When I first hinted to some friends that I might move from the Golden to the Sunshine State, the most common reaction was, “Florida? Why Florida? You know it’s going to be under water in a few years, right?”
My response: “That’s like a hundred years from now. Also, there’s no state income tax in Florida.”
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason for the move. Besides a much lower cost of living than what I was used to in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was looking for warm beaches (the northern Pacific is ice cold year round) and proximity to family on the east coast. And after six months here, I can wholeheartedly say that I have fully embraced my new state.
Sure, it’s a weird place…
But why choose boring when you can have brain-eating amoebas, 2-legged 9-foot gators at the front door, Tom Brady getting thrown out of a city park, the worst drivers in the nation, and double hurricanes? Not to mention beach-side sunsets, balmy evenings on the lanai, delicious Latin food, crazy cool wildlife, the Everglades, and Cape Canaveral?
There are plenty of other places and experiences I haven’t had a chance to sample yet. When we finally manage to eradicate this awful virus, I’ll be adding the following to my list of places to visit: Busch Gardens, Three Sisters Springs, St. Augustine, Dry Tortugas, and the fascinatingly quirky Weeki Wachee: City of Live Mermaids that Dave Barry (a Florida resident!) raved about in his book Best. State. Ever.
Admittedly, being Floridian in the midst of a pandemic is controversial — yes, there are bars refusing to let masked customers in and the elderly are an especially vulnerable population here. But from what I gather, and I’m sure you already know, just being a Floridian in general is controversial and probably always will be.
So I’m here to say that haters gonna hate while lovers gonna love, and here’s my top 10 list of favorite things in Florida (so far):
1. The Pasco County DMV
When I first arrived, all DMVs were shuttered, so I had to wait a few months to become an official Floridian. All DMVs in my own county are requiring appointments … but there have been no available appointments for the past six months!
I finally managed to get the lowdown on Pasco County from one of the many local Facebook groups I belong to. It’s a long drive, but they take everyone, appointment or not.
My husband and I arrived mid-morning in early August, expecting to have to stand out in the heat before they would let us in. But there were only two people in front of us and we got in five minutes later.
Everyone was wearing masks and seats were effectively socially distanced. What’s more, I was in and out within an hour and walked out with my brand new Florida license — no temporary generic paper one but the real thing!
2. The Time Zone
This one is both a boon and a PITA. It’s a bit hard to communicate with my west coast friends, especially given I’m a morning lark and most of them are night owls. We have set up a weekly virtual happy hour that starts a bit late for me (9:00 p.m.) and a bit early for them (6:00 p.m.). We make it work most weeks, but some weeks it’s hard for my introverted self to gather the energy.
On the other hand, I’ve never been more regular when it comes to calling my family. My mother is also a morning lark, so it was always a challenge aligning our schedules when I was on Pacific time. Now we talk once a week at 7:00 a.m. before I head upstairs to my home office to begin my work day. She’s happy, I’m happy.
3. The Development
I know that long-time residents lament the changing landscape and horrendous traffic of the Tampa Bay area. As a former resident of both the overdeveloped San Francisco Bay Area and the booming Research Triangle area of North Carolina, I understand the concerns and recognize the signs.
Despite all that, though, I do love that I can walk to the supermarket whenever I need a few things. There’s a sushi place just a mile and a half down the road, along with several other restaurants and supermarkets, and Costco, Sprouts, and Westfield Brandon Mall are just 15 minutes away.
Granted, these are pandemic numbers, so I expect drive times will be much longer once we’re all back on the road again.
4. The Lizards
Tiny, tiny lizards dart all over the sidewalks and climb over the HVAC unit just outside our lanai. One somehow managed to find itself on the other side of the screened walls, and my husband and I fretted that it wouldn’t be able to find its way out.
The next afternoon, we noticed it had scrambled over to the screen door and we quickly but carefully opened the door to let it scuttle out. Phew! We saved its life with nothing so much as a thank you and goodnight in return!
5. The Rain
I’ve always disliked getting caught in the rain (I do like piña coladas, though), so I never thought the regular summer afternoon showers would fascinate me like they do now.
The sun will still be shining brightly when the thunder starts to rumble ever so slightly. The clouds gather and darken, and then the rain either starts to fall slowly or pounds down suddenly. Five minutes later it’s all over and a rainbow forms over the horizon.
6. The Beaches
I’ve unfortunately only been able to get to the beach once due to virus worries, intense summer heat/storms, and some weekend personal projects. I’ll be thrilled to finally get back to beautiful Ana Maria Island soon, though.
7. The AC
And how can I forget the hero of the day! AC has been my savior morning, noon, and night. Also, ceiling fans. It gets quite hot in my office because of the big windows — which I love because the light is perfect for my little art studio also in the room — so the fan saves me especially during long Zoom meetings.
8. The Warm Evenings
When my husband and I talk about the two years we lived in North Carolina, we recall most fondly the warm evenings we spent outside. A friend from Seattle visited me there once, and we stayed up until 2:00 a.m. drinking wine on the screened porch.
After leaving behind the cold desert nights of California, I now end each evening sitting on the lanai chatting with my husband over dinner or just sighing in the warm breeze with a glass of chilled wine.
9. The Palm Trees
Sure, we had palm trees in California, but not in front of our house and not in such abundance. Ours is just starting to grow big healthy fronds. I love to watch them and those on more mature trees wave in the breeze, juxtaposed against the sunrise during my morning run or the sunset during my evening walk.
10. The Sunsets and Sunrises
I used to gush about the clear, bright blue skies of the California coast, so I have only just begun to appreciate sub-tropical clouds and their effect on the waning or rising sun.
In the evenings it begins with pale silvery yellows that slowly turn pink and then magenta and violet. In the early mornings the colors come back in the opposite order. Then imagine these colors reflected over the large pond in the middle of the community. I envy the gator that lives there now. (Oh yeah, we now have a confirmed gator living nearby.)
So why Florida?
If, after reading this list, you still have to ask “why Florida,” this proud new Floridian asks you, “why not?”
Read more about my preceding pandemic adventures: Leaving California in the Midst of a Pandemic, Moving to Florida in the Midst of a Pandemic, Living in Florida in the Midst of Pandemic.
