If you've only started following along in my travels over the last two years, what you may not have known is that I'm a second generation native Floridian, that was born, raised and living in the Sunshine State, up until two years ago. After 35 years of swimming & paddling in Florida's oceans, waterways & bodies of water, driving its back roads, hiking its trails and exploring every nook & cranny of my home state, I set off for life on the road and new experiences, but Florida, in all its natural beauty & southern hospitality, will forever take up a huge chunk of space in my heart. ~ It's with a heavy heart that I sit on the opposite end of the country, watching the path of hurricane Irma; forecasted to go right through the place I lived most of my life, the place where a lifetime's worth of family & friends call home, to this day. It's the Florida way to ride out the storm, but we rode out Andrew in 92 and the devastation was crushing, yet we revived & rebuilt. This storm is no Andrew and no cause for a hurricane party. It's a freaking leviathan. ~ Who knows where Irma will make landfall or how badly it will affect the homes, businesses, roadways and natural places of such a beautiful state? What we do know is that the real florida knows how to keep it real and the seas may get real rough but you will weather the storm, like you always have. Yeah, I'm not there, but a big piece of my forever blue heart is and I'm hoping y'all are safe & loved no matter what happens. ~ #florida #lovefl #floridalove #floridaforever #floridaasfuck (at Florida)
