm surge. Then you come back to the clean up. Flooded twice, downed trees, crap all over the place. Yes, it gets very old doing this. However, this is about the most beautiful place one could live on peaceful days.
We recently moved cross country. The thrill of a new airport, with its new opportunities, is a benefit I had not anticipated.
Just want to add that I’m so glad you and your wife came through Dorian unscathed. That’s really good news. For close to twenty years my husband and I lived in the Tampa Bay area and each hurricane season of course gave us the jitters. A job transfer necessitated we move to Phoenix and while we miss Florida, have to say, come hurricane season we feel a bit thankful to be this far away. The move wasn’t easy as we are ages 72 and 65 so I well understand your assessment of the realities you may be facing. As it turned out, the nearest Simon Mall to our new address is over fifty miles away. We selected a house based on work commute ease over MS ease. If we ever move again, we’ll make a correction and invest closer to SM and an FTO. “Great minds think alike.”
Jo, Thanks so much for your comment. In our 40’s moving was a piece of cake but now everything seems just a bit more confusing and involved. Glad you’re ok and I’ve never lived near a Simon Mall 😉
Rick your a sad overweight redneck POS. washed up mortgage broker turned travel guru. Go back to farming you sad pathetic POS
And yet Rick has accomplished more than you ever will. He’s getting paid to write and you’re getting blocked. Have fun screaming into the abyss.
Oh, always your exceedingly fragile ego and inability to accept any criticism, Ariana. No matter how many crimes you choose to commit, eh? You aren’t too stupid to not realize how Federal investigations take a laughably long time time to investigate and prosecute, are you?
Ric (ky-boi): no matter how quilty she is, you aren’t too stupid to know that you now choose to be caught up in THIS, no matter her choices to not even give the most laughable of FTC*-‘approved’ disclaimers, not to mention all of her other crimes? I know for a fact that you have received such warning from ITB. Now, you choose to conspire to commit more crimes with her? (*to say nothing of SEC, FCC, USPS, etc)
If either of you or your attorneys deny receiving this, I have proof otherwise. Please, bring it!
Ric(ky-boi): yeah, she ain’t gonna go to prison (as much as she absolutely should), yet she absolutely will get hit by fines. Make sure your ‘checks’ clear, before you try to cash them, k?
bcc: file
bcc: esq
BTW: Ric(ky-boi): does this email addy look familiar? Yeah, the lawyers at ITB took comments down at the absolutely relevant and absolutely familiar website (if only the crooked Ariana realizes how utterly irrelevant and criminal she is.)
Oh, A-twat-girl: if you delete this without providing it to Rick Ingersoll, we will get it to him otherwise, with the resulting punishments to you and yours which you all deserve.
Smoochies!! :))
Thanks for stopping by. Booze and anti-psychotics don’t mix well.
I live in a major metro area where MS has died in the past 4 – 5 years, but am moving to the southern US for retirement. Is MS still possible in smaller to medium cities? What makes for a good MS location?
Grocery stores that will sell you money orders paid for with prepaid gift cards
I’ve spent one month in Charlotte, NC to shop for a new home. The home prices are incredibly high. The traffic and weather suck. They get quite a lot of rain and flooding. Otherwise it’s a great city.
I would move to Colorado….
🙂 Proof that is has been published.
Sure hope that it doesn’t get ‘oops’ mis-placed as it makes it way to inform Rick Ingersoll.
Smoochies! :))
Oh, goodness, just got a text from one of the attorneys about look-back periods and ANY transfer of ANY (potential) fraudulent transfer of ANY funds going back at least MANY years.
Ric, I don’t think that you were one of the very first to perpetuate the schemes, yet I would highly recommend you keep you records.
Smoochies !!
Oh, goodness, there are so many references to ‘fraudulent conveyances’, I’m not so sure I’d be so bold and so rude if I were such a crook…