Hello, my name is Barbie – hence the nickname, “Beach Yoga Barbie”! How did I go from growing up in Northern Idaho as a “farmer’s daughter” to now living on the Gulf Coast of Florida? It could possibly be a very long story; however, I will shorten it as much as possible to save time and space.
I lived in Idaho for 37 years of my life. When I was younger and then again when vacationing from work in my 20’s and 30’s, I would visit the Oregon coast. I fell in love with the ocean and the beaches. My dream was to someday live near the ocean. Walking along the shore was so soothing and calming. It didn’t even matter if it was foggy or cool like it was so often on the Oregon coast. There was just something so special and so mind-clearing about being near the ocean with its waves and ocean breezes.
I met my future husband and he worked and lived in Tennessee. In 1997, I moved from Idaho to Tennessee. One summer, we vacationed to Idaho to visit my family. While we were there, I took him to my beloved Oregon coast and the Pacific Ocean. I wanted him to experience the same love of this place that I had. I was crushed to hear him say that the Pacific Ocean was way too cold for him. Now, remember, I had grown up in Northern Idaho near the rivers and lakes that were made from the melting ice packs in the mountains, so I was used to the cold water. I hadn’t been thinking about the fact that he grew up in Alabama and had been used to warmer waters and his vacations entailed visits to the Florida Panhandle and the Gulf of Mexico waters.
I was sad for quite some time thinking my life’s dream would not become a reality. Until several years later, we vacationed to the Panama City, Florida area on the Gulf Coast of Florida. How could this be possible…the sand was so white and fine like powdered sugar! The Gulf of Mexico was as warm as bathwater!
But it wasn’t until several more years later that I put my dream of living near the ocean into action. I had gone through a divorce. What better time than now to “re-invent” myself and move forward with some of my dreams?
I wanted to live in a smaller town in a tropical area of Florida, (Northern Florida was similar to Alabama which can still get cold in the wintertime). After checking out a few areas along the Gulf Coast between Venice and Fort Myers, I decided on living near Englewood, Florida. My dream became a goal of being on the beach on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2005. This was accomplished and came true, as I made it to my Englewood, Florida destination on December 31, 2004!!