Southern Observations

 

Well this entry is a few months past due, as our one year anniversary move to the Panhandle of Florida has come and gone.

Here are a few things I've observed during our time here exploring our new home, in no particular order of relevance.

• I now understand what folks native to the region mean when they say it gets HOT!!
• Everyone owns either a boat, camper, golf cart or pontoon or all four
• Locals like to talk.  When I say talk, they tell you everything, everything.
• Boiled peanuts I should try, but probably will not
• Absolutely everyone is nice, I mean really nice
• No one is any particular rush to do anything (skewed observation being a native New Yorker)
• The Fishing is excellent
• People drive slow
• Folks around here love their fast food
• Locals will stop and help you no matter what they are doing.
• Stores never put away summer wear, they just move it to the back
• Sweet tea is gross
• Krispy Krunchy Fried chicken from any gas station is the best chicken around
• Walmart has everything
• The sea water actually gets cold, on the contrary its almost 90F four months of the year
• Alligators, I'm told are everywhere, although I have yet to see one
• Not one delicatessen exists...anywhere (Cahills in Panama City Beach doesn't count)
• The mosquitos suck, and the ants bite
• Having no state tax is a good thing.
• Aside from work and responsibilities I feel like I'm on a permanent vacation (palm trees fault)
• It truly is the land of two seasons...summer and spring/fall...never really gets cold enough to qualify as winter.
• The pizza is terrible
• The BBQ is infallible 
• "I Appreciate you" is the term of endearment heard everywhere.

Its been a wild trip here in the deep south thus far, I cant wait to see what waits in store around the next corner of this crazy adventure called life..