[FTLkid754]

I went to college in Florida and have lived there since graduating but I was born in NYC and raised in Jersey. How many people on this board are born and bred Floridians?

[BornInFL]

Me, although I did live outside of FL too. Spent a lot of time in NC, but consider myself a native since I was born here and spent over half my life here.

[xlabel]

b 1966 Clearwater,FL here, before the mouse house was even built, when parking at the beach costs about a dime all day, when there were more rock shops and motels for tourists than pawn shops and strip bars on US 19, when instead of condos and shopping centers there were actually orange groves

[BornInFL]

^^^ Ahh, Old FL... how I do miss you. I remember when cow pastures were prevelant in Orlando.

[The Floridian]

Born (1966) and raised in Gainesville, Florida.

[sunrico90]

Born (1960) NYC, living in FL for 11+ years....

[grapico]

born in pc, raised gulf coast (FWB, Niceville), mostly tallahassee.

[mental_complex]

<-- Born and rasied in Florida, even though I'm staying out of coutry right now. Florida is my home and legal resident.

[AnnieA]

I do miss the old Florida but I miss the old South, in general. Being from the South and from a large, extended family, a way of life has gone. Please dont anyone start about the bad things that went on in the South in the past, I am just talking about being able to play in the streets after dark and not be afraid. Having neighbhors sitting on their porches in the evenings and the adults telling "ghostly" stories to big eyed children. Going to church on Homecoming Day and the tables groaning with food prepared by the ladies of the church. A funeral procession passing by and cars pulling off the road while the hearse and the family passed by. The policeman stopping traffic at intersections and standing at attention with his hat off as the hearse passed. Family reunions, running and playing with other old and new cousins and being introduced to Aunt Mary from Alabama or Georgia and her making a comment about how much one favored Mama or Aunt Sulie on Papa's side of the family.......I miss going out onto a creek in the Green Swamp and catching a few fish and having a fish fry with several families. Fish and frenchfries and hushpuppies cooked over an open fire (and sometimes a chicken or two if the fish were not biting...LOL). Simple food never tasted so good.
And lots and lots of sweet iced tea.

And most of all, I miss having the windows open on a warm spring night and listening to a mockingbird singing in a tree outside the bedroom window and waking up in the middle of the night and hearing the train whistle going through town and the chug, chug of the wheels as they gathered up steam, heading out of town......

It was a simpler time and had it owns hardships and heartaches but, I miss it....the simple people, the room to breath and all the green, growing areas, whether groves, farms or pastures, the woods.

[SoFLGal]

Born in Bradenton, FL-Manatee Memorial-(1972). Lived in SW FL my whole life. All three of my children were born here as well. One was born in Bradenton and two in Port Charlotte. I've lived just about everywhere in SW Florida-Longboat Key, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Sarasota, Venice, Englewood, Osprey, Port Charlotte, North Port and Little Gasparilla Island.

I love living in FL and don't think I'll ever leave