Florida!

Iwanski and I went to our good friend Andy’s wedding in Orlando, FL this past weekend. What a lovely time!—and such beautiful weather! We made it a long weekend and got to see a few other sights, as well. Here are just a few observations from my first time EVER in Florida:

--I want to live in Florida from January through March. Then I can come back to Chicago for the other months of the year. How can I make this happen?

--Orlando is a confusing city to drive around in. When we finally found the street that our hotel was on, there were two signs posted: “No left turn” and “No right turn.” Huh?!?!

--For the first time, ever, Iwanski accidentally went the wrong way down a one-way street. I laughed and laughed.

--It’s fun to stand on a street corner in full wedding attire, eating hot dogs from a street vendor while listening to “Margaritaville” being blasted from a nearby bar.

--The beaches on the Gulf of Mexico are absolutely gorgeous.

--The forests of the Orlando/Tampa Bay region are just as beautiful as the beaches.

--It is wicked-awesome to see alligators in the wild, hanging out in a river fifty feet in front of you.

--Armadillos (which seemed to be very commonplace in Florida) are very strange creatures who are kind-of cute in an ugly sort-of way.

--The birds of Florida are plentiful and beautiful.

--The pelican is my absolute favorite bird. Check out this picture…notice how the pelican in the back has his mouth wide-open? So freakin’ cool!



I really enjoyed our little trip to Florida. And just wait…there may be more pictures or stories to follow!