As the Florida season comes to a close for us snowbirds, there’s a familiar rhythm for me setting in. After seven wonderful playful months, it’s transition time—time for organizing, cleaning out, and getting ready to close up our condo before we head back to the Philadelphia area for the summer.
This in-between phase getting ready always feels a bit like living out of two worlds at once. I’ve been sorting through my closet, deciding what stays in Florida and what comes north with me. Since I’m going from warm weather straight into summer again, most of my wardrobe is light clothing—but it still takes some thought.
Add to that the logistics of packing my supplements, and my husband’s medications, and I find myself double-checking everything to make sure nothing important gets left behind.
For the most part, we have two of everything, so I don’t need to carry things back and forth. But after 7 months in Florida, I forget which clothing I actually have a home in Pennsylvania: I probably don’t really need to bring any clothes home, but I’m taking some basics.
In the kitchen, we’re in “use it up” mode for food—working through frozen foods, eating up the fruit, and clearing out the pantry. It’s part practical, part ritual, and it signals that our time here is winding down. I do leave the canned food.
One of the special final parts of this season is the gatherings with friends before we all return back to our respective homes. Most of us live in states along the East Coast—places such as Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Boston, and Cape Cod—while a few of my friends have officially decided to ditch the snowbird life and stay in Florida full-time in their condo.
Yesterday, we attended one of those special send-off gatherings—a backyard BBQ hosted by friends who actually have a house ( most of us are in condos) who will soon be heading back to Boston. Their Florida home, complete with a pool and a welcoming outdoor space, was the perfect setting for a relaxed and festive evening. As is tradition in our group, every couple contributed a dish, turning the meal into a true communal feast.
I brought one of my favorite go-to salads—and it turned out to be a standout. Not only was it vibrant and colorful, but it also drew plenty of compliments (always a good sign!). link to recipe for salad.
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| grilled yellow peppers |
Our hosts handled the grilling—serving up perfectly cooked chicken alongside an array of roasted vegetables—while others brought vegetarian appetizers, sides, and desserts. And of course, each couple arrived with a bottle of wine to share, making the evening feel even more celebratory.
These are the moments that define our snowbird lifestyle: good food, good friends, fun outings, and finally meaningful goodbyes—over the next 10 days we will be doing lots of partying and getting ready to leave until we all meet again next snowbird season.
