Learning How to be an Adult in Orlando

Being Grateful for Orlando

When I was younger, most of my vacations revolved around going to Orlando. For cruises, and for theme parks. As a Floridian with parents that worked in the school system with summers off it made sense to go on vacation a few hours south of where we lived. I lived in a smaller town, every time I went out in high school, I would see someone I knew. Now, each time I go back home, I see someone I know. I just never really thought I would live my whole life there. My parents figured the same, that I would leave right out of high school to go to college. To my mom’s delight, that never happened. I stayed there for five more years. COVID happened, a massive hurricane wrecked our small town, and I helped with cleaning up my grandfather’s rental properties/main property. This period was just a state of limbo. The college was closed, it just threw a wrench in everyone’s life. I was hitting a solid stride in studies, and personally before that came. Earlier that year my grandpa died, and my dog of 13 years passed away as well. 2018 wasn’t fun. 2019 was a blur. Nothing happened, and it ZOOMED by. Then it was 2020. We were on the last cruise before the shutdown. Fun stuff. School hit a rough patch again. Hurricane Michael delayed me for a year to graduate with my associates but now I got hit hard once again. I went to work for the Post Office around this time. That was an interesting job. I was introduced to a rather difficult work environment. People were a little mean to each other. It was a high stress job. Always a clock counting down on you. I don’t think I ever got a chance to have a lunch break. Sometimes I had to pee in bottles. I worked hard in that job. Coming in 6/7 days a week, my off day was never planned. It was a crazy time. I started my love for finance during this time.

Long background paragraph out of the way. One of my good buddies from middle and elementary school passed away in a car accident. It really shocked me into maybe trying something new. A couple of months later, a good friend from high school posted on Facebook looking for a roommate in Orlando. My mom actually told me about that, and I jumped at the opportunity. I was doing nothing in my life anyway and I was 22 years old.

Two months before my 23rd birthday I packed up the U-Haul and moved to Orlando. In an apartment in a not great neighborhood but I was so excited to start my life that I didn’t care. I remember that first Walmart trip, I was naïve and VERY MUCH in the bad neighborhood of Orlando. You live and you learn. I lived in a very structured household my whole life so when I had freedom, it was hard to find a rhythm. I had some rough days during that time. Once I had a job and went to theme parks day after day the rough days disappeared. I was doing what I wanted to do. I was able to go to every theme park event. I was able to visit all of the big three theme parks in Orlando whenever I wanted. I got free tickets and discounted hotels for my friends and family. It was nice. I was so busy enjoying everything and being by myself that I didn’t really put much time into a love life. I went on a couple of dates before I met the one, I wanted to put effort into. She even got me away from my scary apartment complex that had gotten worse and worse. Three years later we have an apartment together and within the next couple of months we will have a house and a dog together. She is the best person I have ever met, a great counterbalance for me. The perfect person to spend life with. Also, a big theme park fan. And as a Central Florida native, I would’ve never met her if I didn’t take that jump.

I have been able to see some pretty cool things over the years. I got to ride on the Utopia of the Seas when it was a few months old. I will get to visit Disney’s new private island soon. I have been able to ride so many brand-new attractions as one of the first to ride. I have been able to stay at many hotels, been to every Halloween Horror Nights, visited Mardi Gras concerts multiple times. Ran a marathon. Been to many Orlando sports team games, been to other concerts within the city. Also, the entire reason I am talking about grateful for Orlando, is that I got to visit Universal’s brand new theme park for previews. I have been one of the first to ride all the attractions and that has me feeling very blessed. I also get the opportunity to take my brother to it this weekend. And that is just in Orlando. I have also been on several cruises. I think I have been on close to ten cruises since 2022. It is something I love to do, and I have access to last minute cruise deals. Sadly, now, I have to use my adult money. I have been to several concerts in the surrounding area, and also many sports games there. A couple of short trips to St. Augustine and attempted to surf on the East coast. I have also been to a family day at the Kennedy Space Center where I got a sneak peek inside NASA buildings.

I have also been able to learn more about myself. How I work, how I rest, what I like doing, what I don’t like doing. How to live with anxiety. How not to live with anxiety. How good of a driver I am. How much I love alone time. How much I love to exercise and what I love doing for exercise. How my metabolism slowed down on me. How I can’t eat the crazy amounts of food I used to. How to be consistent. I also learned that I like helping the younger version of me like kids in college, I get to help them in class as I am the only ones prepared. When everything is taken care of for you, you don’t really learn these skills. I am still far way off of being the best person I can possibly be, but I am working on it MOST days.

 I have had so many experiences that I don’t think I ever would have had in Panama City, Florida. I love my hometown; I love my people that are still in it. But I am forever grateful for Orlando and my people in it as well. I have found a home in Florida, and I don’t think I ever want to leave Central Florida. Great Florida climate, a beautiful beach on both coasts, more job opportunities, more experiences to have. I just have to dodge the traffic.