Florida

Out of all the places I have been, Florida is easily the most “common” location. I’ve traveled south to Florida many times for a few different reasons. The primary place that I visit is Walt Disney World. Yes, a theme park doesn’t have much in common with the places of natural beauty and history that seem to make up most of my other travels, and is surely a much more expensive destination, but Disney has kept me returning from before I can remember all the way up to today. I would not have as many visits to this special place without my grandparents, who spend close to a month staying at various Disney resorts for a month each winter with their Vacation Club membership. But, since they are Disney lovers, the rest of our family was (thankfully) roped in as well! My favorite part of Disney as I have grown older is the atmosphere that the theme parks and resorts provide. I always feel right at home no matter where I am, and with so many different styles of restaurants and attractions, it’s easy to get lost in the “perfect” world that is created for you. As I said, this comes at the cost of quite a bit of money, but I’ve made far too many wonderful memories with wonderful people to say that it’s not worth every cent. Outside of Disney, I have been to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensecola, near which I saw a B-29 Bomber take off, one of the few that remains from their active service in World War II. Further south, I braved the scalding summer heat to enjoy some of the waterfront areas, including Daytona Beach and Palm Beach. My excursion to Palm Beach was especially unique, as it was the location of one of my free days during my 2016 drum corps tour. This tour took me to Lakeland, Jupiter, and Orlando, where I performed shows and stayed in various housing locations such as an elementary school and a fairground. Florida in the middle of the summer is not the best place to be when you are participating in an intense, outdoor, physical activity, but it’s hard for me not to enjoy myself anytime I’m near palm trees! Part of my family is from the south, so I think I can safely say that I got my mother’s southern blood when it comes to tolerating hot temperature over cold ones. Florida is one of the few true “vacation spots” that I frequent, always providing an exciting and fun getaway.