So long, Orlando

I was racking my brain in an attempt to decide what I wanted to do on my last day in Orlando. Something big, like sky diving? Something Floridian, like spending the day at the beach? Or be responsible and pack and organize the day away?

After a frustrating day at work last week, I closed my eyes and thought, "I can't wait to go back to my favorite coffee shop. And, I'm feeling sluggish. I need some CrossFit ASAP." Voila. The answer to my "last day" question. I've had a busy, adventurous past six weeks abroad and in the states, and while I think I would've looked back on a last day spent sky diving with joy, what I needed more than checking a fun activity off of my list was a chance to reflect and recalibrate. So, I sweated my way through my last WOD at Crossfit 407, hit a new PR!, and enjoyed my last few cups of coffee at Downtown Credo.

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My favorite things about central Florida:

• Warm weather. (Duh). I loved wanting to be outside at soon as I got down here in mid-March. Up north, I have zero desire to brave even the shortest outdoor trip from the garage to my car in the snow and freezing rain.
• The rain storms. Generally short in duration and abrupt in onset, they downpour and boom for about thirty minutes, then just as quickly make way for the sun to shine again.
• Wine at Walgreens. No trip to the liquor store necessary. Cheers!
• Lizards. I'm completely fine with lizards scurrying around the sidewalk, and had actually come to appreciate them. My favorite lizard, Luis, lived on the hood and inside the grill of my car for two days before (literally) throwing caution to the wind.

• The snow bird/native mash-up. I love listening to people's life stories, especially in regards to travels and how they've ended up living in a particular area. I worked with a mix of native Floridians and transplants, and each person's story was unique. One of my favorite stories was from a nurse who, after working at the same hospital in her home state for over thirty years (!), decided she needed a change. She brought her husband along for two years of travel nursing and recently decided to settle down again in Florida. If she can change her life after living it the same way for three decades, the rest of us can, too!
• Downtown Orlando. This area is by no means a city as defined by people in the NJ/NY area, but it's my kind of city. Clean, quiet, easy to navigate, built around a lake dotted by palm trees.
• Co-workers. I had the pleasure of working with some awesome nurses. They were receptive to travelers, a lot of fun to work with, and helped me improve my IV insertion and phlebotomy skills. Thanks, guys! I'll miss you!
• Pumping my own gas. A few Jersey-ans may have died a little inside reading that. The benefits of not having to wait for a gas station attendant far outweigh having to get out of the car and brave the heat (thought I'd feel differently about having to pump my own gas in the dead of a northern winter).

Room for improvement:

• Traffic light waits. Why am I able to unhurriedly write a grocery list while sitting at a red light in Florida?! I initially chalked it up to my northern pace of life and impatient personality (I'm working on it. Rome wasn't built in a day). But in my highly scientific research of asking my co-workers, they confirmed this phenomenon. According to Wikipedia, transportation engineers can fix this for me. Can someone get on that, please?
• Lack of vegan restaurants. I was spoiled living in between Philadelphia and NYC - so many vegan vegetarian restaurants, so little time. This was not the case in central Florida.
• Toll roads galore. I think I figured out why there isn't state tax in Florida... its' because Florida makes up for it in tolls. They're everywhere! Thank you, Waze, for helping me avoid them as much as possible.

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Disclaimer: these are inherently skewed lists. There are some things I didn't experience (the suffocating August humidity; big, scary bugs that would've made me cry; hurricanes/tropical storms; Christmas in 70 degree weather) and thus can't add to my pros or cons lists.

The consensus? My first travel assignment was a success and I'm enjoying being a snowbird. Why wait until retirement to live the life you day dream about?