Going to school in Florida is honestly a blessing when you live in a northern state like Pennsylvania. Coming home for any holiday, or summer is sad because you start to miss all the things that Florida has to offer us northerners.

1) There is no beach that is closer than a 45 min-hour drive - College in Florida is made easier due to the close proximity of beaches. During finals week, you can take 15 minutes out of your day, and head to the beach which is such a beautiful stress reliever.

2) The beaches aren't the same - when you go from college in Florida back home to Pennsylvania during the summer the look of the water alone at the Jersey Beach (it's the closest one) is completely depressing. The water in Florida is crystal clear, and the sand is white. New Jersey, on the other hand, ranges from dark blue to brown and is filled with seaweed, trash, or jellyfish. The water temperature is a solid 50° in NJ (or so it feels like) when in Florida it ranges on a day from 78-mid to high 80's)

3) Missing the Springs - If you don't want to head to the beach all day, and deal with the sand sticking to your feet in Florida you can always head to natural, crystal clear springs where the water is always warm, and you might catch a few manatees swimming by.

4) The wildlife - One of my favorite parts of Florida besides the nice weather in the winter, the beaches, and everything else, is the wildlife. Everything you see down here is much more beautiful and majestic than in Pennsylvania. I look at the birds, the fish, and everything else, and I get instantly happy because of their beauty. I don't want to look at deer all the time (PA) I would rather look at a Manatee or a dolphin (FL).

5) Cheaper lifestyle - It could be just me, but I feel as though everything is cheaper in Florida. From the housing to the food and every little activity in between my bank account just feels better when I am there. It's nice to be able to save some money while I am enjoying my life, and being able to adventure more and make more out of the time I have there.

6) My best friends are at home, but my new friends are at school - I have an amazing group of friends at home that I would never give up, those that I have known all my life, or just when we were kids. But, in Florida, I have met so many new people from around the world, and new friends that will probably be in my life forever, and have close to the same goals as me. It is nice to have a balance of people in my life. I wish I could bring all my friends from Pennsylvania to Florida.

7) Perfect weather in Florida - I came home to Pennsylvania a few days ago, and it has been raining, and really dreary since I got here. It makes me miss the perfect weather in Florida when I left it was 85°, and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. Coming home to this weather just makes me miss the perfect weather in Florida.

8) People are definitely nicer in Florida - I don't know what it is (the palm trees), but the people in Florida are way nicer than those up north. It is a breath of fresh air when you are out, and you don't have to worry about starting a conversation with someone, if they are going to roll their eyes, and walk away or just be a genuine, nice person.

9) The palm trees - This sounds like I am reaching, and ridiculous, but I swear that your mood is 10 times better in Florida than it is up north because you are surrounded by palm trees. They enhance your mood, and you just become instantly happier when you are in an area surrounded by them.

10) The Adventuring - In Florida, every beach and spring is different, and that is the fun in adventuring. Every weekend is a new place to go, and finding your favorite one. It is all about outdoor fun, and getting outside.

11) The little towns are thriving outside - Nothing is inside down in Florida which is a breath of fresh air (literally) compared to Pennsylvania where there is not a lot of outside seating, or bars outside, or things to do because the weather is so bipolar you don't know if there will be a downpour, or a snowstorm. But in Florida everything is outside because the weather is pretty simple.