A Florida Welcome

Last week while my parents were in town visiting us, my dad was out for a walk through our neighborhood and thought he spotted an alligator near our community mail boxes, sitting in a retention pond. He informed us of this when he returned from his walk, but I was skeptical since we’ve been living here for nearly 6 months now and haven’t seen one or heard about one. Shortly after we decided to head out to lunch, so of course my plan was to drive by this location to check it out. Sure enough, there was an approximately 4-foot alligator just sitting on the bank. I think he noticed us and a few seconds after me stopping the car, he moved into the water. We drove off after taking a few pictures and continued to see him over the next few days. We never saw him in any other areas.

I feel like this was our official stamp, our right of passage, making us true Floridians now. Even though the encounter was mellow, and he just sat there mainly, it was still cool to see one. It’s been about a week, and I have not seen him in about 5 days. I don’t know if he’s moved on, or if animal control or someone, relocated him. Either way, hopefully he’s ok. I personally have nothing against them being around and don’t wish them any harm. Obviously, I don’t want them in or close to my house, but at a distance, I don’t see any issues.

We have other critters, such as, snakes, racoons, possums, and armadillos. Truthfully, I would be more concerned with snakes or racoons over the alligator. Regardless, if you live or are visiting an area that contains wildlife, you should always educate yourself, at least a little bit, about those animals and creatures, so you can navigate safely. Any region of the world can contain things that can harm people, and even cause death. I know Florida gets a lot of attention because of the alligators and other exotic animals, and rightfully so I think, but I also maintain that with safety first, you will be fine, and there is no need to worry.

Now that we’re officially Floridians, having been welcomed by the states most famous reptile, in addition to the state bird, who has also greeted us. I feel we’ll pretty settled in now. We’ve weathered a hurricane, a tropical storm, and now technically we’re in a draught, if you can believe that? We’ve seen an armadillo, gray heron, and an alligator in our neighborhood. We’ve seen possums and racoons on the nearby roads. We see crazy looking birds everywhere. We’ve also seen turtles and deer. Despite not having mountains, I’ve seen more wildlife in the past 6 months living here, than I would have during an entire year in Southern California, and I’ve also seen more exotic wild animals here, than I would in maybe 5 years in California.

I guess to sum it up, I feel very at home here. I know that Marzz and I made the right decision for us and our needs and lifestyle by moving here. Each day has the potential for something new and exciting. I still haven’t gotten over the sunrises and sunsets here, they are far more beautiful than California’s. Now adding the pleasure of seeing these wonderful wild animals on a regular basis, it brings joy to our hearts. We’ll always have a place in our hearts for California, with fond memories, but we love our new state and are proud and happy to call it home.

Thanks for tuning in, I know this was a short blog and really just for us, but hopefully you’ve enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more commentary on life in Florida, travel tips and updates, and so much more!