I moved from Miami to a small town in Central Florida to save money. I love it so much that I’m still here 15 years later.

• I left Miami to save money living in a small Florida town while planning my move to the Northwest.
• This was meant to be temporary, but I’m still here 15 years later with no plans to leave Florida.
• I love raising my son here because of the town’s laid-back vibes and access to nature.

I enjoyed living in Miami in my early 20s, but the city felt like it was becoming more and more expensive to live in.

At the time, I was working while in school full time and just barely paying my bills month to month. Unfortunately, I couldn’t picture the degree I was working toward resulting in a job that paid me well enough to get me out of this cycle.

So, I decided to start saving up to move to Portland, Oregon, a city with a lower cost of living that I’d fantasized about for years because of its vibrant culture and ample access to nature.

My first step was to lower my living expenses by moving to a small Central Florida town on the Space Coast a few hours north of Miami, where the rent (and cost of living in general) was more affordable.

Although this move was supposed to be temporary, I’m still happily here 15 years later and hope to retire in a small Florida town.

Miami was fun, but I liked learning how to rest in a slower-paced town

Once, I heard a woman who had just moved to Miami say, “What’s there not to like about Miami? Every day is a party!” I thought her observation was spot-on.

However, by the time I left Miami, I had grown tired of the city’s lively, always-on-the-go lifestyle.

Miami has a high cost of living, but I also struggled to save money while living there because it felt like there was always somewhere to be. These activities almost always came with an added cost, whether I was paying for parking, a club entrance fee, or dinner out on the town.

Although I missed Miami’s lively culture when I first moved, I grew to prefer the small-town way of life that encourages rest and time at home.

For example, at 9 p.m., many people in Miami are just heading out to dinner at one of the city’s many options. In my quieter town, most restaurants aren’t even open that late.

I spend more time outside than I ever did before

The longer I live on the Space Coast, the more outdoorsy I become.

I actually go to the beach more now than I ever did in Miami, where it could be a hassle. Here, the beaches don’t feel nearly as crowded. I think they feel cleaner, too.

I also started hiking a lot more, as there are some great state parks and forests in Central Florida. Even in my own neighborhood, I’ve seen more wildlife than I ever did in Miami, including tortoises, rabbits, and deer.

One reason Portland was so alluring to me was that it seemed to have so much beautiful nature and greenery. If I hadn’t moved a few hours out of Miami, I would have never discovered how much natural beauty I could experience without leaving my state.

My new town also feels more aligned with what I want for my son

Since moving to the Space Coast, I became a mom and thought more of what I wanted for my son. I wanted him to spend more time out in nature — something I only got to experience as an adult.

When he thinks of “going out,” I want it to be to a beach or a hiking trail instead of the hottest new restaurant. I’d like for him to benefit from a slower way of life, one that prioritizes rest.

Our town is a great place for all of the above.

I also ended up becoming a teacher, and if I still lived in Miami on my teaching salary, I would never be able to afford the same life we live now, which includes having our own home and going on vacations.

I like that we don’t have to scrape by every month.

After 15 years, I’m still loving small-town Florida life

Sometimes I still miss the buzz of Miami and its seemingly endless options for restaurants and events. I’ll always consider it home, but I’m so glad I’ve experienced a slice of small-town Florida life.

This move was only ever meant to be temporary, but 15 years here taught me just how much Florida has to offer outside of Miami.

Now, I have no plans to move out of the state.