I was born in Pensacola, Florida in 1956. Since then I have lived in Jacksonville, Florida, Tallahassee, Florida, back to Jacksonville, and back to Tallahassee where I’ve been for over 30 years. While many people do not consider Florida the south in the traditional sense, it most definitely is the south. Not just geographically but in the way we live our lives and the way we do things ... and I love it.
The south I know is filled with intelligent, forward-thinking people with healthy visions for the future. They are people who want to see our part of the world grow, become stronger, and be a place we are all proud to call home. It is a place where a helping hand is always available, where welcoming someone inside is what-we-do, and where the ice tea flows.
Among the many things I love about my home state is the diversity of climate, cultures, food, educational opportunities, and experiences. In one day, you can start in Pensacola, with her gorgeous beaches, and travel through a state with some of America’s biggest cities and greatest diversity, and 15 hours later you end up in Key West, arguably one of the wackiest and most fun places on the planet. Along the way, you will encounter the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at the 13,000 acre Torreya State Park, visit the limestone caverns in Marianna, see both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, tour Miami, one of America’s biggest cities, and visit the most fabulous amusement parks in the world from whales to Harry Potter, we have it all!
Florida is only one small part of what makes up the beauty that is the southern United States. We’ve also got the majestic Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and the Carolinas, we’ve got the incredible diversity of charming small Georgia towns and metropolitan Atlanta. There’s Nashville, Memphis, Birmingham, Oxford, and New Orleans - each with something different to offer from museums to natural wonders to the most delicious, fresh, and healthy food you will ever eat!
The simple truth is that southerners are no different than northerners or westerners, we’re just people who want to do our best to make the world a better place. We are welcoming and open to new people and new ideas. We want to raise our children to be good people, we want to grow our educational systems, we want to enjoy life, and we want to make a positive difference.
The south is so much more than what you see and hear in movies or on tv. We are home to some of the finest colleges and universities in the world, some of the most delicious foods, and beautiful places in the world, and without a doubt, some of the nicest people you will ever meet.
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