Whoops!

People who know me would say that, besides being one of the most amazing people they've ever met, I can be a bit impulsive. I get really excited about the IDEA of the things and then jump into them without really thinking about them too much. I used to think this spontaneity kept me young but, as I just turned 30, it does not seem to be working.

If I might use the past few weeks as an example... I decided to quit my steady job at a fancy hotel where I hobnobbed with (i.e. handed room keys to) multitudes of celebrities, say goodbye to my group of good friends who I love dearly, move out of my apartment where I have been living with my best friend of 12 years, pack all of my belongings, stick them in a car and drive down to Florida to start a new life. On paper it seemed like a good idea. I could live in a pretty, historic city, on the water, live relatively rent free, the sun would be shining, fresh air... A nice breather after a pretty horrible winter in New York.

Before

After a week of living down here the reality has sunken in.. Not to be negative, after all it has only been a week and I am still getting adjusted, but there are a few things that are taking getting used to. For instance, the amount of time I am spending with M & B after having lived on my own, more or less, for many years. They are on a pretty set schedule (up at 6am, 2 hour walk on beach, lunch at 12pm, B takes a nap, M takes me around town to get my bearings and comfortable driving after 6 years of not, dinner at 6, M & B are usually in bed by 8 or 9pm) and I just weave in and out of it trying not to step on any toes. As a self-proclaimed social butterfly, retiring to my room by 7pm to spend the rest of the night surfing the net and watching movies is getting a little old. But since the only two people I know here are over the age of 60 ("Isn't that all of Florida," you're probably thinking) I have become quite familiar with the city's library DVD collection.

After

Also the job search is a little..whats the word? Bleak? Depressing? Humbling? Yes, all of these. It seems I will be making, if I am hired, around $8 less an hour for the same amount of work I did in NYC. True, the cost of living here is less but again, $8 less for the same amount of work...And, interestingly enough, me being from New York almost seems like a negative down here, like I have to prove myself even more to them. Don't they know we are a superior race? ;) (JK if there are any prospective employers reading this...)

But above all, and what prompted me to write this post, are two very big "Doh!" moments that I've had while being down here.

1. I don't like being hot. Actually, I loathe being hot. It makes me incredibly irritable, and and an overall unpleasant person to be around. And I get hot easily. And not in the 80s, the 70s! High 60s even!!! I actually recoil in fear at the thought of the temperature ever getting to the 80s. Also, the fact that I sweat like a water buffalo if the temperature jumps above 60 degrees does not bode well for me living in Florida. Yesterday it was 73 degrees in February. February!  I perish the thought of what temperatures June will have in store for me. What was I thinking?

A typical face when I am hot...

2. Sorry, maybe this is a little gross and I was having creepy dreams about it last night so I woke up feeling like a Cootie Queen, but I am actually allergic to the sun. Yes, I am allergic to that giant yellow heat ball of gas and flames that seems to be resting upon my roof down here. And maybe it would be comforting to know that there is medicine I could take to prevent it or heck, an actual name for it (impossible to find) but no. There's nothing. So if I am out in the sun for too long (we're talking 30 minutes, not 12 hours) I get tiny little red itchy dots on my arms, legs, chest, basically anywhere the sun touches. And, mind you, this never happened to me in New York or even the beaches of Italy. In fact, the only two places it has ever happened to me in my 30 years are Belize and FLORIDA!!! Who is allergic to the sun and moves to the Sunshine State? So, after having dreamt of a much more creepy version of it last night, I awoke to begin research to see if I could find a way to prevent it. And this is what I found. Finally! Now I no longer have to worry about looking like a creep!!!

"When going out in the sun, wear full sleeved clothes and pants, a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses. Women can tie a big scarf around the head to protect the head and neck."

Oh yeah, this is gonna be great....