I absolutely love living in Florida. Where I’m from, the winters are extremely cold and the summers are ridiculously hot. When moving into college in August, the high levels of heat horrified me. I was questioning my decision to move far away from the New England breeze. However, during those first few months my body adapted and I started to absolutely love the heat. In fact, if it ever dropped below 70 degrees, I was rocking a warm knit sweater. I can’t imagine living anywhere else during my college years.

Almost everywhere I go people wave to me. They don’t know me or where I’m from, but they still show kindness to me without expecting anything in return. I have never felt more welcomed and at home in a place other than Connecticut. I don’t know if it’s the warm weather or something in the water, but people are genuinely sweet here. When I lived in CT, the DMV was known as a torturous chore. When I stepped into my local DMV in Florida, I was in complete shock. I was greeted with a smile and a very pleasant experience. People are very happy here and their positive energy spreads to everyone they talk to. The happy-go-lucky attitude that some people have here has made its impact on me. When walking down the streets I smile more, when I meet new people I am more inclined to be kind and make a good impression. I have had an overall improvement in the quality of life around me.

Being a New England girl, I love fall. The hardest part of living in Florida during the fall season was not really being in the right spirit. Nothing around me was cold and the leaves weren’t falling. I realized that I had to make my own version of fall in Florida. Instead of apple picking and raking leaves, I could go to the beach and tan. Instead of wearing sweaters and boots, I could rock flip-flops and tanks. It might be different, but change is good. Change keeps our lives interesting. I normally associate the holiday spirit with the cold, but just because its 75 degrees outside doesn’t mean I can’t find a way to get that spirit back.

Florida has been a really great new environment for me to thrive and live. The warm weather and good vibes are a great bonus in life. The people, the weather, and the attitudes are what make Florida a great state. I am so glad I chose such a great place to go to college. I think that traveling outside of your hometown can really make a huge impact in your life. Of course where you were born will always be home and you will always miss it, but a new state can bring out a new side of you that you never knew you had.