Florida. From a Minnesotan Perspective

Northeastern Florida is completely different than the far North homeland I hail from - Minnesota. For starters none of the women here have bangs, which seems like nothing... but there is a perfect explanation for that. Hot and humid. So humid. Because it's July, I actually pretty much don't go outside right now, unless the Sun is setting and then it's just tropical and gorgeous here. When I do go out just to get in my car it is an instant sweat.

But there's good and bad about anywhere you live. I love the little things about Florida. Aldi's has fresh shrimp from Key West. There are signs by the road for crab and shrimp And storm damage repair. You would see nothing of the sort in Minnesota. I love how different places in America can be culturally! It just fascinates me.

Looking out the window as you drive, you'll see a few very common things. Even grocery stores are different. I never had heard of Publix or Winn-Dixy until we moved here. And down here there is no such thing as Cub Foods, or Rainbow Foods, or tragically - Caribou Coffee. Two places are universal familiarities.  Thank God they have Target and Star-bucks in every state, and probly on every planet.

Dollar stores and churches abound. And every gas station has these things called boiled peanuts, which until now I had never heard of. Basically, no matter where you are down here, you can always count on seeing a church and some boiled peanuts.  Shop windows are all wet with beads of condensation from the heat. Vines and pretty gray Spanish moss drape over trees and buildings.

Church, and These signs.... are everywhere.

The yards are intense. Minnesota has people who are all about their yards, but Floridians take lawn obsession to a whooooole new level. Probably because it's always summer out.  The grass here is all crabgrass and not fun to walk on, but it sure is pretty! Most lawns have extremely crisp lines and the hedges have been psychotically manicured.

It's not just the grass though... Until we moved here I had no idea people paint their driveways, or that screened garage doors existed that you can see out of like a one-way mirror. Many folks from further North have retired here, so there is a lot of time for yard-upkeep.

There's a saying I keep hearing: "no one's from here".  And it's true you have people from all over. However, I LOVE the southern older ladies... Most of them have a slow, maternal drawl and theres a warm soft calm in their voices. I just want one of them to adopt me and serve me some iced tea on their front porch swing! I've actually met quite a few southern church ladies because we've been hopping from one VBS to another for the past month and a half. The kids are a lot for just Brandon and I, and this is how I am surviving summer break. Thank you bible belt!!

We still haven't seen an alligator yet, but I'll let you know when we do!