Traveling has always been a passion of mine since I was a young girl. Growing up a military child, I moved around quite often and even more than that, I was fortunate enough to take vacations to distant locations that most people dream of visiting like Dubai and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. In all of that time, I’ve developed the habit of personifying place and writing “love letters” to each. I recently got to visit Miami for the second time over spring break. I didn’t rush down south for the same reason that most spring breakers go. My boyfriend is from Miami, so rather than being one of the loud, obnoxious college students who party on the beach all week, I got to learn more about the place that he calls home (while also still being a bit of a tourist).
On my first day, he took me to the beach. I was very persistent about going because I’ve been a beach bum ever since living in Hawaii. He knew the main beaches like South Beach would be overrun with spring break tourists, so instead, he decided to take me to the more remote Crandon Beach. I’m definitely glad we decided on this option, as it was such a beautiful, low-key beach day. There was a little park right before getting onto the sand where some kids were playing basketball, and there was a small bar off to the side that sold drinks, snacks and frozen lemonade. We also saw quite a few large iguanas hanging out under the trees leading up to the beach, which was uncommon and pretty cool, even though I personally don’t like reptiles that much. The beach itself was so nice.
There weren’t too many people there, so we had a lot of space to ourselves. The water was beautiful, and in the distance, we watched as a spoonbill took a dive in for a swim too. It wasn’t too hot out on the day we went, so my boyfriend and I spent most of our time relaxing on the sand. We have a tradition of bringing pub subs and fruit for a picnic on our beach dates, so we enjoyed that, then sunbathed for a few hours. I also had the chance to do some leisurely reading (which I feel I never have the chance to do anymore), so I brought along Georgia Pritchett’s book My Mess Is a Bit of a Life. Altogether, it was such a perfect day that I spent falling in love with being lazy and slowing down in my normally hectic life.
On my second and third days in Miami, my boyfriend and I went to visit two different museums. The first was Superblue, which is an immersive art museum. This experience was so exciting, as I’ve never experienced art in a form like this before. One room was based on the seasons and the cycle of life and death. Flowers that were projected on the walls would grow, starting with just a few. At the climax, the room is full of thriving flowers, but then slowly they would all die and leave the room empty again.
Every time the process restarted, it was a new flower and therefore a totally different experience. You could also touch the stem of flowers on the wall, controlling that individual flower’s growth, which I thought was really interesting. Another exhibit was just a room that I can’t explain well with words, but it totally reshaped my views on light and color. The final exhibit was a maze of mirrors, which was actually quite beautiful and reflective of the self. All of these exhibits really caused me to meditate deeper on their meaning and how I perceive life. I felt so in awe and at peace after leaving this museum and definitely recommend it to anyone who visits Miami.
The second museum we visited was the Frost Museum of Science. This was truly such a fun and interesting experience for both my boyfriend and myself. There’s a planetarium where you get to watch different science shows that were really informative, but more relaxing than anything. The aquarium was definitely one of the biggest draws of this museum for me. I loved being able to see the sharks and manta rays through the oculus lens. It made me feel as if I was underwater myself and watching them coexist with all the other fish in there was so beautiful and hypnotizing. There were also fun rooms that were about the science of the body and wellness. It was geared more toward children, but my boyfriend and I still had a lot of fun just messing around with the different activities there.
The top floor of the science museum also had an aviary. I was pretty apprehensive about it at first (because I am low-key terrified of birds), but somehow, my boyfriend convinced me into going in. Though I stood almost completely still the whole time, it was cute seeing the different birds walking around in there. Some were even taking a bath. We finally took some pictures from the rooftop because there was a gorgeous view of the port and the Miami Heat stadium. We spent a total of four hours at this museum and honestly could’ve been there so much longer, so this is definitely a place to go in Miami if you want something fun to do all day.
My last day in Miami was spent having a girls’ day out with my boyfriend’s mom and sister. We went to get mani-pedis together, then stopped to look at this little boutique before heading to our dinner plans with the rest of the family. It was honestly such a sweet experience and made me appreciate them for having that downtime together. Before I had ever been in a relationship, I knew I always wanted to be close to my partner’s family, and that’s exactly how it feels now. I think that is truly the reason why I love visiting Miami so much. His family has always been so kind, welcoming and accepting of me. As a person who always grew up moving and never had my roots in any place, people become the fixture that feels like home. I have a few of these “homes” everywhere, and Miami is starting to feel like one of them.
So ultimately, when I characterize this place, Miami feels like family. It feels like a place that is beautiful and sweet and kind. It’s a place that accepts me, and I love it in return.
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