Well, it's official. I have a Florida license plate on my car, a FL driver's license in my wallet, and I'm officially registered to vote in the country's most populous swing state! Don't be fooled, though. I am still a Midwesterner, and it shows. I wear capris when it's 95 degrees and 70% humidity outside, and I bring my zip-up hoodie sweatshirt with me everywhere I go just hoping for an excuse to wear it--which there frequently is, since every building is over air-conditioned to compensate for the boiling temps outside. I have to ask people to repeat themselves--and vice versa--since I'm still not used to the Southern drawl (of course, it's *me* that has the accent and talks too fast, according to the locals), and since I'm not willing to get skin cancer just because I changed my zip code, I'm as fair-skinned as ever, and will probably stay that way.
We have been enjoying the Southern hospitality, though--everyone we've met has been extraordinarily friendly and welcoming. Kelly has already caught fresh fish for dinner off our pier (snapper!), and he's anxious to put his scuba certification to good use as well. We take walks on the beach at night and have a hurricane-preparedness brochure stuck to our fridge. (Okay, not exactly, although during an extreme thunder storm that woke us up in the middle of the night about a week ago, I asked Kelly, "Do they have a hurricane siren here?" Which, of course they don't--another of my Midwestern "lost in translation" moments [I mean, come on, I'm used to hearing the practice tornado siren going off every Friday at 11:00 a.m.]. Since we don't have TV, either, we've asked our over-protective grandmother-ly neighbor to let us know if one is headed our way.)
The best part is strolling around our neighborhood in the evenings...which of course, brings us to scenes such as this:
We seriously feel like we take a mini-vacation whenever we go to the beach. It's easy to forget that we actually *live* here!
5 comments:
It is good to see your photos and read your entry. Sounds like you are making the adjustment to being a Floridian quite well. Looking forward to seeing you in January. That time will come sooner than we realize . . . I hope, ha!
Love you. Mom H (PS -- Why don't they have a hurricane/evacuation siren???? It is not exactly a surprise when hurricanes are coming, but they don't know where they will come on land . . . .) Hmmm, do I sound like a Midwesterner? Oh wait, is that the tornado siren I hear??? :)
I have heard that in the event of a mandatory evacuation, the police actually drive around residential areas shouting over megaphones! (i.e. "Attention! Attention! Mandatory Evacuation!! Hurricane On The Loose!! Please Leave Your Homes Now!!!") Sounds a leeeetle inefficient to me...
Megaphones!!!!! Sure hope you don't have that experience while you are there.
Im happy for you two! It looks like a great location and I can't wait to visit! I'll have to buy a new speedo just for the occasion:0
Brendan
From Oregonian, to Tejano, now Floridian. You guys are certainly slipping down the eco-political spectrum.
With you two there, perhaps she will be a blue state in 2008!
Hope to cross paths soon...
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