While it was good to be away and I love MA with every fiber of my being, Orlando is my home and it’s where my heart is.
I didn’t always love Orlando. I was bitter for a long time about leaving. I hated living here throughout middle school and high school. I left as fast as I could, and went as far as I could without looking back. I rarely came back to visit while in undergrad.
It took going to college and living in Tallahassee for 7 years for me to fall in love. To realize what I was missing and what I never say before. When I moved back in 2004 I realized that Orlando WASN’T lame – it was pretty awesome — and here are the top 5 things I LOVE about MY city.
1. I will NEVER run out of things to do. (and those are just the touristy thing!) And people are ALWAYS willing to visit!
There are theme parks. There are regular parks. There are festivals. There are museums and gardens. There are food trucks. There are conventions. Orlando is the furthest thing you will ever get from boring.
2. Orlando truly IS the city beautiful, especially when you’re running around in it. It is green and lush almost every single month of the year. There are 104 (named) lakes and it’s a very clean city.
3. While the weather may suck in August & September (and sometimes in October when it hits 102)– the mild winters make it worth it. Sometimes I could do without it being 80 degrees on Christmas Day – until I watch the news and see everyone freezing their asses off. I’ll take the heat, thank you very much!
4. Orlando is big. We cover a lot of area — and include a lot of surround cities under the definition of Orlando – including Winter Park, Kissimmee (I’d love to hear guesses on how you guys pronounce this), Lake Mary, Altamonte, Longwood, and Windermere. There are areas of this city I’ve NEVER BEEN TO. Some I don’t want to go to, but most I definitely want to explore.
5. My family, my friends, and a lot of awesome bloggers live here! Orlando is generally a very friendly city. We are open minded, have big hearts, and always looking to make a new friend.
I truly believe that HOME is where YOU make it, but if I was going to choose ANYWHERE to live? It would be Orlando (and maybe somewhere in North Carolina, if everyone else moved with me). Good thing I’m already here!
What do you love about YOUR city?
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
Yey! You’re representing for us Orlando folks very well with this post!
I’m on my way to check out your “things to do” post for when I get back up there 😀
When do you come back? That’s a great think for places to go and things to do for sure 🙂
In about 2 weeks I’ll be heading back up 🙂
Yay, I love Orlando too! I love the variety of restaurants, the theme parks during the holiday seasons, the new Amway and the weather (most of the time…). Things I DON’t love about Orlando? The bugs! Ewww.
My feelings on Orlando were EXACTLY the same as yours when we moved from Boston. I was only in 4th grade, but I was SO bitter. From that time, most of the way through high school, I always told my parents I would go back as soon as I was an adult. But then I met Tadd and didn’t want to leave him to go away for college and I had a full ride to UCF, so I stayed.
And then sometime between college and now Orlando got cool. I really believe that it WAS a lame city back when I still hated it, but it’s in the process of growing into its own right now, and it’s kind of exciting being here while it’s all happening. There are funky neighborhoods sprouting up, and interesting restaurants, and cool events going on everywhere. I have rediscovered the theme parks, and on top of that, there are a large number of interesting day trips within an hour or two when we are in the mood for something completely different.
I think it was right about the time we bought our house that it suddenly dawned on me that I love living here. I will never love the way-too-long summer season, but if you took that away, it would be utterly perfect. So over the past couple of years I have really embraced it. I still love traveling and seeing other places, but Orlando is definitely my home.
Loved this post! 🙂
It so funny we experienced the same thing — coming from the same place! Peabody really is such a great little city and so close to a great big city – it was hard to go from having SO much culture to…Orlando. Where we had Disney.
The ONLY perk about it being so hot here all the time is that we ALL central heat/air. My family? Not so much. Only my cousin (who just moved into her house in March) has A/C. I’m just glad it wasn’t 105 degrees when we were up there!
Woot woot O-Town! I’ve enjoyed living here the past few yars & there’s always something to do, it’s a great little city.
Love this post. I always had a good time, when I visited Orlando.
Austin is very similar. Friendly people, festivals, good food, active, clean – the only difference, no 102 degrees here, closer to 107. That part I have not adjusted to yet.
