At first I thought the bugs would chase me out of South Florida. Not just the ones that cling to the walls around our front door, but the little gnat-like ones that swarm everywhere. If you open your mouth to talk, or only to breathe, you will most surely swallow a couple. I think they like my shampoo too, and I’ve tried several brands. Apparently, they like all shampoos.

Then there was the thought of finding an alligator in my yard. Have you seen the videos on YouTube? You know, the alligators that have gotten in through pet doors into kitchens! Or the ones that have been found swimming in outdoor pools! Do I really need to mention that snakes and I don’t get along at all? Our territory wars began when I lived in Sri Lanka for two years. It was either the snake or me. Nalla Pambu is what they call the King Cobra in the villages there. Nalla Pambu means Good Snake because it rises up from the jungle floor to warn you, before it bites you. None of the other snakes, and there are 70 different kinds of viper there, will show you the same courtesy. But, back to Florida (thank goodness!), the ultimate shock was discovering the beautiful sounding “Palmetto Bug” is not exactly a ladybug. It’s THE LARGEST SPECIES OF THE COMMON COCKROACH! I totally freaked out and told my husband to please get me out of here. Surely, the twice-in-one-week visits by the polar vortex, and the month long sub-zero temperatures up in Chicago aren’t really that bad, are they? And I miss my family… and I miss the four seasons. I think I actually cried.

I’ve already mentioned that I’m new to Florida. True, but only in a relative sense. I’ve been here for over a year. It wasn’t overnight that I came to love this place more than any other; and I’ve lived in Europe, the UK, Asia, and several cities in the US. But South Florida has grown on me, even kinda “crept up on me.” So, one day recently, I found myself saying to my older son who lives in Singapore, “I love this place so much, I can’t bear to leave it even for a day.” Of course it’s January so I really love it right now but come August I know I’ll be singing a slightly different tune.

This blog is about me and my South Florida. Like any other relationship it goes up and down. I’m going to keep track of it here.