Chris and I have been in Florida for four months now and I thought I’d give you a little update on what’s going on and share with you those things that surprised us about Florida.
Just how pretty Orlando really is. If you’ve been seeing my Instagram or Facebook posts, you’ve seen what I mean. Previous to moving here, all I’d ever known of Orlando was International Drive, Universal and how to get to Disney. But now, I drive into downtown Orlando every day. There’s a mixture of modern and early 1900’s architecture going on. There are beautiful lakes all around. In fact, I work next to Lake Eola. The lake has a fountain in the middle of it, which is the symbol for Orlando. And we live near Lake Debra which is in the Metro West area of Orlando, a planned community built in the 1980s.
How rare it is to meet a native Orlandoan. And yes, I looked that up to see what they/we are called. Seriously, in my office of 20 plus people, I only met one person who was actually born and raised in Orlando. Everyone else is a transplant from somewhere else. Mostly they are from other places in Florida, but we’ve also met people from other states, and other countries.
Commuting in Orlando is rough. If you are going anywhere, just figure it’s going to take a minimum of 45 minutes. Just to get to work, which is a little less than 7 miles away, can take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. I leave an hour early each day–just to be on the safe side. Compare that to my last job in Connecticut where I lived 7.5 miles away from work and it took 15 to 20 minutes each day.
We became Disney Annual Pass Holders. Ok. Technically, Disney is not in Orlando, but once you move down here, there is something that compels you to go through the rite of passage of being an Annual Pass Holder. We didn’t get the ultimate Pass Holder ticket, ours was a lower cost and came with some date restrictions, which we’re fine with. What I love about the ticket is that we can just stop off at any of the parks for a couple of hours and then leave when the crowds get to be too much, or we’re too hot, or we have other commitments. We don’t have to worry about trying to get the most of our tickets. We can leave when we want to and come back on another day…did I mention free parking?
Guns are a part of everyday culture. Luckily, Florida is not an open carry state, that would be intimidating. But even women, in an office setting, will talk about their guns and going to the range to shoot their new pistol. Conversations that never would have happened in an office in Connecticut are about how they got a new gun for Christmas or that their daddy gave them their first pistol. To me, it’s so bizarre especially considering we work around the corner from the Pulse Night Club.
I’ve seen people wear winter coats. Florida has two seasons. From May to September, it’s hot and humid. And because of its location with the gulf on one side, the ocean on the other, and the hot temperatures, there are near daily afternoon thunderstorms. October to April is the warm (as opposed to hot) and dry season. When we first got here in January, there were some cool stretches where the temperatures got down into the 50’s during the day and 40’s during the night. And while Chris and I pulled out a sweatshirt, we saw people in down feather, quilted winter coats. I don’t understand how they weren’t sweating. It further astounds me when you read the next item.
I can’t get away from freezing cold A/C. Every building, every office, every restaurant, and movie theater has the AC set so low that I need to wear a thick winter sweater, and long pants to be comfortable. I don’t understand why anyone would live in Florida and then freeze themselves out of a building. There is one girl at work who wears sleeveless shirts and dresses and asks for the air to be set even lower. I just don’t get it. I came to Florida to be warm but it appears no one else wants to be warm.
We’re still getting to know the area, so if you have any suggestions on places to go, I’d love to see your comments. Up next on our agenda is a long weekend in Panama City Beach for our anniversary, along with a trip to Crystal River to swim with the Manatees.
Visit the “Forgotten Coast” of Florida. From Panacea to Mexico Beach thru Carabelle and Apalachicola and Port St Joe. What Florida was like before 6 lane highways and 20 story condo towers. Seafood at its best.
I wish I had taken the course in college where you were taught that you don’t need a whole lot of money to be happy.
Yes Port St Joe thru Mexico Beach were devastated during the hurricane but they will come back. The area is too beautiful.
We will definitely have to check out the Forgotten Coast. Hadn’t heard that term before, but I just looked it up to see where it is. We’ll be driving by on our way to Panama City Beach but will need to check it out in the future! Thanks for sharing.
Man you are so right with every public place overcompensating for the Florida heat with artificial frostbite. Went to the Walmart Neighborhood Market last night and thought I may come down with Pneumonia just getting groceries! Most born and raised Orlandoans I have met happened while visiting with strangers at the park or conferences. It seems almost all now live in Tampa to escape the tourism and traffic of Orlando.
I know the Walmart you are speaking about. I went in there once and left fairly quickly. It’s not comfortable to be in a store that is set to a freezer temperature.
The afternoon thunderstorms,air conditioning, and alligators are what I remember from August when my ex in laws lived in Orlando. Wasn’t so much air conditioning further south in Key West though (unfortunately). ?
Key West does benefit from getting all the breezes and I did find the temps down there more to my liking, both in and out of the buildings! 🙂
I’ve never been to Florida before. I couldn’t stand the AC situation though at work as I’m always cold! It doesn’t look ever so pretty though. I think I’d get annual passes too makes sense!!
Wow! Swimming with manatees–that sounds amazing. I hope you’ll post on that adventure. I’ve never been outside Miami, in Florida, but your post surprised me (especially the Orlando architecture–I figured it’d all be new–but not the gun culture). Sounds like you’re settling in nicely, despite the air conditioning. I find that confounding, too!
My children use to live in Winter Park so I totally can relate to everything you’re saying in this post. The winter coat/clothes are bizarre to me too, as I live in Wisconsin and down parkas are reserved for weather below twenty degrees. I think they, like us, just like to change clothes for the seasons whether it’s cold or not.
Forgot to say I’m visiting from MSTL.
I lived in S. Fort Myers for 12 years, just moved back to MI to be with family. Oh, how I miss those warm, sultry days! Yes…always have a sweater for the freezing stores and restaurants! And if you want to see a beautiful beach area, come to SW Florida and visit Fort Myers Beach as well as Sanibel/Captiva. They are very close together in proximity but have a totally different feel to them. #MLSTL
I definitely want to check out that area. I have cousins who live on the west coast. One in St. Pete’s Beach, one in Venice (although he’s gone north for the season) and a couple who are in Fort Myers. Road trips are in my future.
I chuckled at the down jacket and UGG boots my beach yoga instructor had on one day in early February. I had put on socks and a sweatshirt, but still went to beach yoga! And yes, I’ve learned to carry a light pullover every time we go out to dinner.
If you have not put St Petersburg on your to-visit list, you should. It’s had an 8-year renewal and is full of art (galleries, museums, murals) and great restaurants. And million dollar condo’s downtown, but that’s another issue. If you’re heading there, let me know… we are in our place on the gulf coast (12 miles north west of St Petersburg) sporadically all year, and plan another 2-3 month snowbird next winter.
I haven’t spent any quality time in Florida. I’ve been to conventions in Orlando and seen the traffic and madness that is International Drive. I’m glad there is another side to Orlando!
It’s just so “far away” aesthetically from International Drive that you wouldn’t even know the other existed. The best part is that I drive into this part of Orlando every day for work. When it’s nice out (and we’re not getting an afternoon thunderstorm) I try to take a walk around Lake Eola each day.
Well, I must say that most of that didn’t sound like how I pictured Orlando in my head Jennifer. How can it take 45mins to drive that short distance??? And the weather/air con thing is weird too. Still, the lakes and Disney passes must help offset the not so great bits.
Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