I lived in Miami, Florida for almost two years while I was working on my undergraduate degree. It was one of the first places I lived that was warm all year round. Along with the warm nights came warm Cuban food that changed the way I viewed the caribbean. One of my favorite meals was a bistec with a green salsa served with rice and beans. There are not many other dishes I’ve had since that compare with the pleasure of that simple meal. I also had the privilege of eating red snapper along with many other seafoods.
One of my favorite parts about the food in Miami was the diversity. There were literally a half a dozen cultural foods at any company or scholastic potluck dinner. Each culture brought something different to the table, literally. Half of my time I was actually living in little Haiti. Most of the people in my neighborhood were actually surprised to see a white guy from New England at the coin wash. Even though I seemed a little out of place while living in little Haiti it was still a great opportunity for me to see and experience a new culture. This included both their food and their language.
I was actually in nursing school at the time I was down there and participated in many health fares in the area. Some of the health fares we conducted basic physical assessments of the local population. We even taught CPR to some of the adults and children. Before we taught CPR to any of the locals we were required to have our ACLS recertification and PALS certification online courses completed. Those that had their ACLS and PALS certification online were at a different level of training and skill compared to the other nursing students.
Those two years were a true adventure for me. In many ways I still miss Miami, Florida and have thought about moving back there many times. I still keep my eyes open at different career opportunities that exist there. Because it has such desirable weather and a lot of universities competition for jobs can be quite high. As a result sometimes the benefits don’t outweigh the sacrifices to live in South Florida.
Now I travel the world experiencing different food and cultures so South Florida, while beautiful, isn’t quite as appealing as when I lived in the bitter cold North East. It is better to be able to travel, experience new cultures, and try different foods from around the world. Without new experiences we can’t progress as individuals. Hopefully you’re not just reading about traveling and trying new things like what I share on my blog. I want to motivate my readers to take the initiative to experiment, travel, and try new things in their own life.