My memories of Florida include a handful of family trips to Orlando for awesome visits to the theme parks, staying at my grandparents' home in Delray Beach (where my grandmother yelled at me once for having left water drops in the bathroom sink after I had washed my hands) and multiple trips to Miami where the entire Rubin clan got together to celebrate Passover. Blanketed by the securities of family, lovely hotels, multiple cars and drivers in our clan, a visit to Florida never felt anything other than oh-so-fun and easy. When I was recently offered a chance to work on a cruise for a few months, with over a month's rehearsal time on land in Florida, I envisaged endless days of blue skies, nights of bar hopping on 2-for-1 frozen margheritas, and strips of outdoor shopping for our days off from work.
After landing at Ft. Lauderdale airport, I watched the palm trees with excited anticipation from the taxi window. When the taxi dropped me off at the rehearsal accommodation, there was one other cast member there, and after we finished unpacking, we were starving and ready for food. The 10-15 minute walk to any sort of food option didn't phase me. I have spent most of my life being able to pick from a multitude of restaurants which are less than a 5 minute walk away, and the notion that you have to either get into a car or take a 15 minute walk to get to any food will always be strange to me, but, you know, when in Rome...
Although the distance didn't phase me, the food options did. Apart from a random Asian fusion restaurant and a Starbucks (obviously), all the options are fast food. No Pret-A-Manger? No place with a huge salad bar? Uh-oh. It was fine for a few days. However, we are now two and a half weeks into our rehearsal process, and the lack of semi-healthy eating options is beginning to become a mild frustration. I usually just fancy a huge salad for lunch, but instead, I have ended up frequenting the local IHOP more times than should be allowed for people whose job description includes a bi-weekly weigh-in. My poor intestines are begging me to ease up on the carbs and the grease. I have compensated by making my own huge salads for dinner, which are better than any salad you'll find down here. While Florida has gifted us with those super delicious buttermilk pancakes, it seems to have not realised yet that there are other greens that exist for salads other than iceberg lettuce. My huge salads have left me happily satiated and gone down a treat with other cast members. Look for the silver lining, eh?
Speaking silver linings, the good thing about having to order a taxi to go to a bar or to a mall, or to go ANYWHERE is that I just stay at home and don't spend money. With a pool, outdoor barbeque, gym, and tennis courts, our accommodation has more than enough to keep us occupied. I work with a bunch of Brits, and we've taken to having teatime together in the evenings, which has really been just lovely. I can't even get to a bank to cash my paychecks (because I would have to pay for a taxi there) so surviving on homemade salads and cups of tea will just have to do for now.
Let's talk about the whether for a bit. It rains almost every day. And I'm not talking about a little drip here and there, I'm talking about Zeus having a temper tantrum and punishing us with mega downpours. So, I whine, "But this is Floridaaaaaaaaa! Isn't it supposed to be sunny all the timeeeeeeee???" Nope. Apparently not. Apparently it's hurricane season. And by hurricane season, I mean that we had a meeting about hurricane preparation, got home, and found a note on our door from our leasing office about how to prepare for a hurricane. I keep saying that none of this was in my contract! I also keep saying to myself that this ain't New York, but NY experienced an earthquake yesterday, so the world has been flipped upside down anyway. Come to Florida for a daily thunderstorm, go to New York to feel the earth move. Who would have thought?
One other interesting difference that I have noticed about life here is that it is not eco-friendly at all. I will go grocery shopping and end up with five plastic bags because the idea of economising seems to be a non-entity down here. I am constantly having to say to the super friendly check-out staff, "I don't need another plastic bag, thanks." And, how does a condo provide a gym, pool, and tennis courts, but no recycling bins? THAT blows my mind.
I miss New York. I miss the convenience, I miss the vibe, I miss taking ballet class at City Center, I miss the salad bars, I miss the pace. But, I do not miss the struggle and I do not miss the stress. I've swapped the salad bars for incredible garlic crabs and the pace for a luxurious day's outing at South Beach, jellyfish included! And I've swapped the stressful struggle for an amazing experience with a bunch of inspiring artists doing what makes me most happy. We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto, and I look forward to see what lies further down the proverbial yellow brick road. Maybe a hurricane, maybe a theme park adventure, definitely an awesome life experience.
