I started writing this post two years ago, and apparently just never finished it. I guess since I’ve now been in Florida officially for two years, it’s time to finish the post (which is also very fitting since my word of this month is FINISH.) Here goes –
In June of 2018, I had the opportunity to move to Florida through my job. I found out in March, looked at apartments in April, and moved in June. The moving company took most of my things, but I traveled to Florida by car and made it a fun little road trip on the way.
Day 1: Saturday
I left PA in the morning since the moving truck left the day prior. I decided that my route would go through Shenandoah National Park which made about an 8 hour drive ahead of me for the day. I had traveled to this national park as a kid with my parents and it’s where I saw my first bear. I took my time traveling through the mountains and enjoyed the various pull offs and scenery along the way.
I stayed on the North Carolina State University Campus overnight at the State View Hotel. They had a restaurant on site called the Flask and Beaker which was college science themed and I loved the creativity with the menu and drinks. The food was wonderful and I sat outside by the pool to enjoy my dinner.
Day 2: Sunday
The next morning, I was headed to St. Augustine, FL which would be about 7 hours of driving. I drove without many stops to get to St. Augustine aside from the one stop at the Frampton Plantation House in southern South Carolina.
Sunday was Father’s Day and I remember talking to one of the owners of the B&B I was staying at and he mentioned just to call him when I was close and he would let me in since they were going to be finishing up at a Father’s Day dinner.
I got there in the later evening and met one of the owners who showed me around the 44 Spanish Street Inn. Both owners were lovely hosts and thought of everything. The space was clean but cozy and really well decorated. I felt welcome right away and during check in they asked if I would be staying for breakfast. If you read the reviews of the B&B online, you know you MUST stay for breakfast, so I confirmed I’d be there.
Since the B&B is right downtown, I could just walk a street over and browse the shops and find a place to eat. I decided on the Bull & Crown Publick House since I could eat outside and got a delicious Bull Melt which included ribeye steak, red onions, a goat cheese spread, and horseradish on Sourdough. SO GOOD.
Day 3: Monday
I got up the next morning and seated myself on the patio where they serve you breakfast. I had bacon and waffles as well as a yogurt parfait and coffee. It looked great but tasted even better. I got to chat with one of the owners for a while and learn more about what led them to purchasing the Inn and why. It was a conversation I will forever remember and in that conversation, I knew FL was the right next thing for me.
After breakfast, I ventured the 3 hours over toward Tampa to head to my apartment to get the keys and begin unpacking the car. My things wouldn’t arrive for a few days, so my setup included an air mattress, beach chairs, and plastic plates. I was “home”.
It’s wild to think that that was already two years ago. Time has gone both quickly and slowly since being in FL but I’m so thankful I moved here and have been able to experience living where people vacation.
