You’ll only get this if you’re from Fort Lauderdale
If you aren’t you’ll wish you were
Aloha! Just kidding, Hi guys I’m Sarah and it would be pretty cool if I was from Hawaii, but I am from sunny (or as I think of it…rainy) Fort Lauderdale.
Most of you would probably respond to where I am from with “Oh yeah, the airport I flew into to go on that cruise four years ago” or even better “Hey, do you know my grandma? She lives there!” (I’m sorry but 99.9% of the time I do not know her, but I am sure she is a cool lady). I started college in New York in the fall and I truly had a culture shock.
I never would have thought that growing up in Fort Lauderdale could be so different than the Northeast.
Everyone is bilingual
Yes, Spanglish counts as a second language.
In Fort Lauderdale, it is an unspoken rule that you must be able to get by in a conversation in Spanish. No one really knows how we know it, none of us were ever really taught, but some way, somehow I can check the square that I speak two languages.
Just kidding, I wouldn’t do that but I think that us Fort Lauderdale locals have done pretty well.
The food is amazing
There is a romantic relationship with Cuban food and people from Fort Lauderdale. Basically, every four restaurants you drive by will have some Cuban type cuisine.
Either the chain of Las Vegas restaurants that we all love or the even faster but equally tasty Pollo Tropical, there is something about Cuban food and people who live in Fort Lauderdale that just makes us feel at home.
No one knows the reasoning behind it, but hey I’m not complaining when I get my arroz con pollo.
The desserts are even better
Fort Lauderdale locals definitely know how to eat because no matter how full one is after scarfing down their Cuban heaven, no one will ever turn down the opportunity of Jaxson’s Kitchen Sink. There is a mandatory four person minimum policy because of the large amounts of ice cream and toppings that are brought to you. It is so big they actually serve it in a kitchen sink!
People come from all over to try this delicious treat, usually for big occasions like an anniversary. However as a local, there is nothing funnier yet sad, than when you receive your Sink on a casual Thursday night and the party next to you gets sung Happy Birthday and only orders one or two scoops of a regular ice cream dessert.
We have hurricane parties
Probably the most unique thing you only understand if you’re from Fort Lauderdale.
Pretty much everyone else in the country knows a good snow day party, but for me it was always the hurricane parties that I remembered. Countless days school were cancelled because of the possible chance of a hurricane. And usually, nothing really ever came out of them except maybe a fallen tree branch, but hey safety precautions are always good.
On these days, you hung out with all your friends in someone’s house just having a great time. These parties often lasted days with only canned food, room temperature drinking water, and people wearing pajamas. These were by far the greatest times with your friends that I wouldn’t trade for a second.
I hope you are all now convinced that Fort Lauderdale is the best place to call home and there is no competition.
Sorry to all you Northeasterners, but I would choose my backyard parties in humid weather and bar adventures with my friends while growing up rather than your basement parties any day.