43 Reasons Why Growing Up In Florida Was Paradise On Earth

Two words: FUN NOODLES.

1. You learned to swim before you could walk.

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2. You were brought up correctly into the true religion of Publix subs.

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3. And you got free cookies at the Publix bakery just because you were a kid!

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4. By now, the Stingray Shuffle is second nature.

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5. Your driving test was a joke, and you probably didn’t even have to parallel park.

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6. And you NEVER had to drive in the snow.

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7. Hurricanes don’t even make you flinch.

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8. Field trips to the swamp were actually kind of cool.

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9. School footwear:

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10. Going-out footwear:

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11. Dressy footwear:

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12. You could spend hours in one of these.

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13. This was your winter coat.

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14. Two words: FUN NOODLES.

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15. You didn’t have to be rich to have a pool.

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16. Hurricane days!

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17. You petted one of these on a field trip.

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18. You got to go to Disney Grad Nite. (RIP)

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19. After every wave, you knew you got to watch the coquinas bury themselves in the sand.

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20. Every Friday and Saturday night: the outdoor mall and a movie.

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21. You knew exactly where you and your friends could hang out until late at night.

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22. You conquered the Montu.

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23. Slow drivers don’t faze you, because you’re used to going 30 behind a huge Cadillac with Ohio plates.

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24. Got a date? You knew exactly where to go.

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25. An acceptable dinner:

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26. You got to spend most of third grade learning about these.

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27. You didn’t have to wear a big coat over your Halloween costume…because it was still 90 degrees outside.

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28. You got used to these just chilling everywhere.

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29. Learning to plot hurricanes was an actual elementary school lesson.

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30. Every school pizza party:

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31. You got to freak northern people out by revealing you’d never seen snow.

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32. You laughed when people bought these at shell stores, because you already have a bunch you found (already dead, of course).

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33. Shell stores.

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34. You and your family knew EXACTLY which side you were on.

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35. You knew you didn’t need snow to make it *feel* like Christmas.

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36. You had a drawer for your regular shorts and a drawer for your nice shorts.

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37. This was your family’s idea of a good time.

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38. Someone you knew had one of these in their yard.

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39. It takes a REALLY big bug to gross you out after growing up with lizards, dragonflies, snakes, alligators, and fire ants.

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40. You could play outside all year round.

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41. You’re tough with burns, because you’ve touched one of these after it sat in a Florida parking lot for hours.

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42. You were always tan, just from walking to and from your house.

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43. And of course, the best part about being a Florida kid:

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