Right. I've apparently been out here for three and a half months already so I guess it's about time I told you guys a bit about Florida! So far I've spent most of my time in a state of mild confusion while attempting to function like an adult in a land where "the Simpsons" is my primary frame of reference.
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| Pretty sure I've been here. |
Anyway, despite all the culture shock, I at least have a functioning car, an "apartment", a whole bunch of paperwork to assure the US government that I exist and am legal, and I haven't starved to death yet, been eaten by an alligator or had any run-ins with
Florida Man. So far so good. Also, my
new job is making me a very happy deep-sea nerd so happy days :)
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| The zebra longwing butterfly is apparently Florida's state butterfly because apparently states have butterflies. |
On a more wildlife-related note, I've also managed to get out with the camera a few times. I'm living in sub-tropical Fort Lauderdale (on the Atlantic coast just north of Miami), so there are mangrove swamps and white-sand beaches everywhere, and of course, there's the Everglades National park just to the west of us which has fan boats and alligators every few metres. I've not managed to get out scuba diving or snorkelling yet, but the summer is just around the corner for that!
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| A royal tern in its winter plumage. |
I'll set up some separate blog posts for the specific parks I've been to, but for now, here's an alligator from a couple of weeks ago:
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| An American alligator in the water lilies |
I'll be back in a day or two with some more photos to share. Have a good weekend!
