Distinctive Travel For More Than 30 Years: Fill & Download for Free

Shortly after college, I dated a man who lived on West 109th Street, and attended graduate school about 30 blocks north of his apartment. He seldom ventured below 96th Street.I have a friend who lives in the West Village, and has lived in the same place for more than 30 years. Unless there’s a social engagement she really can’t turn down (like my parties) she doesn’t come to Brooklyn.I live in Brooklyn, and working from home and on site in Brooklyn, I could go for long periods of time without ever needing to go to Manhattan.So, if you live in Manhattan, it’s possible to never go beyond the borders of the island. Depending on where you live and what you do, it’s possible to live your life without ever going more than 20 blocks (about a mile) from your home.But why?If a person wants an insular life without local travel or variation, there are many places in the country a person could live. There are many places that are cheaper.New York City has astonishing public transportation, 27 lines that run 24/7. Every nationality is represented here, and we have dozens and dozens of distinctly different neighborhoods. We have beaches and wildlife preserves and fantastic surfing and view of Manhattan. But you have to leave the island to get these things.

I had stopped dating someone who had just been divorced and wasn’t ready to settle (and wasn’t right for me). I had been invited to a party but didn’t want to go. I’m not going, I decided. Finally, two hours after the party had started, I went, alone. The loft owner’s friend opened the door — and we started talking. He was sweet, funny, had just graduated from college, was 7 years younger than me, was planning to move cross country in 2 days. We hung out at the party and then he asked if he could walk me home. We’d walked 2 blocks, making all sorts of witty comments about street signs,etc., and I thought, “This guy is so different than the ones I usually like…he’s not all dark and dramatic (which usually hooked me)…he’s like being with a best friend.” And then I asked myself, “Why shouldn’t I be in a relationship with a guy who treats me as well as my best female friend does??” I remember my small decision precisely: deciding that I’d be open to this…even had a mental metaphor of it being like a Japanese paper lamp I’d hold gently…not try to force anything…but just be open to connecting with someone who made life fun, who was kind, who wanted to know about me and share himself.He’s been an extraordinary husband and father and after more than 30 years, is still the most fun person to hang out with. We’ve traveled all over the world, gotten grad degrees after the kids were born, created books and apps and games, gone through family stresses and losses, relationship issues, gone through everyday boring ol’ life.It was a small decision I made, but a profound one: to love myself. To allow myself to be loved by someone who treated me (and others) well. To let myself be with someone whose company I flat-out enjoyed. It wasn’t sudden roses and symphonies…it was playful and sweet. But I see the depth and beauty now. I so wish everyone this.

South Florida and some of Central Florida are not considered part of the South. The Panhandle and North Florida are. In between is a gray area; if there's a dividing line, it's probably somewhere between Orlando and Ocala.Why? Geographically, Florida is certainly part of the Southeast Quadrant of the United States, broadly speaking, but most of it is nevertheless geographically distinct from "the South," because it is a peninsula stretching into the Caribbean. It's simply Florida.Culturally, much of Florida is similarly distinct from "the South." This is owing to its history. The State was a Spanish possession until 1819, and largely Indian territory until its admission to the Union in 1845 (after which wars with the Seminoles continued until nearly 1860), more than 30 years after the Louisiana Purchase of land as far West as Montana. And it would remain the least populous State in "the South" for another century. So basically, Florida was never settled in the same way many other Southern states were.What turned Florida into the most populous State in "the South" (unless you're counting Texas) today was a series of developments that led to mass migration after World War II, including rising prosperity, the interstate highway system (and subsequent advances in air travel), and air conditioning. These led to the large-scale dispersal of Americans from the old population centers of the Northeast and Great Lakes to warmer climes in the South and West. While some moved to Los Angeles or Phoenix, many New Yorkers moved instead to Miami and many Midwesterners similarly moved to the Tampa Bay area. At the same time, large numbers of Cubans migrated to nearby Miami following the Fidel Castro-led Communist revolution of 1959. Latin Americans of other nationalities later followed, seeking economic advantage.Today, only about 1 in 3 Floridians were born in the State, the second-lowest ratio in the US. While neighboring Georgia is the second-biggest feeder state, followed by debatably Southern Texas, the biggest is decidedly un-Southern New York, with the top 5 rounded out by New Jersey and California. Meanwhile, over 60% of Miami is foreign-born, higher than any other city in the nation.