a history of me

So here I am on Florida's Gulf Coast. This is my fourth visit since my mother and her husband moved down here. I'm slowly getting used to this place but I don't know if I'll ever completely accept it. It seems Collier County is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States, so everything is constantly being expanded and new things are always being built. The "older" parts of town include anything that survived Hurricane Donna in 1960. Every business is either a restaurant or an art gallery. It's like someone designated these cities solely to cater to tourists or wealthy residents, which isn't that crazy because every winter the population doubles as tourists and wealthy residents rush in to avoid shoveling snow. I've seen the difference first hand. My sister and I came down last August and we were amazed to see no crowds in the airport. When I arrived yesterday evening, it looked like a wheelchair convention.

I'm not complaining, mind you. I'm grateful for the opportunity to visit a pleasant climate whenever I want. I checked the weather and it's 39 right now in New York. Here, it's 72. My mom and her husband can play tennis or golf year round while I'm deciding which winter hat to wear.