As someone who has lived in five cities and three states, I can’t deny that Florida was the PEAK place to live (Sorry!). I understand that this article may seem a little controversial, but hear me out on the entertainment, environment, and the incredibly easy access to popular vacation spots. 

I’ve lived in North Carolina for the majority of my life, despite being raised in Michigan. I can’t ignore the joy I find in the downtown historical sites, or even the spring festival the Triangle offers. However, when it comes to the point of comparison, Florida still has me hooked on their living style. 

Boca Raton, Florida, is located on the lower Southern side of the state. That is where I lived. After adjusting to the drastic change in day to day duties and events, my life quickly transformed into what felt like a vacation. The cities in Florida rely on their ability to appeal towards tourists, so they include an immense amount of fun activities for guests and residents alike to experience. We’d stop and watch a movie at the local movie theater, then visit the arcade next door right after. The sports bars were packed with Florida enthusiasts, as together we enjoyed both the game and the food. Some of the hottest spots we knew of were Duffy’s and Miller’s Ale House, in which we visited multiple times weekly.

You might be thinking that this sounds vaguely familiar to Raleigh or Apex, but it’s not. Unlike many areas in North Carolina, Florida’s water parks are extremely plentiful and common due to the blazing heat. I held my birthday party at one called Coconut Cove, which was less than ten minutes away from my home. They also have a ton of grand and unique playgrounds which are not near the simplicity of Apex’s. Sugar Sand Park was practically labeled as an outdoor attraction in Boca Raton, known for its splash pad, three floors of wooden halls to run through, and a ton of uncommon play equipment scattered across the premises (Look it up!). I can’t forget to mention the gardens, zoo’s, and nature sites also plastered around the state; a couple being Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, or even the Palm Beach Zoo. 

Even school felt like a vacation spot, as most schools were outdoor. The Florida sun warmed and tanned our backs as we transferred classes in between periods, surrounded by the spanish style architecture. This made the buildings extremely attractive, as they are nothing like Wake County’s “cookie cutter” homes, since that is uncommon around Florida. London Bay Homes stated that the most common forms of architectural designs in the state are coastal contemporary, Mediterranean, and of course the classic Spanish style. Vivid colors of clay buildings painted in oranges, browns, whites, and notes of blue and green allowed the towns to bloom with personality,

Sick of the cold? Move to Florida! You can relax on one of the 200 plus beaches on the coasts in the middle of February. A bonus is that vacation is all around you, too. Visit the keys for a tropical vibe, or explore one of the many theme parks in Orlando. Florida schools also take advantage of these opportunities since they very often take day-field-trips to Walt Disney World, Universal, Seaworld, and more. Nonetheless, once you live there you might not even feel the need to leave town for spring or summer break, since there’s an endless amount of shopping centers, pools, and more, all within a short radius of your home. 

In conclusion, Florida hit a record breaking number of 142.9 million visitors last year, so why not become one of their 23.37 million residents? It’s an endless vacation spot, wherever you choose. Maybe college, a house, or even a simple spring break trip! The environment, entertainment, and everything in between is all waiting for you in the beautiful sunshine state of Florida.