How you know your from South Florida

I grew up in South Florida. My parents are from the Chicago suburbs, and I lived there for one year of my childhood. But South Florida was where I spent my childhood, and I identifiy with it most of all. I've almost lived away from it more than I have in it. I never plan to live there again. But still I refer to it is as "home." Every military member has to have a "home of record." Our's is JB's parents in South Florida.

 

I've lived lots of places since. Kentucky, Minnesota, Northern Florida, and Turkey and the Azores. Northern Florida is, in my opinion, nothing like southern Florida. Northern Florida is the south. But Southern Florida, is, its own place. No one is from South Florida. They are all misplaced northerners.

 

I found this list online and it really resonated with me! Enjoy!

 
• Socks are only for bowling.
•  You never use an umbrella because you know the rain will be over in five minutes.
•  A good parking place has nothing to do with distance from the store, but everything to do with shade.
•  Your winter coat is made of denim.
•  You can tell the difference between fire ant bites and mosquito bites.
•  You're younger than thirty but some of your friends are over 65.
•  Anything under 70 is chilly.
•  You pass on the right and honk at the elderly, but pull over for a funeral.
•  You've driven through Yeehaw Junction.
•  You could swim before you could read.
•  You have to drive north to get to The South.
•  You know that no other grocery store can compare to Publix.
•  Every other house in your neighborhood had blue roofs in 2004-2005.
•  You've gotten out of school early on Halloween to trick or treat before it got dark
•  You know that anything under a Category 3 just isn't worth waking up for.
•  You dread lovebug season.
•  You are on a first name basis with the Hurricane list. They aren't Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances... but Charley , Frances , Ivan and Jeanne.
•  You know what a snowbird is and you hate them.
•  You think a six-foot alligator is actually pretty average.
•  You were twelve before you ever saw snow, or you still haven't.
•  "Down South" means Key West.
•  "Panhandling" means going to Pensacola.
•  You think no-one over 70 should be allowed to drive.
•  Flip-flops are everyday wear.
•  Shoes are for business meetings and church.
•  No, wait, flip flops are good for church too, unless it's Easter or Christmas.
•  An alligator once walked through your neighborhood.
•  You measure distance in minutes.
•  You have a drawer full of bathing suits, and one sweatshirt.
•  You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls.
•  A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level.
•  You know the four seasons really are: almost summer, summer, not summer but really hot, and February.
•  Anything under 95 is just warm.
•  You understand the futility of exterminating cockroaches.
•  You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee , Ichnatucknee and Withlacoochee
•  You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.
•  You were 5 before you realized they made houses without pools.
•  You were 25 when you first met someone who couldn't swim.
•  You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas.
•  You know what the "stingray shuffle" is, and why it's important!
•  You recognize Miami-Dade as " Northern Cuba ".