Before coming to school at UCLA, I’d always lived in Florida. When I tell people here I’m from Florida, I get one of a few responses. “Are you from Miami?” Nope, and believe it or not, most of Florida is not like Miami. While my hometown does have a lot of beaches, there are many more retirement homes than night clubs. “Have you seen an alligator?” All the time… but it’s much more underwhelming than you’d imagine.
They say there’s no place like home, and there really is no where (in the world, honestly) quite like Florida. Where else can you find alligators, temperatures above 90 in the winter, a questionable governor and Disney World all in the same place? Who needs Hollywood when your hometown has created hit shows like Siesta Key and Breaking Amish? All jokes aside, despite its faults, there are parts I miss about Florida. I absolutely love being in L.A., but there are some things about Florida that you just can’t replicate:
- Publix
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Step aside Ralph’s; Publix is the superior grocery store chain and can only be found in the South. Classier than Walmart but not as pretentious as Whole Foods, Publix has it all. What I really miss is their hot pre-made food. Nothing tastes better than their popcorn chicken paired with Hawaiian rolls and Publix lemonade. Erewhon wishes it had what Publix has.
- Theme Parks
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I know what you’re thinking, SoCal has theme parks too. While this is true and I’m a big Disneyland fan, there is something crucial it’s missing: Epcot. The nostalgia of making laps around that park until my feet ache just can’t be fully replicated in California.
Did I mention our theme parks are a lot bigger too? I hate to say it, but Orlando’s Universal Studios parks (yes, we have two parks) puts Hollywood’s to shame.
- Stuff Not Being Sold Out
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Stay with me on this one. I’ve always had the theory that Florida is a bit behind on popular trends. Be it clothes or pop culture, they aren’t really on top of things. From my observations, things get popular in Florida at least a few months after they are popular elsewhere.
This, however, has always worked in my favor. Picture this: something blows up on social media and you can’t help but cave to consumerism. Think Dior lip oil or Stanley tumblers (I hate to say I give in to such trends, but I can’t help it). When I’ve tried finding stuff like this in stores in L.A., it’s all always sold out. Apparently, the plethora of micro-influencers in town are faster than I am.
However, popular stuff like this never seems to be sold out in Florida. Remember my theory about Florida being slow to adopt trends? This is my proof to substantiate that.
- Family And Friends
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Not to get sappy, but this point holds the most weight for me. I came to California knowing no one. All of my family and friends are pretty much clustered in my hometown. Sometimes I’m a little jealous of the people who can drive home on the weekends. I love L.A. so much and am grateful beyond words to be here, but I can’t help but miss the familiarity of home.
In general I love L.A., but it will never have that Florida quirkiness. California may have the Santa Monica Pier, but does it have Gatorland? They say home is where the heart is, and my heart is with this tourist trap of a state.