Is Snowbirding For You?
You might be thinking to yourself, what is a snowbird, a bird that is only seen in the winter while it is snowing? Well, not quite, but us desert dwellers know what a snowbird is and the purpose of a snowbird.
A snowbird does dwell somewhere in the winter, but not in the snow, and probably not in their hometown. A snowbird is a person that lives in a cold winter location, like Minnesota as an example, and uses their RV to travel to a warmer state for the winter. Do you blame them? Brrrr!
Usually the southern part of the U.S. has warmer months in the winter, such as, Arizona, Florida, parts of Texas, New Mexico and southern California. But why do some people travel south for the winter and some people endure their much colder climates?
Here are some reasons why a snowbird would seek a warmer climate in the winter:
WARMTH. As we get older, the cold can hurt our bones, as in arthritis, and an escape from the cold is something a doctor could have ordered.
ADVENTURE. It can be an adventure to travel to a different state for a length of time. New places to explore, new people to meet and see how others live in a different state.
COSTS. Believe or not, it can be cheaper to stay elsewhere than your home base, if you desire warmth and adventure.
How can you benefit as a SNOWBIRD? Lets look at the 3 answers I gave with a little more depth.
Many people benefit from the WARMTH that some states can provide. Vitamin D is the best way to get it in our southern states. It can truly be a sense of healing to our aging bones and give us the energy we need for our everyday lives. Not only that, think about how many outdoor activities you can do! Hiking, bicycling, scenic driving, motorcycle rides, visiting vibrant towns and especially meeting others. Warmth can help us to get out and try something new, something that we may not be able to do in our hometown.
Life is an ADVENTURE, an adventure that we all should keep pursuing. Echoing what I mentioned above, it is invigorating to seek something unusual to do, or see, like maybe try jumping out of an airplane with an experienced parachute jumper, bungee jumping, horseback riding. Not saying you should do something risky, but just saying. Life is short and I believe we should make the most out of it, no matter what our age is. But it seems the older, or mature we get, time is slipping through our fingers quickly, and the need to have adventure is now.
That dreaded word: Money. It COSTS to have money and it COSTS to not have it. And when it comes to traveling, you definitely need it. If you are looking to go somewhere for the winter, to escape your frigid state, why not try something with a more mild climate? You can always close up your house, turn off your utilities (if you can) and forward your mail to your winter destination. You can either travel with your RV, which would be MUCH cheaper than renting a house, rent a space in a RV park and enjoy life! You can also rent out your frigid home to others that might need a winter residence and make some sweet moola on the side.
What do SNOWBIRDS do? Well, a variety of things! They get busy meeting others, attending socials (especially if they stay at a RV park), visit family, seek new sights, and bring new meaning and purpose into their lives. They see how others live and compare it to how they live, if they want to change or just adapt. Each state is uniquely different! Generally people start coming out of their wintry habitations in October or November, depending on their preference and depart around March or April, depending on the weather. The weather has a BIG effect on when you leave and return: trust me!
Growing up in Arizona, I have seen many snowbirds flock to my home state and I would like to give a piece of advice: you can go the speed limit. No need to drive under the speed limit as the greater Phoenix area never receives snow and is safe drive in the weather.
So now you know what a SNOWBIRD is. If you live in a cold state in the winter, which destination would you want to go to in the winter:
Florida
Arizona
Texas
Southern California
Let us know in the comments!