Culture Shock: Life Outside of South Florida, 1997, by Aaron Kessler-Barci

From MemoryArchive

Who: Aaron Kessler-Barci
What: Road Trip out of South Florida
When: October, 2007
Where: Waterloo, South Carolina

I hadn't left Coral Springs, Florida, a suburb or the greater Ft. Lauderdale area since i was 10 years old. My family was never big on vacations, and so i hadn't gone further than Orlando or Tampa since 1997. Even then i was too young too appreciate a trip i took to the mountains of North Carolina. I didn't understand terms like bible belt, boondocks or backwoods. I grew up in a diverse and populated area, where it was not uncommon to hear spanish in the supermarket, creole in the gas station, or the incessant nagging of a jewish woman complaining to her husband about getting new drapes. I figured all of America was as diverse as South Florida by now.

My best friend came back home on leave from his naval base in Brunswick, Maine. His mom had sold her house on the water in Ft. lauderdale, and bought a nice piece of land on a lake in South Carolina. We decided to take a road trip to visit, and check out the house. I was excited to finally take a nice vacation and find out what some of the other places around the nation had to offer.

We left on a friday, and made our way through Florida and into Georgia. It was nice to see the falling gas prices, and escape from the insane humidity. As we made our way further north, i noticed more and more rivers, and tall trees, and signs to watch out for ice before bridges. This was all new to me, especially from the drivers point of view. We crossed into South Carolina and headed north, then west. The roads gained more and more elevation and you could see more and more of the hills as you crossed over each growing crest. I felt as though our vehichle would take flight. Everything in florida is flat. The only hills we see are garbage dumps and overpasses. The beauty of the state overwhelmed me.

As night fell we made our way into Waterloo, a town of 500, it was clear that we were no longer in the big city. Town was 30 minutes out and people chopped their own wood. These were no Temples, or street lights and everyone asks how you are. Local stores have signs outside that display proudly, their acceptance of credit cards. it truly is a different world beyond the busy streets of south florida.