"I couldn't take it anymore": Cuban explains why he moved from Florida to another state

The Cuban content creator @pavelantonio8 has caused a stir on TikTok after sharing several videos where he recounts his experience moving from Miami, Florida, to another state in the U.S.

"I couldn't take it anymore, the rent, the traffic, the gas, the mother of tomatoes as we Cubans say," said this Cuban, tired of the high cost of living in Miami, about the reason for his decision to leave Florida after two years living there.

In her story, she recounted how she found a house for 650 dollars a month, with everything included (electricity, gas, water, garbage), in her new state, and compared the salary in that area with the low wages offered in Florida, "above 16, starting from 16 and up," she shared.

He also highlighted the respect and politeness that, according to him, are characteristics of the area where he now lives. “I wake up in the morning and they say ‘good morning, sir’, ‘sorry, excuse me, please’, where there is politeness, where people are truly respected.” However, he decided not to reveal his new location to prevent many people from moving there and “invading” his peace. “I’m not going to tell you where it is because they are going to invade this place here […] If I say now ‘I’m in such a place’, within two months it will turn into an anthill.”

The video generated a flood of comments and divided opinions: "I have been in the USA for more than 2 years, and 10 months ago I found a small town in Illinois, ugly but nice, salary $28/hour, rent $800 for a 4-bedroom, 2-bath house, zero traffic, kids go to school by themselves"; "That costs about $3,000 in Miami"; "I have been here for 20 years and I moved to live in a snowy countryside, really ugly but zero stress," to which @pavelantonio8 responded: "That's the one for me," some subscribed.

But not all the comments have been positive. “That's a lie,” said one person, to which @pavelantonio8 responded firmly: “I have no reason to lie, I left Florida, Miami is for improvement.” Despite some doubts, others expressed a willingness to follow his example: “I'm in Miami and I'm just waiting for my papers to fly out of here,” commented a user, and @pavelantonio8 replied: “Don't think about it, get out of there.”

The controversy grew so much that the Cuban published another video where he began by directly addressing the comments he was receiving: “There are many positive comments, there are many negative comments, there are personal comments, we must respect them.”

He then explained why he had decided to leave Miami: “After two years, I realized that I wasn't making enough progress. If things are going well for you in Miami, stay in Miami, congratulations, perfect. If things are not going well for you, you have to leave, you need to go. This country has 50 states and hundreds of cities, okay, you’re not obligated to be in Florida.”

"Only politics, politics, politics is talked about: Cuba, the current situation, Cuba, hunger, Cuba, picadillo. Gentlemen, that's not everything in life," he added about the dynamics in the city of sunshine, from which he is grateful to have distanced himself.

"If I left Cuba, it was to forget everything, except for my family of course, to forget all the poverty, to forget all the negative energies," he added.

He reiterated that the high cost of living in Miami prevented many from prospering, comparing what is earned in Florida with what is paid in rent. “You earn $12 an hour […] you go to look for a rental and they tell you an efficiency is $1,500. Do the math, at $12 an hour and $1,500 in rent, it doesn’t add up."

"If you are in Florida and struggling, leave, get out of there. If you pay $1,200, $1,300 in rent over there and you go to another place and earn $16 and pay $800, draw your own conclusions," he advised directly.

He also insisted that the lifestyle in other states is more relaxed, cheaper, and involves fewer daily worries: “I prefer to live in a small, well-Americanized city, learn the language, work, and live peacefully.” He contrasted this peace with the "mess" that he claims characterizes Miami. Additionally, he criticized the desire of some Cubans to emulate figures from the entertainment world, living beyond their means: “I saw people in a Tesla from 23 doing deliveries, they’re overwhelmed.”

Throughout his videos, @pavelantonio8 insisted that leaving Florida had been the best decision he made. "If this video I'm going to share, these tips I'm giving, if people comment and I see positive things [...] because if he could, why wouldn't I be able to as well?"

The reactions to this second video were also numerous: “You are absolutely right, blessings, I am a new follower”; “I left Florida and I don't regret it.”

As in his other post, some followers expressed their frustration over the lack of details about his new location: “Hey, you’re talking a lot but not saying which state you’re in.” @pavelantonio8 maintained his stance and preferred not to reveal it, assuring that he would continue sharing his experience little by little.