Are you a Floridian?

(As mentioned the other day, I will be re-releasing some articles from the first few months of the HSMAI-South Florida Blog which was prior to our being "linked" by our various social media. This article was originally posted on September 25, 2007.)

At what point do you stop saying, “Well, I was originally from _____”?
Let’s face it, most of the people living and working here were born somewhere else and moved to Florida. I should tell you, however, that my husband is one of the few people “of a certain age” that I know to be born here. In fact, he was born in Opa-locka on an airbase – the same base from which Amelia Earhart departed on her last flight.

But back to my main point, do you consider yourself a Floridian? And really, at what point do you stop saying you were born in (fill in the town name), and moved here in (fill in the year) from (fill in the city name)? At what point do you start rooting for the local sports teams and not your “former” one?

The other part of this question is: “So, how did you come to move to Florida?”And that’s when it really gets interesting… I’ve been asking this question the last few days. One person said she came here because she followed a guy she liked; One person said she ran away from home with her seven year old son; One person was working for a company and was transferred here; One person moved here to take care of his parents.

I grew up in New England. I came to open a branch of my brother's business. What’s your story? Where did YOU move from? Do you consider yourself a Floridian, yet? And why did you come to Florida as opposed to another state?

Won't you share YOUR story? Best, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider