People ask all the time if I miss Florida. The obvious answer is yes, of course. I miss family, friends, sunshine, beaches... the list is long. However, every now and then I am reminded of something that I didn't realise I even missed.
As I was about to step out the door this morning, the house was suddenly filled with an electric blue glow and there was a rumble in the distance, a thunderstorm! I stood motionless waiting for another bolt of lightning or clap of thunder but that was it. Just one lousy bolt and little rumble and all I had left was torrential wind and spitting rain.
London thunderstorms have nothing on Tampa thunderstorm! Storms terrified me as a child. At the first distant grumble of thunder our golden retriever would make a b line to the bath tub. The curtain would come crashing down and any unexpecting bather would have a surprise guest. However, as an adult I find them strangely soothing. Something about the quiet and calmness between rumblings and the safety of a home in the midst of a storm. Even better (and also missed) are the rainless storms, lightning spidering across a midnight blue sky in the heat and humidity of an August evening... yes, I do miss Florida. The scent of rain in the air, the steam rising from sun drenched blacktop and the feel of rain dampened skin as you dash umbrella less through a storm from car to destination. Lightning and thunder filled nights followed by warm, sunny mornings. Yes, I do miss Florida.
The last three years I thought I hated rain but now I realise I just hate cold, windy, 'I have to wait for the bus in this' rain. For the record, I don't miss the 'can't see the end of your car hood when your driving' rain or the 'I only have 1 day at the beach' rain. It's not all puppy dogs and cotton candy in Florida but it is easy to forget about the things that we couldn't wait to leave behind.
