I’m from a little retirement community in Florida called Naples. It’s not the most (actually the least) exciting place to grow up in but definitely a tourist’s (snowbird’s) paradise. The sun always seems to be shining, every palm tree looks symmetrical and every lawn looks manicured. In the summer the air smells like humidity and mildew but winters are the bright and salty getaways that everyone dreams of. Growing up, there were many things I took for granted such as an in-ground pool attached to the house, the ten minute drive to the beach, the magnificent sunsets at said beach, the slow pace of the town, the pristine condition of cars year round, anything from the deli and/or bakery at Publix, etc. But most importantly, I never realized my incredible dependency on Floridian sunshine. It’s easy to overlook when you wake up to a blue sky every morning but there’s nothing like a perma-gray sky during a Canadian winter to jog your memory! Here’s some photo inspo of the place I call home.

No matter where in this world life takes me, I will always be proud to call this little piece of paradise home base.