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For Women Only: Essentials For Full Time Floridians
So you’ve finally made the big move!!I Instead of two homes, one for
each season, you’ve chosen the most sensible path. In spite of the emotional
ties and familiarity of your northern home, an emptier house reminds you that
the kids are grown, have their own lives and families, and may even be raking
in three times your income. Gradually all the packing and commuting are wear-
ing you down. Perhaps most importantly, the cost of maintaining a Florida con-
dominium along with a northern home seems overwhelming. Relinquishing the
identity of a “snowbird,” you are now a full time Florida resident, more like an
By: Audrey Smith
osprey.
Part-time residents often ask, “How do you stand the summers here?”
I once overheard one snowbird marvel to another, “Can you believe
some people are trapped here all year long?”
For the past forty years, I have been very gratefully “trapped” in the
Broward-Palm Beach County areas.
Granted, the first summer requires adjustments. However, you never
have to be far from air conditioning, the beach, or pools. Summer rain is a con-
stant, but it rarely rains too hard for very long. Always keep in mind, though,
that our state is first in the nation for lightning strikes. However, if it’s stormy where you are, chances are that in
the next town conditions are clear and bright. Just to be safe, always have umbrellas in your home, car, or both.
Summer rainy season mornings are usually sunny, so plan outdoor exercise for that time, or join one of
the incredibly cheap gyms as an alternative. By five pm, skies are often clear again, and golfers, joggers, tennis
players and swimmers out in full force. Don’t forget that summer darkness does not descend until 8pm. Therefore,
you can still squeeze five or more hours of outside time into the day, and it is all free!! No country club fees, long
train rides, or bumper to bumper traffic are necessary to enjoy the beauty of nature here. And without all the
tourists in the summer, the beach is a six minute trip and seems nearly private.
Moreover, if you want to feel like a tourist again, go to a hotel featuring cabanas and pay-as-you-go
guests. At Ocean Manor in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea you can use the pool, tiki bar, restaurant, pool, ocean, and jet
skis, even your own cabana with a television and waiters!! Or try The Sands in Pompano Beach or the Hotel W.
With the cost of entry sometimes free or five dollars for valet parking. Even living where we do, we can all be
tourists for a day.
Remember the Girl Scout motto,” Always be prepared”? With just a bit of planning, you can have items in
a backpack in the car. This way, you’ll be able to change clothes in a beach bathroom, gym locker room, or pool
area when the weather cooperates. Here are some summer staples I have found essential:
1)
Have at least two bathing suits, since one may still be damp from the last swim (None of us are
perfect enough to check the contents of the bag each day.) I suggest investing in swimsuits that flatter your body,
of course, since you will never wear them more than here in the Sunshine State. Wash them in the sink with a
cold water detergent like Woolite. Many tend to run in the machines. Eventually, if you really swim they will have
to be replaced, but hope to get at least two years’ use out of each. No matter how you feel about your body in
swimwear, make an attitude adjustment by visiting a local beach. You will see fat, thin, white, tan, female and
male bodies of all ages. Miraculously, all these assorted builds obliviously wear bikinis and Speedos. Likewise,
you should wear the suit of your choice. One asset Floridians and tourists seem to possess is their lack of body-
shaming practices. All are there mainly to enjoy sunshine and the ocean rather than critique each other.
2)
Headbands will help limit sweat from running into your eyes when you walk, play tennis, or run.
Also essential to carry with you are hairclips and bobby pins. The emergence of buns last year helps everyone
look more put together, rather than leaving hair all knotted from wind and sand.
3)
Speaking of hair, if you swim in chlorine, make sure to wear one or even two bathing caps. The
first can be a tight athletic one, and the second bigger if you can find one. The old kinds with straps under the chin