Next week marks the one year anniversary of my arrival in south Florida. It doesn’t seem possible really. Most of the time it feels like I went on vacation, and just never left.
People have asked how I like it. My response has usually been “well, it’s different”. Here are some of the things that have surprised me thus far.
The bicycle infrastructure is pathetic
This is by far the most disappointing part of my move. I’ve spoken about this at length by now. Big roads, and high speed limits that don’t ever seem to be enforced. I could go on. This place is often referred to as “paradise”, and in many ways it is. Especially if you want to drive an automobile every where you go.
Time works differently
Always warm. Always sunny. You lose track of what month it is. When the Christmas lights went up I was a little surprised. Surprised it was December. From what I can tell it’s something that never really goes away. It’s a good thing phones have calendars.
It’s not all old people
It’s true. South west Florida is not all retirees. Younger people, for reasons I’ve yet to discover, stay pretty hidden. I’m doing my best to find them.
Not Social
There is very little in the way of social media activity down here. One day I spent two hours searching 3 social platforms for people who like to ride bikes. All got was lawyers, cosmetic surgeons and real estate agents. I’ve been told that the people out doing things aren’t advertising it to the world. While refreshing it’s made it harder to be discovered by all of those like minded bike riders.
Keep plenty of ice on hand
Especially during the summer you can forget cold water. It doesn’t come out of the tap, and you won’t find it in most pools. Just imagine getting a summer drink of water out of a hose. The difference is letting it run won’t change the temp too much.
Southern Hospitality
It’s a real thing. Within the first 2 weeks of my arrival no fewer than 6 total strangers welcomed me to Florida. It also seemed like they really meant it!
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey. TR was bigger than life. This trip nearly ended it.
What I’m listening to
Everything. I never paid attention to how much data is used when you stream music. For years I was on a plan that had a very small data allowance, and streaming wasn’t really a thing I could do. My Mint mobile plan has a monthly allowance of 4g of data, and I never come close to using it up. I started streaming my entire music library. I’m hilariously late to the game here, but I’ve rediscovered music I’d forgotten I had.
Published. Again.
Early this year I explored the Fakahatchee strand via Janes Scenic Drive. I can’t remember if I discussed that here. I know I did a YouTube video. I gave my write up to our local advocacy organization. I got tagged in a post this week that it was published in a local magazine. A pleasant surprise. If you’d like to check it out it’s available here.
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