Life is just different here ...

When I moved to Minnesota and started teaching at St. Charles High School, I was asked to be in a research study. The researcher was studying the fact that 50% of teachers left the career by their fifth year of teaching. (Ironically, I left after this year -- my fifth year of teaching.) He said to me once that culture differences are often more difficult to manage moving from region to region in the U.S. then they are when moving from country to country in the world. I don't know what this research is based upon, but his explanation was that when you are switching countries, you are prepared for the cultural differences. When you are switching regions, you don't think much will change and yet, a lot does.

We've now been living in Northern Florida for about three weeks. Here are some factual statements about our cultural changes:

1. Northern Florida is nothing like south Florida despite the fact they are still in the same state.
2. Northern Florida is not really anything like Kentucky despite the fact that people in both locations would consider themselves southerners.
3. People wear a lot less clothes here. I keep doing a double take, trying to be sure that I am seeing things correctly.
4. People in Minnesota wore a lot of clothes all the time. Even in the summer, the percentage of clothes was considerably higher.
5. I absolutely do not have the right clothes to fit in amidst this new culture.
6. I have way too many: hats, gloves, boots, scarves, sweaters, long underwear, and pants.
7. I do not have nearly enough: shorts, flip-flops, short-sleeved shirts, and capris.
8. Shopping is a mandatory event in my near future.
9. The food here is, obviously very different. I've eaten more fish in three weeks than I did in all of 2006.
10. I really like grouper.
11. Churches are different wherever you go.
12. In Kentucky, everyone is a Baptist or Presbyterian. Everyone believes in God but not everyone acts like it.
13. In Minnesota, everyone is a Catholic or Lutheran. Only people who truly have a relationship with God will tell you they believe in Him. They will not hesitate to tell you that you are unusual if you believe in God or go to church.
14. People in south Florida are just very mixed up. There's a little bit of everything, and since everyone is so different, no one fails to fit in somewhere.
15. That leaves northern Florida. I don't know how to put my finger on people here when it comes to church and relationships with God. We tried another church today that we liked okay. It just didn't feel like home. We'll keep trying.

What does all this mean. I'm not sure I can really say. I just know that moving is not easy. You are excited for the change and exited for something different, but suddenly you miss the familiarity and routine of what you knew. Believe it or not, I am missing things from Minnesota. I miss how quickly we could zip around from place to place in Rochester. I miss living in a downtown area where all we did was walk. I miss our friends. I know I will get used to things, and in three years I will miss our life here. We have met some wonderful people in just three weeks. I just still feel like I am living in a home that is not mine. I know I'll get used to all of it. I know I just need to be patient.

Speaking of culture differences, an ice cream truck just rolled by my house. I kid you not. It was playing the music and everything. That is something that definitely doesn't happen in Minnesota.