I first moved to Florida in October of 2007. Here are some of my reflections of living here for the past 11 years.
1. Moving To Florida Was The Right Decision
Like most people, I have made right decisions and wrong decisions. Moving to Florida is firmly in the “Right Decision” column. I have extensively traveled the USA and I have a decent amount of international travel under my belt as well. Out of everywhere I have been, there is no place I would rather live than in the Sunshine State. Florida is the perfect place for me to pursue the lifestyle that I want to live.
2. Living In Florida Is Not Like Vacationing In Florida
I wasn’t naïve enough to think that living here would be like being on eternal spring break, but…I did think I would spend more time hanging at the beach, riding roller coasters, swimming in springs, hiking trails, surfing on the backs of sharks, etc…
A lot of my time, unsurprisingly, is spent at my day job. I have an infuriating morning commute. I have family responsibilities (i.e. helping my son with his homework). I even recently worked a second job for four months to help reach financial goals, which eliminated any possibility of doing fun Florida things. Living in Florida is not an escape hatch from reality, but it is a wonderful place to live.
3. October Is The Best Time For Camping
I love to go camping. In fact, my first job in Florida was at a wilderness camp in which I lived in a tent year round. October is by far Florida’s best month for camping. The weather is perfect. Hiking trails are dry. Tourists are away.
4. Reading Florida Literature Makes You Love Florida Even More
Florida has some amazing literature that you won’t find taught in school. After reading deeply into the Florida canon, I have come away with a profound love, admiration, and sense of humor for Florida. Some suggestions for getting started include The Yearling, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Travis McGee Series, Duma Key, and Oh, Florida!. For history, anything by Michael Gannon will give a good, comprehensive overview.
5. Busch Gardens Is Florida’s Most Underrated Florida Theme Park
Busch Gardens is amazing. It is Florida’s king of thrill rides and has a spectacular collection of animals. It is actually a certified zoo, for real. Disney built Animal Kingdom specifically to compete with Busch Gardens…and, well, Busch Gardens crushes Animal Kingdom in the animal theme park department. Also, Busch Gardens is cheap for annual pass holders compared to its Orlando counterparts. Of course, I may be biased. The park is located in my backyard…and I love the park so much I even spent two years writing the definitive Busch Gardens Guidebook.
6. The Florida State Park System Is Amazing
One thing I didn’t think too much about when moving to Florida was its state park system. It turns out that Florida has 100+ state parks and they are amazing. In my own Tampa Bay area I have some gems, including Honeymoon Island, Hillsborough River, Rainbow Springs, and Weeki Wachee. It is my goal to set foot in all of Florida’s state parks. And, of course, the National Parks aren’t bad either.
7. It Is Easy To Grow Complacent
When I first came to Florida I went everywhere. I extensively explored Tampa Bay. I went to the theme parks. I went to 15+ state parks. I paddled rivers. I explored Miami. I road tripped through the Keys and biked around Key West. I hiked a portion of the Florida Trail. I beach bummed like a pro. I deeply read Florida literature…and then, I started to get caught up in my day-to-day life. Which needs to be attended to, of course. But when I had free time I started to watch Netflix instead or just hung around the house because I was “stressed” and “needed a break.” Sometimes I just sat around daydreaming about the life I wanted (which basically comes down to having a lot more time to explore and learn about Florida) instead of actually going to do things.
Thankfully, I have started to combat this. There have been more family trips to the beach, zoo, Busch Gardens, and even the library. Every time I get to my destination I think: “This is great! Why don’t I do this more?!!”
8. Weekdays Are The Best Days To Explore Florida
Around 2012 was my most productive Florida Exploring period. That was because I had a job where I worked 4 days a week, Wednesday – Saturday. I was able to do this because I arranged my schedule to have a double shift on Saturday, which was rough, but it paid off in me having a three day weekend every weekend. It was awesome!
Anyway, I found that Monday and Tuesday was amazing for going places because everywhere I went was empty. I had the whole place to myself! Theme parks, the beach, hiking trails…it was all good. No lines, no traffic (after rush hour), just me (and my son) exploring everything within driving distance.
9. Election Years Are Insane
Florida is a mighty big prize for politicians, especially during presidential election years where, often times, whoever wins Florida wins the White House. Every election the state has about a 50/50 chance of going to either party. That means during major elections you cannot see a TV or a billboard without a political advertisement on it. There are frequent political rallies, people with signs yelling at you from street corners, and political bumper sticker galore.
10. I Appreciate Conservation Efforts Much More Than I Did In The Past
After enjoying so much of Florida, I, like many Florida citizens, are very concerned as to the rapid rate that the land is being converted into asphalt. I desperately want to preserve and conserve what we have left. I want our manatees to continue to be on the rebound. I want to save the Florida panther from extinction. I want our spring water to be pure and I certainly don’t want Florida to sink away into the ocean.
11. Florida Is The Weirdest State In The USA
A lot of weird stuff happens in Florida. We have weird people that do weird things. For example, just recently in my own county, one of our mayors was busted in a police raid for illegally practicing medicine out of his home and he just happened to “accidently” shoot at the police during the raid. An event like this hardly even raised my eyebrows. It’s a pretty normal type of occurrence ‘round here. Trust me, we don’t make this stuff up—just see here, here, and here for more proof.
12. (BONUS REFLECTION) Writing About Florida Has Made Me Love Florida Even More
My love for Florida has certainly grown through the writing of this blog. It has led me to read obscure books and articles I would not have normally of read otherwise and my knowledge of this great state is growing every day. Having a blog has also made me more conscience of getting out there to explore. Whether that be driving down to Key West or going to a local park. Also, having a blog has been a catalyst for writing and publishing my book on Busch Gardens. Because when you have a blog about a particular topic, you will soon find that you have enough material for a book, and publishing my book has been one of my greatest, personal accomplishments. If you have a subject that you love (Like Florida!) the best thing that you can do is start a blog and start writing about it. I certainly do not regret my decision to start this blog back in 2013!
Also, don’t forget to pick up your copy of the definite guide to Busch Gardens available on Amazon now.
