First, I have to begin with a disclaimer. I've been talking about moving out of Phoenix for about the last five years now. Perhaps even longer... but as my kids entered into High School, the culmination of my 'five-year-plan' became a larger focus in my own personal and professional life. For those who are tired of me talking about it, I'm making it official.
And since it's not official unless it's on Facebook, I figured I'd do one better and blog about it as well.
So, here's the deal...
Phoenix isn't a sustainable theatre market. For me. I specify, because I know several successful actors in Phoenix that are able to make a living with their creative talents. I have struggled and supplemented, but it has become more difficult with each passing year. While staying in Phoenix was a priority to maintain a stable life for my kids, I no longer feel the need to pretend that we're remotely stable. I joke. Truth is, the kids are older and in order to make a living, I have to travel for work. Sad fact.
I've been back and forth to NYC to audition for regional companies and tours. I've got family, friends and professional ties in most of the active regional theatre markets and was almost positive that I was going to end up on the west coast or in Chicago. Logical, right?
Except that something(s) kept pulling me back to Florida.
Florida?
As one of my friends retorted, "Aren't you a bit young for Florida? People usually go there to die."
Yup... that's kinda what I thought - which is why it was 10th on my list of possible destinations.
As cost of living or lack of sustainable work eliminated cities, Florida moved up to 5th... and then to 3rd...
Last year, I was in Little Rock weighing the possibilities of Chicago, Oregon and Florida (in that order) when I decided I could do another year in Phoenix - maybe two, if I had to - while I did more research.
Everything - from the most innocuous reference to the most blatant sign - was pointing me in the same direction.
And so it is, with equal parts anxiety and excitement, that I announce my move to Florida in August.
With friends, family and loved ones in Tampa, Ft.Myers, West Palm Beach, Naples and Sarasota, the siren song of swim-up bars and year-round dinner theatres is just too much to resist.
My hope and prayer is to find work - anywhere - and get established in the Florida market. The good news is that I'll always have housing with most of my family still in Phoenix - and I have every intention of coming back for shows for as long and as often as they'll have me.
The kids will hang back in Phoenix for a bit. Christina will finish up her Senior year and probably loathe spending Spring Break and the summer in Florida, but I hope she'll survive. David is still deciding whether he wants to enlist or get a job or register for college - but renting out bikes on the boardwalk has also been thrown around as an option. (Not that I'm trying to impose the hippie-gypsy lifestyle on my kids, but I like to bandy about some influence.)
When Jason and I first talked to the kids (years ago) about moving to another state, we believed it would be a much different scenario. But serendipity works in funny ways... and no matter how old and cynical I get, I still believe in magic.
Now the true magic will be downsizing all of our crap, finding a short-term place in Phx that will take the pets, and financing a cross-country move in three months (one of which is spent working logistics from Little Rock).
Keep your arms and legs in the vehicle at all times, kids. It's gonna be a fast ride!
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