You're a kid who has lived in Miami for a significantly long time of your life. You're well past a semester in your new home in the midwest. You love it. Life could not be better. New friends, new weather, beautiful campus, awesome classes, perfect home away from home. However, there are a few truths to being away from your home, to being away from Miami.
1) Spring break in Ft. Lauderdale is basically just any other weekend for you
It's your Freshman year, you're not aware that everyone around you is planning on going to Florida for spring break, but once you get the news you're completely relieved- you don't need to spend any money to join in on the spring break shenanigans! While all your friends are in motels you'll be in your bed, throw a party here and there and never miss out on the fun (even though you probably hate going down town to Ft. Lauderdale by now).
2) Even if you're not hispanic you start to miss the Spanish culture all around you
You don't go a single day without hearing someone speak Spanish back at home. You basically live in a melting pot of every latin country, and if you're not hispanic by nature, you're welcomed into the culture by nurture. However, you hit a huge culture shock moving to the midwest; practically no one around you speaks Spanish and you find yourself begging your hispanic friends to code-switch with you once in a while.
3) You've met at least 100 Jewish people in your time living in Miami
If you're not Jewish, either half of the people in your school are, or you live in a community like Aventura where everyone is Jewish, or you've accepted yourself to be Jewish through association. However, in school, you're almost guaranteed to be someone's "first Jewish friend."
4) You miss foods like Sushi and Ceviche
Yes you have restaurants like Japonee, Red, Sushi Express and Ami but you're also land locked and wont find fish as fresh as in Makoto, Pubbelly Fuji or even Eddie Hills. You also wont find genuine Peruvian restaurants or anyone who really knows what Ceviche is. On the other hand, you have the best Chipotle ever (genuinely I don't know how it tastes so different... Isn't it a chain???) and some local foods that can not compare to the one's back at home (shoutout Baked!, Pizza X, Zingermans, Rods, Sunroom).
5) You can always count on defrosting when you come home
While your school is hitting the negative degrees, you're guaranteed weather higher than 40 (Fahrenheit) when you get home (thats right, Florida does winter too) and now that you're used to the cold weather, all Florida weather is beach weather.
6) Your parka is your best friend
You are eternally grateful for the warmth and coziness your below-the-knee jacket provides you with. If you're going to be living in the Midwest, a parka should definitely be an investment to be serious about #gooseszn. ALWAYS OVER DRESS, trust me. That way, when it starts to snow outside, you can be the first to jump in, or make a snowball, or just look like an idiot playing by yourself because everyone else is used to it.
7) Publix is truly where shopping is a pleasure
Yes, Kroger and Aldi are nice and all, but Publix takes the biscuit for best grocery store. Pub-subs? Do I even have to explain myself? In Publix, youre guaranteed to find everything you need and MORE. It's all a shopper can dream of. Need a bag of chips? Publix. Forgot a bathing suit or floatie for the beach? Publix. Hungry? Publix. Need anything really? Publix. Just go to Publix, they got it all.
8) People from the midwest are SO nice
You're used to swerving through traffic, shooting people the bird here and there, doors slamming shut in front of you in the mall- having someone smile at you in line for a Starbucks is a breath of fresh air. And don't forget to calm yourself behind the wheel. Aggressive driving is definitely frowned upon in your new school.
9) You have an accent you didn't know of before
You're still debating whether you have a "Maiami" accent or if everyone else just has an accent. If you're meeting someone for the first time, 8/10 times they'll ask, "Where are you from? You kind of have an accent!" You will probably be made fun of for the way you pronounce certain things throughout your time in school. Be prepared with, "I'm from Miami." Works like a charm every time.
10) The social scene is COMPLETELY different.
Getting to school, you're ready to party with friends and show em what you know from back at home. Little do you know that in school the social scene will probably consist of going to bars, NOT clubbing. You've trained your entire high school career for this, but I guess it's time for a change. It's not too bad of a change though; you've been clubbing since 9th grade so you know your way around a college-bar bouncer. You also only know how to dress for a club so you're definitely one of the fanciest-dressed there. Wear it proud! (Find us Miami kids in dresses and heels or nice pants and polos at the KK, Sports or Skeeps.)
11) You don't begin to appreciate living in Miami enough until you've truly been away
By the end of your high school career, youre probably tired of the same old, same old. Beach is no longer fun, the weather outside is weather (too hot), and you stop appreciating the little things. You're ready to gtfo and migrate to a different scene for four years. It sounds easy and great and all, but give it a semester and you'll miss home. You'll really miss home. You'll dive into the beach and then roll around in the sand and tan your life away. You'll drive all around and people watch at Lincoln road or the Aventura mall. You'll hang out with your family and home friends more than you could ever imagine, because home is where the heart is, and soon enough, you'll realize you left your heart in Miami.
