So what is it like to live in Florida

I'm 55 years old, born and bred in Hampshire, a lifelong Pompey fan. If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be living in "a kind of Paradise", in Florida, and making a living as an Estate Agent- I would have asked the barman for "a pint of what you're drinking!!!!

Seriously, I never intended to move here, never imagined how much I would love Florida, and how much it would become home to me so quickly.

First the good things, 1) The Weather, 2) The Weather, and 3) The Weather.

It is such a joy to wake up to clear blue skies day after day after day. The temperature rarely gets cold enough to need a jacket. You can sit outside at midnight in your shirtsleeves. The storms are amazing as well.

The Countryside, scenery, flora, and fauna are fantastic- (never seen such a variety of roadkill either!!!)

The People are, generally, very friendly, and helpful. I find it a lot more relaxing, in most ways, over here.

The Language is very nearly the same!! (Two Nations divided by a common language!!) I still find myself saying car park, and not parking lot, but it's not a problem.

Eating out is a lot cheaper, and the service is generally way better than I was used to.

Petrol, Cars, Cigarettes, Drink, Clothes, etc. - most things are cheaper here than at home. (Petrol is about $3.40 a U.S. Gallon as I write - that's about GBP 1.90 a U.S. gall. Strangely enough, basic foods in Supermarkets are more expensive (no subsidies?)

Golf - it's fantastic here, lots of good courses, easy to get a game. Plenty of choice.

Things to do, and see. Lots and lots of choice. Whether you are a lover of nature, or science, or history, (St. Augustine is the oldest {European} Settlement in Northern America and it is beautiful.)

The not so good bits.

Immigration, Visas, etc. etc. Can be a nightmare- but we are here to help guide you.

Driving on the "wrong" side of the road takes a bit of getting used to- also little things like light-switches work "upside down" to what we are used to.

Food (as mentioned) is more expensive to buy in shops - but it's cheaper to eat out than in the U.K. - I cannot work it out either.

The Weather - generally is great, BUT you need to be aware that the storms (daily in the summer, around 4 p.m. usually) are a lot more intense than we are used to. There is a LOT of lightning about.

It takes a bit of getting used to, my family all want to come over here in the summer, but that is the worst time for weather, IMHO. Spring, and Autumn, even winter are much better.

Snakes, spiders, gators, mosquitoes, and bugs. Yes, there are a lot of the above, there are venomous snakes (I've only ever seen one). The Mosquitoes are AWFUL in season, you need to be ready to take anti-histamine, or wear a bug repellant (or both!!) I've not yet seen a wild Alligator but they are around, especially near the thousands of lakes here. N.B. In fairness unless you are out in the countryside you are not likely ever to have to worry about the above. (they're not allowed in Disney!!) I'm just trying to give you a few facts.

Drinking and Driving - please don't even think about it- they take it VERY seriously here.

Bars are few and far between here, unless you live in town. Public Transport is almost non-existent in most places in Florida, so be careful.

Sports - if you like Baseball, or American Football, you'll be fine. There is good coverage of the Premier League, and German, French, Italian, Spanish, and South American Leagues on Fox Soccer Channel (part of Sky) and Gol TV but they are subscription channels.

Summing up then, if you keep in mind that - "everything is the same here, but different" you should be fine, and don't forget we are here to help you, in any way we can.

This was written by Ralph, in October 2006, and updated in October 2008.

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