Having lived in Florida pretty much all my life, I’d say I know a thing or two about the state. I’ve spent the past ten years really exploring all it has to offer and pursuing interests of mine, including: hiking a.k.a walking in the woods, wildlife watching, travel, canoeing, camping, concerts, visiting historical sites, botanical gardens, eating, drinking, and generally trying to get a sense of as much of the area within a 6 hour radius.
I’ve been interested in its history, it’s culture, it’s natural beauty for quite awhile now, but it wasn’t until I took a two-month road trip across the U.S. last summer that I really began to see how truly unique this state is.
A few reasons Florida is cool:
- The people: It’s undeniably one of the most ethnically diverse states in the country, if not the most. We truly are a melting pot here, with people from all over the world: different races, religions, and backgrounds. Somehow we all ended up on this little (well, 500 miles little) peninsula together. Having such a varied population can be challenging, but it's a characteristic that I think makes Florida special (and makes for good food!).
- SO MUCH TO DO AND SEE: A lot of visitors travel to Florida, go to one of our famous amusement parks, and leave without seeing much of the state at all. Epcot and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter can be a lot of fun, but there’s a lot more to this weird and beautiful state. We have museums, botanical gardens, natural springs with manatees, breweries, really cute downtowns, national parks, old settlements based on wacky religions, science centers, the oldest city in the country, real life mermaids (!), Cuban food, gorgeous beaches, beautiful historic homes, aquariums, and some of the most incredible bird watching in the country. These are just a few things I can name off the top of my head.
- Amazing weather from pretty much October to April. Yes, I sometimes wish we had the standard four seasons and that I could see colorful fall leaves and jump around in some snow, but the majority of the winter I spend in awe of the bright blue skies and enjoying 60-degree weather.
- Alligators.
Sometimes Florida gets a bad rap because of people featured in "Florida Man" articles, but it really is a great place to call home. I plan to share my experiences here of past and future explorations, adventures in gardening, favorite local businesses, and whatever else I’m interested in.
So cheers to the “land of flowers” and to discovering more of our own backyards!
PS: Did I mention how amazing our sunsets are? Flatness has its perks!
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