Most people only know a few things about Florida, usually that it’s sunny and it’s the location of Disney World. If you’re going to move to Florida, there are a few things you should know that might help ease the transition.
- That whole Sunshine State thing is a little misleading.
Flickr/corporatemonkey Sure, there are plenty of sunny days, but what they don’t tell you is there are just as many thunderstorms. We’re even the lightning capital of the country.
- We pay for those perfect winters.
Flickr/Julian Lim Maybe our tourism departments want people to think it’s warm and sunny all year long, but long-time residents know the truth. There are entire months of the year when walking outside feels like you’re swimming in the hot air. Yuck.
- Be prepared to have to replace all your favorite hair and makeup products.
Flickr/Helga Weber Your hair may look perfect wherever you’re from, but good luck keeping it tame in 90% humidity. And your perfectly good makeup may suddenly start melting and slipping away at any second.
- You can get rid of 90% of this.
Flickr/m01229 You won’t be needing them, and they’ll just be taking space you’ll need for your flip-flop collection.
- There’s a lot to do, especially if you’re not afraid to go outside.
Flickr/Eustaquio Santimano Everyone knows about our beautiful beaches, but not everyone takes advantage of our gorgeous springs and over 160 state parks. The more of these places you take the time to check out, the more you’ll love Florida.
- We have tons of sports.
Flickr/Donna McCraw Whether you want to watch them or play them, Florida is full of fans of every sport, from football to auto racing,
- Get used to a very different holiday season.
Flickr/Kim Seng You may be bummed out by the lack of snow during the holidays, but don’t worry, we get just as into the season as everyone else. We still put up tons of lights and play Christmas music in all the stores for weeks.
- Everything you think you know is probably wrong.
Flickr/Jasperdo Florida is huge, and could easily be at least three different states. South Florida is way different from North Florida, and neither one has much to do with Disney World.
- We have tons of history.
Flickr/Jeremy Wilburn Be sure to check out America’s oldest city, St. Augustine, along with tons of historical sites throughout the state.
- There are great opportunities to explore art and culture as well.
Flickr/Matthew Paulson They may be overshadowed by all of our theme parks, but Florida actually has many awesome museums, like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, the Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, and the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami.
- Get used to everyone wanting to crash at your place.
Flickr/Dave Austria Living in a state with a thriving tourism industry means friends and family will likely be reserving your couch or guest room for their vacations, especially in the winter months.
What other surprising things should people know about moving here? Please share your thoughts with us below!
Flickr/corporatemonkey
Sure, there are plenty of sunny days, but what they don’t tell you is there are just as many thunderstorms. We’re even the lightning capital of the country.
Flickr/Julian Lim
Maybe our tourism departments want people to think it’s warm and sunny all year long, but long-time residents know the truth. There are entire months of the year when walking outside feels like you’re swimming in the hot air. Yuck.
Flickr/Helga Weber
Your hair may look perfect wherever you’re from, but good luck keeping it tame in 90% humidity. And your perfectly good makeup may suddenly start melting and slipping away at any second.
Flickr/m01229
You won’t be needing them, and they’ll just be taking space you’ll need for your flip-flop collection.
Flickr/Eustaquio Santimano
Everyone knows about our beautiful beaches, but not everyone takes advantage of our gorgeous springs and over 160 state parks. The more of these places you take the time to check out, the more you’ll love Florida.
Flickr/Donna McCraw
Whether you want to watch them or play them, Florida is full of fans of every sport, from football to auto racing,
Flickr/Kim Seng
You may be bummed out by the lack of snow during the holidays, but don’t worry, we get just as into the season as everyone else. We still put up tons of lights and play Christmas music in all the stores for weeks.
Flickr/Jasperdo
Florida is huge, and could easily be at least three different states. South Florida is way different from North Florida, and neither one has much to do with Disney World.
Flickr/Jeremy Wilburn
Be sure to check out America’s oldest city, St. Augustine, along with tons of historical sites throughout the state.
Flickr/Matthew Paulson
They may be overshadowed by all of our theme parks, but Florida actually has many awesome museums, like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, the Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, and the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami.
Flickr/Dave Austria
Living in a state with a thriving tourism industry means friends and family will likely be reserving your couch or guest room for their vacations, especially in the winter months.
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