Make Way For Ducklings?

Am I imprinted like a duckling on my native area? Growing up in Naples, I knew the sun rose in the east over the Everglades and set in the west over the Gulf. Gorgeous sunsets were the norm.

Although we felt we lived far from the beach, after all it was 12 blocks, I was oriented by water and what was then wilderness. East: dry, west: wet. I remember how surprised I was when I moved to Fort Lauderdale as a young adult, and the Atlantic Ocean was on what seemed like the wrong side. More than once I took a wrong turn until I absorbed my new location.

Even after 40 years, I like sunsets at a gulf beach more than sunrises at the ocean. I prefer going to the beach in the morning, which I did all this past week with my girlfriend, her daughter and grandchild, plus my granddaughter. However, we were at Villano Beach, just north of St Augustine, on the Atlantic.

Villano Beach  

This wide, east-facing beach is her stomping ground, the beach she imprinted on when she lived in the area as a young child. My friend prefers to go the beach in the late afternoon, when the sun would be to our backs. With the 2 children, that wasn't possible. The first thing they said every morning was, "When are we going to the beach?"

Finding Shade In the Morning Sun  

We would attempt to leave the house by 9:00 when the sun wasn't too hot, and my little cabana gave me some shade. The sun shone on the water, getting brighter, rather than becoming less intense. The day got hotter and hotter. After a couple of hours of their bobbing in the waves, we would drag the children ashore.

Even on these calm days, the Atlantic is rougher than I prefer. It's not a place to swim, and the waves knocked me around more than my knees liked. It was also noticeable colder than the water down at Key B. The wide beaches are good places to drive. They are not good places to look for shells.

On the plus side, there is the ocean. I like the wide view, the constant movement of the water, and the sunlight. I have been imprinted on open horizons and clouds. The flatness of Florida means we can see from horizon to horizon most everywhere. When I'm in the mountains or amid the skyscrapers of big cities I am less comfortable. I enjoy them, but I'm not at home.

I know the Florida skies and what to expect from the weather. When my daughter moved to San Diego, she called me and said, "they think it's raining", when there was such a light drizzle she hadn't bothered to take out her umbrella. Today, it is pouring here, and I know, without looking at the weather app, that today is an all-day rain, rather than a heavy shower that will pass in the next few minutes.

All of this brings me to wonder how much change could I enjoy and how quickly could I adapt to another climate.