As we drive away from our second winter working in Tampa and ponder our varied experiences over the last two seasons, I realize that we come away this year with many more positive memories than the previous stint here in the Sunshine State, and even a handful of things that we will look forward to coming back and experiencing again.
I could attribute the change to many factors;
- We knew what to expect this time, so it wasn't such a Southern culture shock.
- I was returning to a job I really liked, with people I'd come to enjoy and respect.
- With two "road" years behind us, we'd gotten better at adapting and accepting each new place, despite the aspects of it that didn't fit us.
- Unlike last year, we had the time (and the funds) to get to know and enjoy some of the nicer aspects of Florida life.
- We worked less, and we went out and explored more.
Sure, we still hated the politics (Sorry Governor Scott, we do actually believe in Global Warming), and the generally nasty drivers, among other things, but overall, we found ways to enjoy our surroundings and some of the good things Tampa had to offer. Here are just a few.
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| Clearwater Beach with the Boys at Christmas |
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| Leftover Cuban Sandwiches for lunch! |
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| Finding the local Patriot's bar ("Boston's") to watch the Pat's games with fellow SUPERBOWL CHAMPION New England fans. |
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| Saturday Afternoons at the local Record Store |
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| Beautiful Parks like Honeymoon Island State Park |
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| Enjoying the Selection at RAPP Brewing Company |
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| A perfect Flight |
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| And the Barrel Aging in process at Three Daughters Brewing.... |
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| A great time at the Florida Symphony in St. Petersburg with the free tickets we won at a beer festival |
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| Shot and a Beer at Gaspar's Grotto in Ybor City during the boy's holiday visit |
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| Enjoying the Tampa Pride Parade (Also in Ybor) |
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| Sunset Cruise in Key West over New Years |
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| Darts and Happy Hour Beer at Florida Ave Brewing |
My quick recap of the good and bad of our 2015 "Tampa Experience"
Stuff I won't miss....
- Guns and Ammo
- Bicycle Fatalities
- Incessant yacking about Jameis Winston
- Hostile Drivers
- Crappy Politics
- Payday Loan Stores
- Confederate Flags
- Climate Change Deniers
- Republican Bumper Stickers on BMW's
- Dale Mabry Highway
Happy Memories I'll take with me...
- Cuban Coffee on Saturday Morning
- Condo with a pool
- Beautiful Beaches
- Lively Craft Beer Scene
- Great friends from PwC
- Sunny Days
- Close Proximity to Mom (and the countless Scrabble games...)
- Creative Loafing Magazine's 2-4-one deals
- Ybor City at night
- Cuban Sandwiches
- Cigar City Brews
- Dale Mabry Highway!!
CHEERS AND ON TO YELLOWSTONE...
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