20 Signs You Grew Up In South Florida

When most people think of South Florida, they think that the region is simply an extension of one of the weirdest states in the country. Even though South Florida does have its oddities, it is not like the rest of the state. Thanks to the many cultures and peoples that thrive off of the heat and humidity, South Florida is one of the most interesting places in the country. Its ability to always keep you entertained with its many malls, abnormal weather patterns and beaches is what made growing up there so great. Here are 20 signs you grew up in South Florida!

1. You get annoyed when people say you grew up in the south.

Even though South Florida is technically in the South it is not the South. You knew that since none of your family recipes included fried chicken, coleslaw and or baked beans you couldn’t be considered southern.

2. You are surprised at the lack of diversity anywhere else.

Not seeing ten different types of people at a grocery store is weird.

3. You have become accustomed to people assuming you are Hispanic.

Although much of our population is hispanic, those of us who aren’t are constantly asked if we are.

4. You even know some Spanish.

Simply by living in South Florida you learn some basic words and phrases in Spanish the most important being “No hablo espanol” (I don’t speak Spanish)

5. You had a favorite Hispanic restaurant.

Your Cuban sandwiches had to taste authentic and your cafe con leche had to be made just right.

 

6. Anything below 80 degrees is cold to you.

There are basically only two seasons in South Florida; Summer and Summer with rain. Both of these seasons dominate the year leaving little space for cold weather. So whenever it was cool enough for us to stop sweating it was a surprise.

7. You are accustomed to having frizzy hair.

You came to the conclusion that your hair will never be tamed. With a normal day having 98% humidity you accepted that no matter what your hair would be out of control.

8. Your entire wardrobe consists of mostly summer clothing.

The heat is why you only buy shorts and tanktops all the time. Every winter when you go into a store you wonder why they even bother selling winter clothing.

9. The 5% of your wardrobe that isn’t summer clothing is all sweaters that you rarely wear.

Seeing the cute winter and fall outfits on Instagram and Pinterest made you buy cute sweaters that you rarely ever wore. You might have even been found guilty of turning down the temperature inside just to be able to wear them.

10. You have at least one seashell necklace.

Whether you wanted to be more connected to the ocean or look like you live the salt life you know you have one of these laying around somewhere.

11. Flip Flops and Sandals are standard wear.

Whether they were Tory Burch sandals or Old Navy flip flops you had several pairs of them.

12. You have multiple pair of sunglasses.

Because being blinded by the sun can cause accidents.

13. Your vacations were either in Orlando or on a cruise ship.

For vacation you either went to a Disney park, Universal park or on a cruise to the Bahamas or Mexico.

14. Posts of palm trees on social media don’t impress you.

Every other street is lined with palm trees.

15. You are tired of people assuming that you spend most of your days  at the beach.

Early on you realized that it would be too difficult to find parking at the beach anyway.

 

16. You wanted to be marine biologist when you were younger.

All those field trips to the ocean made you want to really find Nemo. Though as you got older you realized that it would take too much effort.

17. You are used to seeing a luxury vehicle almost everyday.

Driving on I-95 you have experienced a luxury car zoom past you and cross four lanes.

18. Seeing an alligator is normal.

The canal system of South Florida has been known to be the home to many creatures including Alligators. You might have even found one in one of your local canals when you were younger.

19. You’ve taken a field trip to a swamp.

The only thing you remember about this trip was the amount of mosquito bite you had afterwards. Mosquitoes are your enemy every summer.

20. You could probably live off of your hurricane emergency supply for years.

You knew that if there ever was an apocalypse could last at least two weeks on your hurricane supply.

What are some other signs you grew up in South Florida? Share in the comments below!

Featured image source: pinterest.com