Carly
Today is supposed to be 110 here. Yay!
I’ve heard awesome things about Austin – it’s on my list of places to visit for sure!!
LOVE this post. When we moved here 8 years ago, it wasn’t by choice (for me at least). But slowly, year by year, the City Beautiful has definitely grown on me. In fact, there was a time a couple years ago where we started flirting with the idea of moving back to our beloved Washington, D.C., where most of our best friends still live, and I was surprised by how much I actually wanted to stay in Orlando. I spent years dreaming of moving back to DC but when it came down to it — I didn’t want to go! It was a real turning point for me. Now, we just love the fact that we’re building roots in a city that belong to just us — we’re here on our own and finding our own way for our little family.
Besides, how many other cities had an awesome boy band named after them? O-Town forever!
Too funny — this morning I thought – MAN I should have posted a picture of the band O-town. Ha ha.
So glad you are building your roots here!! I really think this place has a long way and has the potential for even more.
I never realized how huge of a city Orlando is until we visited for a wedding. We stayed in Disney, and had to drop my bf off at a basketball game. It was NOT close! I do wish I had went to other areas in Orlando when I lived in Florida. Since I’ve started reading blogs I’ve realized there is SO much I had missed out on!
After surviving the brutal winters in New Jersey for many, many years and dealing with the hurricanes & old people in South Florida, I really have come to love Austin. The only place I can imagine leaving this city for would be San Diego. We have friends out there, and the weather is much more conducive for running 🙂
Yes, while Jacksonville is the biggest city in Florida (I think in the US?), Orlando is definitely a lot bigger than people think. And just think — 30 years ago it was all orange groves!
I’ve heard only awesome things about Austin (except that it’s really dry there right now – the rain is all here in Orlando!). I have yet to go visit San Diego. I have a fear I will love it so much that I won’t want to come back 🙂
Hi Michelle, first time posting here 🙂
You know what? I’ve lived in Orlando all my life – 23 years – and recently I’ve been thinking/dreaming of other places I’d like to live. Just for a change – Colorado, North Carolina (too!), Cali, etc. But reading this post reminded me a few reasons I love Orlando and at this point in my life, I’m content being here. Thanks for giving me a fresh look on my lovely city! 🙂
Happy Running,
Danielle
Yay for local bloggers!! Yes, every now and thing I think about how awesome it would be to live in San Diego or In the mountains — but then there’s just so much to keep me here. That’s why finding time to travel is so necessary!
The more I read about Orlando, the more it sounds like a great place to live!! I’ve been to Disney a few times, but never ventured outside of the park. Maybe I need to do that sometime.
I’ll consider Columbus my home (even though I’m currently in TX) and this is what I love about Columbus, Ohio: amazing fall weather with beautiful changing trees, 4 seasons, the BEST college sports team (go Buckeyes) and amazing OSU school spirit, an awesome and ever growing young population, many metro parks, great local that makes it easy to take road trips to places like Canada, the north east, and the beach, and great midwestern culture!
Most people don’t realize how different “Orlando” is from Disney/Universal. It’s shocks them because it’s like a completely different world. I gladly embrace both 🙂
I have a friend from Colombus (now living in Sarasota) that says the same things! Except I beg to differ on the college football team 🙂 (Go Noles!)
Love this post! This represents all of the reasons why I moved back here.
So glad you came back!
I seriously love Houston. Of course I’m one of those people that pretty much loves any place that I live. I loved Virginia Beach and Atlanta… okay, not so much Corpus Christi… bleck!
We hope to be able to enjoy Florida sometime shortly… I’m crossing my fingers for a Disney trip in the spring!!
I love Orlando. There is such a thriving and growing community here. The local movement is exploding with farmers markets, co-ops and there is even a local butcher opening. This is the only place I’ve lived in Florida that is so community based. I can go in to my favorite coffee shop, record store, market, bookstore, pub, etc., and see people I know, who know me and can have a conversation about anything. I love it here and it just keeps getting better!
Yes to all of this!!