This past weekend I took a much needed trip to get away from the mundane in Central Florida. Obviously last week, made that go haywire. Had this trip planned for about 2 months and corralled the homies going on twenty years strong of friendship from high school. Always try to plan a fall NYC trip to eat well, stay up a little later than usual, and be an idiot for 72 hours with Friends who helped you navigate Limewire music downloads, commiserated with on prom night busts and each know where all the other’s skeletons and bodies are buried.
Felt weird leaving Florida and my family (parents/sisters) in the midst of the aftermath of Ian. I decided to go since thankfully damage was nil and I needed the paradigm shift for a few days. A lot of our fellow Floridians are not so lucky.
Landed Friday night and met up with an old work buddy and his NY circle. Eclectic group consisting of a Midwestern Crypto bro, his Ukrainian fiancé, two buxom Brazilians who loved to dance and my friend Drew orchestrating it all. Always enjoy the initial “fùck you” when you drink in NY. My $34 Manhattan made feel entitled enough to at least have a cross street named after me. Dali Drama Way would be a roundabout. I felt kind of like a fraud enjoying my time away, while some friends still had no power or were dealing with a more devastating aftermath in SWFL.
Bar-after-Bar deep into the Gotham gloom and impeding rain from the storm I just escaped I heard snickers about us being from Florida. The “Florida Crew” was our pledged moniker. It’s as if I manifested the Sunshine State with my thoughts.
“Why do you like Florida?”
“Your governor is INSANE.”
“How do you deal with the heat and the storms?”
“Why do you care so much about college football? It’s over.”
The Florida slander caught me off guard but I decided not to try to verbally spar with imbibed acquaintances. Brazilians were fine as hell and the drama charm was all time. Returned to our AirBnB and I decided to have one more by myself reflecting on my home state. I was born in NY and moved down to Orlando when I was 7, so my life is the 407. I show receipts from being born in the Bronx, whenever my Yankees fandom is questioned. Sat there in the cavernous Irish bar with a Smithwicks and bar peanuts. Thought about what I love from my home State.
We’re weird.
We have huge swaths of different cultures in different cities. Our panhandle is lower Alabama. Jacksonville exists just to keep interest in London NFL games. The Treasure Coast, Tampa Bay, the Keys are all beautiful reminders of what Florida is. Orlando’s suburban sprawl and knack for inventing new neighborhoods to raise rent prices and make your shopping experience exclusive. Looking at you SoDo Target. Tallahassee to Gainesville to Homestead and all between. A rich tapestry of collegiate fandom, blueberry cities in a tomato soup of mosquitoes, lightning, shitty drivers, pills, trap music and bro country with your toes in the sand sun-kissed by a balmy Miami day with a Cigar City IPA or mojito.
Went to the Comedy Cellar last night, a tradition we do every year. Got sat in the front and sure enough got flamed for being from Florida. It was funny because if you can’t laugh at yourself or enjoy shit talking then you can’t sit at my table. Realized the punchlines were ripped from every mainstream knock on the Sunshine State. I did enjoy a particular torching of Disney Adults though. Made me long for home as I was already getting home sick. Soon after we popped into a bar to watch SNF and I lost it seeing the Bucs “Florida Strong” shirt.
Right now I’m sitting in LaGuardia, looking at the gate filling in with my people. The hispanic thotty with her music way too loud. The manic vanilla young mommy making sure the kids are chill and have snacks for the trip, with her Rollins sweater on. The snowbird coming down to help her brother with cleanup efforts of their duplex they purchased in Sebring to retire closer together. My heart is happy. The most action I got this weekend was being molested by TSA coming and going. Apparently these new traveler joggers I purchased make me an enemy of the State.
So proud to be Florida. Sometimes you need a little time away to GET OUT of your own way and realize things are good. They can always be better and to be grateful for the things that truly matter: people, camaraderie and wherever you feel connected to those things is HOME.
Kinda what This Place is at it’s best.
Praying for our fellow Floridians and please reach out if you need anything.
See you soon Sunshine State.
#FloridaStrong
Felt weird leaving Florida and my family (parents/sisters) in the midst of the aftermath of Ian. I decided to go since thankfully damage was nil and I needed the paradigm shift for a few days. A lot of our fellow Floridians are not so lucky.
Landed Friday night and met up with an old work buddy and his NY circle. Eclectic group consisting of a Midwestern Crypto bro, his Ukrainian fiancé, two buxom Brazilians who loved to dance and my friend Drew orchestrating it all. Always enjoy the initial “fùck you” when you drink in NY. My $34 Manhattan made feel entitled enough to at least have a cross street named after me. Dali Drama Way would be a roundabout. I felt kind of like a fraud enjoying my time away, while some friends still had no power or were dealing with a more devastating aftermath in SWFL.
Bar-after-Bar deep into the Gotham gloom and impeding rain from the storm I just escaped I heard snickers about us being from Florida. The “Florida Crew” was our pledged moniker. It’s as if I manifested the Sunshine State with my thoughts.
“Why do you like Florida?”
“Your governor is INSANE.”
“How do you deal with the heat and the storms?”
“Why do you care so much about college football? It’s over.”
The Florida slander caught me off guard but I decided not to try to verbally spar with imbibed acquaintances. Brazilians were fine as hell and the drama charm was all time. Returned to our AirBnB and I decided to have one more by myself reflecting on my home state. I was born in NY and moved down to Orlando when I was 7, so my life is the 407. I show receipts from being born in the Bronx, whenever my Yankees fandom is questioned. Sat there in the cavernous Irish bar with a Smithwicks and bar peanuts. Thought about what I love from my home State.
We’re weird.
We have huge swaths of different cultures in different cities. Our panhandle is lower Alabama. Jacksonville exists just to keep interest in London NFL games. The Treasure Coast, Tampa Bay, the Keys are all beautiful reminders of what Florida is. Orlando’s suburban sprawl and knack for inventing new neighborhoods to raise rent prices and make your shopping experience exclusive. Looking at you SoDo Target. Tallahassee to Gainesville to Homestead and all between. A rich tapestry of collegiate fandom, blueberry cities in a tomato soup of mosquitoes, lightning, shitty drivers, pills, trap music and bro country with your toes in the sand sun-kissed by a balmy Miami day with a Cigar City IPA or mojito.
Went to the Comedy Cellar last night, a tradition we do every year. Got sat in the front and sure enough got flamed for being from Florida. It was funny because if you can’t laugh at yourself or enjoy shit talking then you can’t sit at my table. Realized the punchlines were ripped from every mainstream knock on the Sunshine State. I did enjoy a particular torching of Disney Adults though. Made me long for home as I was already getting home sick. Soon after we popped into a bar to watch SNF and I lost it seeing the Bucs “Florida Strong” shirt.
Right now I’m sitting in LaGuardia, looking at the gate filling in with my people. The hispanic thotty with her music way too loud. The manic vanilla young mommy making sure the kids are chill and have snacks for the trip, with her Rollins sweater on. The snowbird coming down to help her brother with cleanup efforts of their duplex they purchased in Sebring to retire closer together. My heart is happy. The most action I got this weekend was being molested by TSA coming and going. Apparently these new traveler joggers I purchased make me an enemy of the State.
So proud to be Florida. Sometimes you need a little time away to GET OUT of your own way and realize things are good. They can always be better and to be grateful for the things that truly matter: people, camaraderie and wherever you feel connected to those things is HOME.
Kinda what This Place is at it’s best.
Praying for our fellow Floridians and please reach out if you need anything.
See you soon Sunshine State.
#FloridaStrong
