Man where to START?!
Lemme start by saying while Florida is technically one state there are two distinct regions. South Florida which is made up of 2 and a half counties, the southern half of Palm Beach County, and all of Broward (Ft. Lauderdale) and Miami-Dade counties.....then there is the rest of the state which will here on after be referred to as Florida
Florida is a very laid back, and VERY SOUTHERN state. So you get the good ole hospitality, racism, generosity, and conservative cocktail that makes the South, the South. People talk slower, and take more time to get to where they have to go. Florida is very modern....even in the slowest of towns like Ocala, you still have all the regular big box amenities that make the average American feel civilized (Wal Mart, Best Buy, Olive Garden etc.). People are decent, look you in the eye type folks. I like it ALOT up there but its a lil too slow, maybe in another decade it'll be more my speed.
South Florida is not laid back, nor is it relaxed....You CAN find plenty of BEAUTIFUL places to relax, don't get me wrong....it IS the tropics after all, but the heart beat of the region is a lil coked up. People are assholes, It gets worse the further south you go. But its a very special kind of asshole, not you east coast asshole, that is something different. For example, driving on the highway if you put your blinker on to change lanes you will start a race...meaning the entire lane will speed up and not let you in...It doesn't sound that bad right? but try starting your day like that everyday...FIGHTING just to get to work. By the time we get out of our cars EVERYBODY is pissed and thats how South Florida starts its day.
The result of the blinker issue is that NOBODY uses their blinker cause they don't want to start a race so in order to not die on I 95 one has to be able to develop a lane change intuition because all the trophy wives SUCK at drive their escalades.
ok
Hurricanes?? Yes they are a concern every year! Especially if you live on the coast. But hurricanes are in our culture so its not really that big of a deal, most people throw parties the night of a storm cause we know the roads will be out so, no work right? I mean Miami got hit by a meaner storm than Katrina around 15 years ago...My wife and her family lost their house, they filed their claim and bought a new one. Its the trade you take for being able to hang out on the beach in January dude. I just bought a home in a flood zone (lol the state is a flood zone) and it worries me when a system develops but you gotta understand that these storms being part of our culture lends us to being prepared for them. Basically down here man, if it aint a Category 5, it aint a big deal...we have the best building codes in the country in South Florida....NOTHING is made of wood.
Schools? Hope you can afford a private education for your child, if not your gonna wanna be paying real close attention to them while they are in public school cause they are gonna need YOU to do most of the work. Our teachers and schools are some of the worst in the country. The thing that messes it up the most for the kids is the FCAT test. It is a standardized test that children have a horrible time passing because the regular school lessons do not prepare a child for the type of problem solving and comprehension questions that the FCAT is comprised of. This leads the teachers to teach the FCAT test and tricks to pass it rather than teaching your child anything of real value. The FCAT is how teachers are assessed so naturally that test and that test alone will be the driving force in your child's education if they are in a public school....You can see what a nightmare that is.
Gators? You gotta go looking for them bro...I've been fishing in the everglades all my life and have never had a bad one with a gator....and every trip you see about 40 of em in the canals....I mean once every decade some lady's poodle will get ate or someone will go out to swim some morning laps only to find ole Wally chillin in the pool. They are not a danger to you though.
Do I like NOT having a winter? Hell yeah bro? are you kidding me? There are two season down here, wet and dry....thats it. Its awesome trust me....that is if you can handle the humidity....See alotta places get hotter than Florida, but no where gets as wet....Its a different kind of oppression, it is what i grew up in so I feel uncomfortable in dry places...Alotta newcomers cry ALOT about the water in the air...It'll keep ur skin nice though, which is a plus if you have a hot wife.
U moving to Florida or South Florida?
