Greetings. I just got back from Florida a few days ago and feel like the last two weeks have been a dream. While I was there for a short while, my initial feelings upon returning was that I didn’t have enough. I attempted to tackle this holiday with the determination of cycling as far as I could to see as much as possible, always with the view of the more you put in, the more you take away. Memories, sunrises, and experiences are the things I collect and treasure the most, no matter how little sleep I get. The great thing about Florida is that it is full of so many surprises and this trip I didn’t want to waste laying by the pool.
Last year I shared with you my first experience of biking in Florida. I was surprised at first sight and found myself to be continually impressed. There is always a new route, a new trail, a new view and lush parks and beaches to drink in. When settling in this year, I was looking forward to getting back into the routine of living in endless summer: biking off road, walking the beach, swimming the ocean, running trails, lunch on the terrace, happy hour with friends, dinner with family, and dancing. Florida has the effect of putting me in a deep relaxed state of mind and body that it gets hard to leave.
This trip, I didn’t want to miss out. I knew that if I wanted to experience the part of Florida I was in, I would have to do so on bike. I knew from our first time here that there were many rentals from the resort to the bike shop down the road from us that we would have an assortment of specific riding bikes from beach cruisers, mountain, and road bikes to choose from. Since we were near so many parks, I often opted for a mountain bike. If I learned anything from last year, it’s that mountain biking in Florida is great, everyone does it and loves it.
There is something great about cycling in a place so tropical. It’s almost a feast of the senses. It’s bewilderingly humid, breezy with the smell of sea air, with endless palm trees and beaches bordering the Atlantic coastline. In my final evening, I cycled to the beginning of one of my favorite nearby beaches and caught the most beautiful sunset I have seen. The water and sky was bathed in a purple hue, as the sun slowly sunk into the horizon opposite, lighting up the sky with intense shades of orange and pink. It was in that moment that I appreciated Florida. I watched the waves lap against one another, listening to their gentle sounds on the shore. It felt as though I had the whole sea to myself that I let myself get completely lost in the moment, reminding me why I travel and cycle to experience this.
To see more of my trip to Florida, scroll along my Instagram gallery here.