When I was young, I distinctly remember my mother trying to teach me not to say things like ‘ain’t’ and ‘ya’ll’. The New Yorker in her didn’t want a child who spoke using parts of words. Although I’ve managed to escape an obvious southern drawl, it has been known to come out when I am speaking quickly or when I am around other friends from ‘the south’. Now, some of you may be thinking…you’re from Florida…that’s not ‘the south’. Well, my friends…northern Florida is more like southern Georgia than you may think.
So, maybe every day isn’t like a scene from ‘Gone with the Wind’, but life sure is a lot different in northern
Florida than in other parts of the state. Where some may think of palm trees, Disney World and beaches when they think of Florida; I think of pine trees, rolling hills, azaleas and old oaks with Spanish moss. I appreciated the spring more than the fall because of the color it brought to the landscape. I grew up thinking that your next door neighbors were people that you invited over for dinner and with whom you became life-long friends. All of my friends lived down a dusty dirt road, and we could all walk into each others homes without knocking. I miss all of these things about home.
But…if you know me…you know that every day is a new adventure. And I am loving every second in my new environment.
