We just came back from a fun vacation in Florida.
My travels started a little earlier as I got to attend the NYC Marathon for work and spent a few days in Manhattan. I was incredibly by all of the energy around the race, the people running it and the city cheering runners on. The day after the race I ran 10 miles because I was so hyped by what I saw. I am going to try training for longer runs to see if I can run a marathon one day.
I met you, Mom and Matteo in the Miami airport where our flights arrived. Matteo gave me the classic “run up” from the gate to give me a big hug. You and Mom were more casual, but I still think that you missed me as much. We took a Lyft to our Airbnb at Bay Harbor Islands where we spend the first few nights our trip. The condo was huge and had a nice little pool on the roof. We spent the days walking around the Jewish community and its shops. I think the highlight for you and Matteo was playing in the choppy surf at the beach.
I should mention that our flight date to Miami was Election Day, and we learned the next morning that Donald Trump will be our next president again. There was a stark contrast that I saw between the pre-election days in New York with a lot of Kamala Harris support and the MAGA celebration we saw around Miami. We saw people from all walks of life supporting Trump, which says a lot about how politics are shaped geographically as much as anything. That was illustrated by the group of Jewish teenage boys we saw at the ice cream shop with their rabbi, all wearing Trump hats as well as the young Latina women we saw shopping with similar red headwear.
We rented a car to drive to the Florida Keys for a long weekend. We drove the few hours down the keys to Tranquility Bay at Marathon. The Keys were more of a stripmall highway than I expected, but our resort was a slice of paradise. We stayed in a nice townhouse across from a huge pool, and had our own sheltered lagoon. The weather was perfect as was the pool temperature. We ate greate seafood at a couple of local restaurants, including one where we saw nurse sharks eating leftovers from the kitchen.
A highlight of the entire trip was a morning at Sombrero Beach. We heard from other visitors it was their favorite becah at the Keys, so we felt lucky it was nearby. The sand and water were perfect. We all swam and dove for shells, trying to find small treasures. An older gentleman was doing the same and gave us a good size conch shell that we brought home.
We drove one day down to famous Key West on probably the hottest day and cooled off in the shops and eating ice cream — and of course Cuban iced coffees for me and your Mom. I got to see Harry Truman’s Little Whie House and we coincidentally got to watch an off-shore boat racing competition when we got to the waterfront. Choppers were flying low behind the lead pack and flew past us on their 4-mile laps. That was a jam-packed today and a nice contrast to the slow pool days we gave oursleves most of the trip.
I have to give you credit for playing really well with us the whole trip. You made quick friends your age in the pool and played catch with me, Mom and Matteo to pass the time. Of course, you were deep into a book whenever you had the chance. I think you got the break that you also needed.
Our trip ended back in Miami for catalyst of this whole trip, which was a Reuters conference I spoke at for work. We stayed where the conference was, at the downtown Miami Hilton, which again gave us a pool option (your third pool!). The first night there, we took a car to Little Havana and ate some amazing Cuban food. A band started playing toward the end of our meal, and they were a little too loud for you. I loved the music but you covered your ears for the most part. That probably has less to do with what you think of the music and more the respective volume our ears can take.
Once the conference started, I was in the hotel ballrooms and you, Mom and Matteo took off for Miami Beach. Of course, I only heard about the beach second-hand but I know that you had a blast again playing in the waves. You had such a good time that when I saw you later in the day, you gave me a scowl face because you were disappointed that I didn’t go with you. Don’t worry about me. Kids should have more playtime anyway.
I’m not sure when we’ll be in Florida next because of the long flight time (6 hours!) compared to other destinations but I am thankful for the itinerary and the places that we got to enjoy. Most of all, I am grateful for our family time.
Love, Dad