Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Christmas In Florida, And A Walk On The Beach

When you move to Florida from the Northeast and experience your first Christmas, it's such a novelty. Instead of the usual winter weather that you're accustomed to, you suddenly get warmth, sunshine, beautiful beaches, and Christmas cards with Santa Claus delivering gifts on a surfboard (sans eight reindeer), very similar to the illustration above.

I will never forget my first Christmas in Boca Raton, FL. The day was bright and sunny, and the temperature had to have been somewhere in the mid-80s. I think I either spent the day at the beach or played tennis. I can't exactly remember because it was in 1973. However, I recall it being one of those two things. Or it may have even been both. I remember calling my relatives who were still in Northeast and toying with them; telling them that the weather was simply gorgeous and how I spent the day outside enjoying it. They all said, "Oh Ron, you're so lucky. I'm so jealous. I wish I was there. We're in the middle of a snow blizzard!" And I'm thinking, "Tee-hee!"

As I've shared many times, I thoroughly enjoyed my 20 years living in Florida (both Boca Raton and Orlando). Besides the weather, a lot of wonderful things happened to me that were life-changing. Things like long-lasting friendships, career moves, and a variety of incredible opportunities. I'm so grateful for my time in Florida. It was a 20-year romance I'll never forget.

Yet towards the end, the weather not only became redundant, but annoying as well. Something within my body changed, and I found the constant heat and humidity unbearable. Eventually, I felt myself being pulled back to the Northeast. So in 2001, I returned.

And over the years, it's become clear to me how much my soul is rooted here. Deeply rooted.

I didn't realize how much I missed the change of seasons, the landscape, and the overall "feel" of the Northeast.

I believe that every place has a different energetic vibration. And you either feel "in tuned" with the energy of a particular place, or you don't. And I also believe that no place is forever; even though we might think so. Trust me, I never thought I'd move from NYC, but I did. I never thought I'd leave Florida, but I did. And I never thought (once I left in 1973) I'd move back to the state where I was born. But guess what? I did!

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Christmas Morning This Year -

I had a great Christmas morning. I got up at 7 AM; made myself a nice cup of black coffee; watched White Christmas; ate a very early lunch (brunch); took a shower, and then called my brother Tom, who lives in Florida.

We hadn't talked in a while, so we were on the phone for well over an hour, catching up on many things. My brother and I talk at the same speed. Therefore, our conversations always overlap and move from one topic to the other rather quickly.

Even though Tom was only 9-years-old when we moved to Florida, and has lived there most of his life, he still keeps the typical "Northeast" way of doing things - FAST, FAST, FAST. Even at my age, I still do everything fast (talk, walk, and grocery shop).

Anyhoo, Tom recently got a new smartphone with a really great cameras. So while we were talking, he texted me a bunch of photos so that I could see the quality. And he was right, the camera on his phone was freaking FABULOUS!

And as I looked through the images, I suddenly remembered what Christmas was like in Florida. And I smiled, because of my fond memories of going to the beach and grabbing a few rays of vitamin D on Christmas day, while all my Northeast relatives were freezing their asses off. Back then, we didn't have cellphones; therefore, I couldn't send them photographs of me at the beach to make them envious.

So for those of you who prefer warmer, tropical, beachy weather (which is probably most of you, I know), I would like to share these photographs; particularly when we all just got hit with those single-digit temperatures this past week. Which by the way, I LOVED.

Please enjoy Christmas in Florida, and a walk on the beach (Thanks for the photos, Tom!💗)...