I lived in Florida for two years and it was a nightmare.
I do not write this story with an intention of being remotely condescending.
To the contrary —
I write it with a sharp sentiment of sadness and dejected disappointment.
In 2022, I moved from New York to Florida.
As a life-long North-easterner, I had never lived in another region of the United States, outside of the tri-state area.
The first morning I awoke on the West Coast of Florida —
I felt excited.
I was hopeful, joyful and filled with a sense of renewed goal orientation.
I was eager to make new friends and find genuine connectivity with others.
The weather was a gorgeous 82-degrees and the gulf-wind had a mild warmth to it that day.
I was only a few weeks away from starting a new job and days away from moving into a new apartment.
But as I sit here, two years later —
I feel a sense of melancholy in remembering that moment.
Living in Florida has been nothing short of a nightmare.
Truly, I have never experienced anything like the state of Florida.