I may be biased, but I had the very best childhood anyone could ask for. I was born into an amazingly close and loving family. The people I became best friends with in elementary school continue to be my best friends today. And the community I grew up in was safe and filled with supportive and kind hearted people. Every since I was little though I knew that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life there. I remember going to Nags Head, North Carolina when I was seven and knowing then that no matter where I lived, I always wanted to be close to the ocean. So now that I'm an adult...errrr something like that, I've obviously chosen (for now) to live close to the ocean. I've honestly loved missing out on the winter this year! I like having a tan in February, and think I could get used to it! I miss all my family and friends, but it's not unbearable, and I've been blessed with lots of new friends and friends who feel like family.
However, every once in a while I get hit with a big thundering realization that, "I'm not in Kansas anymore."
South Florida is gorgeous. Literally, the homes are gorgeous, the lawns are gorgeous, cars are gorgeous, even the manicured dogs are gorgeous! BMWs, Mercedes, and Lexuses are the normal here, and yes, my 2008 Corolla is the beater of the neighborhood. I do love it here, but the culture is just very very different from Greene County, Illinois. I've met a lot of very nice people here, but its just not quite the "pull up a chair at the North End Cafe and reminisce about how great the 1992 basketball team was" kinda crowd.
When I first moved into my condo, an older man who introduced himself as Dr. something came over to welcome me to the neighborhood and to remind me that this was a nice quiet neighborhood and that he sure hoped I intended to keep it that way. This past week on one of my days off I decided that since I don't have a key to the community pool yet, I would go lay out by the water behind my condo. After laying on a towel and reading a book in a tank top and shorts for all of ten minutes, my friendly neighbor comes out of his house and approaches me. "Just wanted to let you know that sunbathing out here is not an acceptable practice. We do have two pools." I stare at him blankly thinking is this guy serious??? "So ya, thanks." And walks away.
I am not a fan of confrontation so with all of my maturity I gathered up my things, went inside, started bawling, and called my mom.
The next day I was scheduled to work a trip in the afternoon, so in the morning I took off for a jog around the neighborhood. Before I continue, I will preface this with saying that I have a horrible sense of direction. However, in my defense growing up in White Hall there was no need to have a great sense of direction, I always knew where I was! So I had been jogging for about 45 minutes when I decided I should head back. Except there was a problem. I didn't exactly know how to get back. I started wondering down a couple different roads, a coltasac here, a dead end there. Fifteen more minutes had gone by and I was still just as lost. I could feel my eyes starting to get that stinging feeling that always happens right before the waterworks. Just as I was about to hit full on panic mode, a nice middle aged man popped out of his house, began walking to his car, and let out a friendly, "Hello, how are you this morning?" Relieved to have found a friendly face I explained to him that I was turned around and was wondering me if he could tell me how to get back to my complex. Luckily he was able to read the look on my face that must have read "I have no fricken clue what you are saying" as he was giving me directions. He then said, "I'm actually headed that way, if you don't mind getting in the car with a stranger I'd be happy to give you a lift." I knew I shouldn't. It went against every Stranger Danger artlicle I had read in elementary school. BUT I couldn't afford to be late for work, I had no clue how to get home on my own, and he was driving a Cadillac with a booster seat in the back. How dangerous could he be? So straight out of Forest Gump, we exchanged names and I proceed that with saying, "Well now we're not strangers." I thanked the kind man over and over, but was careful to have him drop me off at the gate to my complex, not at my actual condo. Getting in a strangers car, ok not my brightest moment, however, after my encounter with Neighbor McNotsofriendly, a little kindness from a perfect stranger was much appreciated.
So life is a journey, and I'm slowly adjusting to my new life in south florida. I'm definitely loving it here, but my trip back home this week will be a very welcomed one! I'm even topping it off with a slumber party with my girls to celebrate my birthday...1998 style!
I'm off to get my nails done....South Florida 1 Kelsey 0
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