Five Fab Days in Florida - Tampa

Let me preface this post/trip with this disclaimer: We are not Florida people. (Nothing against Florida people. I know some Florida people and I love them. I just have a complicated relationship with Florida). We are, however, Scottish people. When we learned the Scots would be in Florida this spring, we made the decision to go to Florida. I had never been, and Nic had not been for years and years. So, another adventure was in store for us.

Nic and I awoke early (WAY early) on Wednesday morning to catch a flight to Tampa, where we planned to meet up with our Scottish family for five fab days of Florida. 

Things at work have been hard for both of us, so we came to this holiday so ready to relax, and very thankful that Paddy is an excellent trip planner.

We travelled from Tampa to Kissimmee, where their daughter was playing tennis. Our afternoon was spent lying by the pool, soaking up the sun, and quickly catching up. We planned to pop down to Cocoa Beach to see the launches. Paddy had the forethought to research the best restaurant to see the launches from the pier. Catroina and I took one for the team and got there early while the guys drove around searching for the best vantage point for the launch. Unfortunately, the first launch was cancelled, so they came back for a bite to eat.

The first thing I noticed about Florida is the traffic. The second is the weather - which is perfect. Near the sea the wind can pick up, but even still it is not cold. Rather it is uncomfortably blowy, with a trace of a chill.

Paddy and Catroina make friends everywhere they go. So, of course we made friends right away with this lovely Canadian lady who took our photos, and left a little gift for us to remember her with. I thanked her profusely for still coming to America, and apologized for being American and for all of our chaos.

And then we watched a spaceship shoot off. I was really hoping it would blow up because it belonged to Musk and I am not a fan. Sadly, it did not blow up. It sailed beautifully into space.

We spent Thursday at the AirBNB in Kissimmee. I read my book, soaked up the sun. Nic read all about the layoffs in the National Park and tried to predict our future.

Friday we took a kayaking trip in the nearby river. Nic really hoped to spot a gator, I relished the silence, the gentle dip of the paddles in the water. It was the most relaxing thing I have done in a long time. It brought me back to the Japanese idea of Forest Bathing. I felt deeply that this was one bath I had needed for a long time deeply inside my soul.

We had been told Bruce, and his alligator gal, Edith lived in these swamps. Despite having a wildlife biologist on my kayak, we saw no sign of them. However, true to form Nic discovered a NEW female alligator in the park who had never been spotted. We were allowed to name her. So, obviously I named her Claire.

Meet Claire and her hatchlings!

Nic and I are practically famous now. Claire is super famous and she is practically our baby.

We ended the night down in Miami at a quaint little restaurant outside of Little Havana. It was a lovely beginning to our Miami adventure. But more on that later.