Another beautiful day in paradise. I say that just about every day here, sometimes to a neighbor, sometimes to a colleague, sometimes only to myself. Always with a smile.
Blue skies, warm air and palm trees tend to please the mind and slow the heart rate. Yes, paradise found.
That’s my sense of the Florida lifestyle. Seems somewhat like a permanent vacation, with work just a speed bump on the road to relaxing times.
Living the Florida lifestyle takes minimal effort, though some things certainly boost the pleasure quotient.
Like a lanai. Large or small, this haven serves as a gateway to the outdoors, an eye-candy bonanza of our lush landscape and brilliant skies. Even on a limited scale, a lanai can exude resort-style living and an escape from, well, just about everything.
Take the morning coffee and newspaper into the fresh air for a serene wake-up. Or call in friends for an entertaining afternoon barbecue or evening wine social.
Best of all, we can enjoy this alfresco sanctuary yearround.
Try that in New England. Of course, a pool – with a waterfall, for those with deeper pockets – builds on that resort atmosphere. Refreshing dips and lazy soaks go a long way toward cool serenity.
The more enthusiastic Floridians create an outdoor living room on their lanai, with conversation pits and other creature comforts.
While we can create our own vacation setting at home, we can also join the tourists out on our island resorts and sip a tall umbrella drink at a beachfront tiki bar.
Our favorite, though, is the outdoor dining at one of our waterfront restaurants, especially along the Gulf as the sun dips below the far-off waters. Just that thought brings a smile. But really, what else defines the Florida lifestyle? Strolls along the beach, lounging in the sand and floating in the saltwater. Kayaking among the mangroves, fishing from an old pier and watching pelicans dive for a meal. Boat rides to glimpse gators, manatees and dolphins. Boardwalks and observation towers in our nature preserves. Golf, tennis and beach volleyball. Our wading birds – all the various egrets, herons and ibis, plus the roseate spoonbill – are a joy to behold. The shorebirds, though, can amuse, especially the sanderling as it chases waves up and down the beach and the plover as it picks insects from the sand as the waves recede. Every November through March, our coastal skyline becomes graced with the second largest flying bird in North America, the elegant white pelican.
Then there are the bald eagles, osprey and red-shouldered hawks; the sandhill cranes, terns and kingfishers. Our wetlands, woodlands, mangrove estuaries and beaches are a birder’s paradise. One of the iconic symbols of Florida stretches across Tampa Bay just a short drive away, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. With unparalleled views of pristine islands and busy downtowns, this is a must see. Which brings up another good point about the lifestyle here: St. Petersburg, Tampa and Orlando; Naples, Fort Myers and Sanibel are all only a short drive away. Hello, Disney World. Can you name any other state with an annual migration like our season? Or another state that boasts vehicle license plates from around this country and our neighbor to the north? All those thousands and thousands of snowbirds lend our lifestyle renewed vigor upon their return, not to mention lots of money. The social and entertainment calendar fills thanks to their patronage.
That alone is reason to celebrate snowbirds. One of my favorite aspects of the Florida lifestyle is as simple as the shirt on my back. On any given workday, how many power suits do you see? That is, outside the downtown Bradenton core. This is the land of breezy dress codes, where shirts in bright colors and patterns are often the uniform of choice – and not just on Fridays. After all, isn’t that the heart of the Florida lifestyle – laid back. Who are those people in a rush? Who needs that stress and anxiety? People come here to get away from that, after all.
The ideal day in the Florida lifestyle could go something like this: A morning kayaking excursion before a beach picnic and swim. Then, sandals, shorts and bright shirt, lounging on the lanai with friends before heading to a beach restaurant for grouper or stone crab right at sunset. Paradise found. Again and again.
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