Florida is the state of sublime

Florida is the state of extremes, excitement, excess, contrasts, continual change, big theme parks, surprises, immigrants, evangelicals, toll roads and turnpikes, and different ecosystems.

Spring Break was the perfect time for our family getaway and we were eager to experience warmer climes in the Sunshine State. Here are some samples from our visit.

Day 1 – To Destin, Fla.

Leave home 0845. Take I-65 south for five hours, then turn east on Hwy 31. Cross into Florida. 1600 arrive Destin. Drive around this beach town. Check out the expensive houses on the seashore. Beaches! Love the musky ocean smell (as always). Ate dinner at the Crab Trap, a restaurant on the beach. Crabs for the girls. $118 bill for me.

Day 2 - Delicious Destin

Morning stroll on the white sands of the beach strip. Feed the seagulls the morning waffles the girls wouldn't eat.

Great fun at the go kart track. I cut off Naomi and forced her and Lady E. into rubber guard, Victory was sweet for M. and me.

Lunch at Joe's Crab Shack. More crustaceans. Another $100+ tab.

Walked to the $5.99 gift store. Then the Emerald Isle hotel and boarded the Destin Snorkel adventure cruise. Out on a boat to see dolphins in the wild. Saw plenty of those but also a group of manta rays that gracefully traversed under our tour boat. Found out such groups are called a “squadron.” Thanks, Google.

Our exploratory visit to Destin garnered a thumbs-up; we’ll be back again.

Day 3 - Trippin’ to Tampa

Leaving Destin, I was caffeinated and ready to d-r-i-v-e. I thoroughly enjoyed the first flush of the journey, going through the wealthy beachfront home areas in Sandestin and beyond…slow, two-lane roads but lush greenery and Mayberry feel. Motored up through the hurricane devastated inland areas to I-10, hauled ass east, and then made a beeline southward.

Touchdown at the Tahitian Inn in downtown Tampa. Described online as a “boutique gem” it actually lived up to its name. 1950s allure and palm trees, faded but still glorious. Peter Lawford and lesser Rat Pack members’ hangout vibe here.

Had another seafood dinner at Crabby's in Clearwater (another shoreline Shangri-la). YET MORE LOBSTER AND CRAB! These women in my life are remorseless seafood eating machines.

-to be continued- 

More on M: Part IV

Here’s another installment in our Rising Daughters™ series of interviews with the terrific twosome.  We last spoke with Marina back in October 2017. We were on the cusp of leaving Gurgaon for our new home in the U.S. Read on to discover the rambunctious Ms. M’s current views on life, laughter and the pursuit of happiness.

What's been the hardest thing for you to adjust to since you moved to Tennessee?

Sleeping with the door closed, not sleeping with Mommy, and not being able to use my flashlight when I go to sleep in my own bedroom. Also, finishing my breakfast in the morning isn’t easy.

What are your favorite clothes these days?

I like to wear shorts as much as I can. But skirts are distracting when you run. Shorts don’t flap like skirts when you run. I also like T-shirts.

Embarrassing habits? 

Sometimes I sniff my own farts and compare it with other ones from before.

What's your favorite ice cream/or candy?

Well, I like Laffy Taffy (candy). Chocolate and vanilla ice cream, and soda. I like Nerds when we go to see a movie. I once ate too many Nerds and got sick to my stomach.

Who is more fun to play with, boys or girls?

Girls are more fun. Why? I don’t know, ‘cause I’m a girl? Boys do scary sports and people really get hurt. I don’t want to get hurt, so I don’t play with them. The games are Dodgeball and Nosebleed.

Are you more of a guys' girl or still a girls' girl?

Both. At my birthday party I got around four pounds of Slime, confetti, beads and glitter. Four guests got one pound of it and other stuff. We saved some for a late party arrival so she could play with Slime, too. Elena got the clear Slime. Sometimes girls fight, though.

What's your average day like?

Dad wakes me up at 0655 with rock n’ roll. He carries me to the big bed in Mommy’s room and throws me on the bed to wake me up. I change into school clothes after that. Then I eat breakfast, brush my teeth. The bus comes at 0755. My friend comes, so we pet the other friend’s dog and wait for the bus to come. When we get to school, we wait for the car kids to come, then the gym teacher releases us into the school. We get to our classrooms and do grammar, math, social studies. Yeah.  That’s about it. 

Tell us about the past year at school in Tennessee. What have you learned?

I learned about the circulatory system and the solar system. Plants. U.S. states and history—and a project about Pres. Abraham Lincoln. I got extra points for the beard when I dressed up like him. I really liked Field Day games outside, when it was warm and school was ending, and Sunday’s ice cream. I won a spot in an art contest!

What books are you reading lately?

I still read SpongeBob but lately I really like reading Dork Diaries. Dork Diaries is a girly book, but there’s this other one, the Diary of the Wimpy Kid, that I like. It’s for boys but I still enjoy it.

What’s your favorite toy or thing these days?

I enjoy the camera that Mommy and Daddy got me for Christmas, and the drawing iPad they gave me, too. I love the robot dog, Maya, that Grampa gave me for my birthday present. It’s kind of like a real dog. It kinda walks, rolls over, and barks. 

What would you like to say to your future self?

[For Marina in six years from now/i.e. 15 years old] Hello, I’m fifteen years old. I’ve got a husband, he works for Nissan. I’m a zookeeper and I have 20 children. Apparently we sold them all and only have two children that we adopted. We sold all the children I gave birth to because we didn’t like them. We didn’t have money until my husband George found Nissan and I got to be an employee at the zoo. I live in MarinaWorld Castle and I am the Queen. ‘Bye!

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