By Wendy Cartwright

Guest columnist

Snow Bunnies

I have a very serious question …

What is it with Florida? I’m not asking for opinions on the state of the state or the political climate. I’m curious as to why so many people from the Midwest visit there as much as they do.

I’m not trying to influence anyone for or against The Sunshine State. I’ve been there myself, three times to be exact. Each time I returned home, I could have been quoted as saying that I didn’t need to go back, especially, “I didn’t lose ANYTHING in Florida.” (Hence, there’s no reason to return to find it.) But, as I said, I keep going back.

There was a common reason I took those trips to Florida. Each time I went to see a person who had once lived in the Midwest and has since relocated to the ”arena of alligators,” the “domain of Disney,” the “turf of surf.”

Again, why do people here love it there?

I have some ideas Beaches are beautiful. All three of my trips were to different parts of the state. The first was spontaneous and very brief, but I was quite clear to my travel mates that I could not head for home without some time in the sand. My second visit, a friend and I stayed in a beachfront hotel. The third was to a town in an inland location of the panhandle, but you bet your bikini we drove to Destin.

We also are quite fond of road trips. Twelve or more hours is a bit much for me, but one can arrive before bedtime if they leave early. A flight only takes a couple of hours. Travel from here to Florida is much more convenient than to other tropical American locales such as Southern California.

Of course, there’s the weather. Winters in Florida are quite different from winters in the Midwest, often prompting Heartland residents to spend the entire season as “snow bunnies,” not returning home until spring. Two of my visits were in September and I can attest to the fact that it was stifling. Maybe I should try again in January.

As I said, I’m not making an argument as to why anyone should or should not go to, or even move to Florida. A person can do as they please without my input. I’m genuinely curious. What makes Midwesterners love it so much?

I will probably go visit another Midwesterner-turned-Floridian at some point in my future. And, I’ll probably tell everyone that I didn’t lose anything while I was there. If I do return to the “land of lagoons” I’ll try to go in winter. I just hope there’s no snow between here and there!

Wendy Cartwright hails from the North Vernon area and has lived there most of her life. She is 43 years old. She has a love of sharing her thoughts on growing up in the Midwest and other stories from her life. She spends her days reading and writing in the home she shares with her husband and chihuahua. Send comments to [email protected].