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Published: January 22nd 2014
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crowning dusk
What more do you need? Winter is the time many snowbirds head on down to warmer pastures, after enduring a few months of seemingly unceasing bitter cold.
I was given the opportunity to venture down to Florida for a week after Christmas, which is a chance I most certainly snapped at! I packed my bag and found myself driving down on the i-75, through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and finally, 24 hours later, Florida. Having never driven for more than eight hours in one trip, I found the drive excruciatingly long. However, on the plus side, I got to steadily feel the temperatures rising, which built up the excitement.
When we arrived, we were welcomed with a few celebratory glasses of wine (not the first celebration of the week-or the first drink!), and then crashed quite quickly, falling asleep the second my head touched the pillow.
A long walk on the beach was the primary priority on my to-do list. Our first full day was perfect weather, so we walked and walked for hours on end. There were beautiful mansions lined up along the shore, which of course meant I had to sneak right up to the edge of the perfectly coiffed lawns
Dinner
Caught a fish! to analyze them thoroughly. Most of the mansions seemed unlived-in, which seemed like an open invitation for me to sneak inside them for a
real tour. (I resisted however).
I had a "
shell" of a time collecting seashells on the beach and making bracelets. The shells all had perfect holes that appeared to have been drilled into them, almost as if they were
made to be used to string jewelry! Turns out there is a tiny animal called a Mollusca that uses its drill-like tongue to saw through shells to yield the sweet, sweet innards. Who says you don't learn anything after school?
After making numerous bracelets, by stringing shells and beads together, I was told they looked like "Pandora's" which I took as quite a compliment! Perhaps a new business-venture upon my arrival home?
A memorable moment was sitting in the hot tub one evening chatting with a family from Indiana. We were partaking in the usual small talk about the resort, and the weather. Then, we mentioned that we were from
Toronto. Their eyes lit up, and the father exclaimed: "the home of Rob Ford!" It's unfortunate, but that one single man has put us
Pier 1
Perfect sky on the map. I guess if you can't be famous, be
infamous...
Another memorable moment was New Years Eve. We ran into the gulf of Mexico, and stood in the water as fireworks went off on either side of us. I captured the moment in my mind as a personal keepsake. The water was rushing around my waist and I was absolutely freezing cold, but that didn't matter. I wouldn't have wanted anything to change in that moment.
I was somewhat dreading the drive home, as I wasn't looking forward to being in a cramped space for such a long period of time. One funny tidbit that brightened up the long journey however, was a quick stop we made at a McDonald's in northern Florida. We walked in to see a group of eight guys (and girls!) dressed from head-to-toe in camouflage. Camouflage hats, coats, vests, gloves, pants and even shoes! Hearing their
thick accents and conversation (about huntin' 'coons) made my day! I was reminded that when in Florida, the "further north you go, the further south you feel!"
As I sit here in bitter cold Canada, I am thinking back on my week in the
Sandpipers
Friends on the beach Sunshine State with fond memories, and the temptation to hop in my car and drive back down!
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Linda van Andel
non-member comment
Sucker?
I don't see a sucker! Looks like fun to me...