Tracy's World » Florida

My New Life – Part 1

Tracy Matlack — Sat, 08 May 2010 15:14:37 +0000

I went back today and read one of my very first posts, “A New Lease on Life”. So many things have changed in my life over the past month that I have allowed myself to become somewhat overwhelmed and even a little bit afraid. Let me explain…

Upon returning home from spring break in Destin, Florida, my fifteen year old daughter Haley announced that she wanted to move to Destin. It has been my secret desire to make the move, however I was committed to staying in the north Georgia mountains for two more years until she graduated high school. But now, my plans have changed.

As I write this post, I am in Destin, mentally digesting all that has happened in just one day. I began Friday morning with an interview for a teaching position at Choctawhatchee High School. It went very well and I am hopeful that I will be offered a position. From there, I picked up Haley and we visited the Niceville High School for a tour. This is the school Haley will be attending next school year. Her current high school enrolls about 750 students. Niceville enrolls almost 2,000! Haley was a little intimidated but I believe she is exited about the vast opportunities that this school offers. She is talking about joining soccer, tennis, softball and weightlifting.

Next stop was the bank. I opened accounts for all of us, now we just need some money! We also got a cashier’s check for a deposit on the townhouse we will be living in. Which was our next stop; our new home. We have rented a large three bedroom townhouse in a beautiful subdivision of Bluewater Bay.

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is my new summer job as a Field Archaeologist. I will be digging holes in the woods of Eglin Airforce Base looking for artifacts and watching out for snakes! My glamorous ideas of archaeology have quickly been squelched by the reality of walking through the forest carrying a machete and going to the bathroom in the bushes!

Quoting my old post, “We must travel through life with open minds, soaking up all that is around us and allow ourselves to live the life that is before us with excitement and expectation.”

Hot Spots for Spring Break 2010

Tracy Matlack — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:30:31 +0000

Spring break is fast approaching, do you know where you are going? Below are a few destinations you may want to consider if you are still wondering what beach to play on this year.

South Padre Island
Home of the “Two Nation Vacation,” South Padre Island, Texas is located on the tip of the longest barrier island in the United States. It is rated as one of the “Top Ten Beaches” in the world, making it one of the hottest Spring Break destinations. South Padre offers lots of beach side activities each year during Spring Break. The fact that it is only 30 minutes away from Mexico is why it is called the Two Nation Vacation.”

You will find windsurfing, sailing and a host of other water sports on Laguna Madre Bay to the west. You can relax on the white sandy beach on the Gulf of Mexico to the east. You can explore the Padre Island National Seashore to the north. And last but not least, you can be in Mexico in a matter of minutes.

Panama City Beach
Panama City has long been a popular destination for spring break. Located on the Florida panhandle, Panama City Beach has over 27 miles of dazzlingly-white beaches and emerald green waters. Don’t expect to do any surfing because the Gulf of Mexico water is pretty flat. But, you can rent jet skies, sailboats and you can para sail from one of the vendors just off beach property. See some oddities at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum, float the lazy river at Shipwreck Island Water Park or get lost in the Grand Maze at Coconut Creek. You can take a sightseeing trip, an air boat ride or a helicopter tour – there are so many things to do in Panama City.

South Beach
South Beach is an up and coming spring break location. When the sun goes down, the neon lights go on and South Beach heats up.

This historic Art Deco District of is well known for it’s chic sidewalk cafes, and trendy restaurants. A favorite destination of those escaping New York in winter, South Beach, has always been popular with models, movie stars, and musicians. During the day enjoy Miami’s beautiful sun drenched beaches. You can lie peacefully in the sun, and work on your tan until the sun sets, then you can hit the clubs! This city never sleeps! South Beach is famously filled with energy, nightlife options, celebrity sightings and beautiful people. If these are the things that would best take you away from your current situation, providing you with the kind of vacation you need to calm you down and loosen you up, there’s no place like South Beach.

Cancun
Cancun is an astonishingly gorgeous paradise that has grown in popularity to become the top international spring break destination. Some people are happy to do nothing more during spring break than enjoy the phenomenal beaches and water, soaking up the sun after a long winter, frequenting beach side bars and pool-side parties.

Others may choose to take a day trip to the ancient Mayan ruins at Tulum or the Temple of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza, or take a cruise from Cancun to the waters off of Cozumel. The Great Mesoamerican Reef also offers exceptional snorkeling opportunities for those who don’t want to go too deep. In Puerto Morelos (23 miles south of Cancœn) this reef hugs the coastline for 9 miles. It is second largest coral reef in the world. Go snorkeling or scuba diving and explore the largest dive site in the Western Hemisphere.

Negril
Kick back and enjoy the best and longest stretch of Jamaica’s famous Seven-Mile beach and experience the very chic and slightly playful side of Negril. View the many waterfalls that give it that unspoiled island feeling. This is why spring breakers come back to Negril again and again.

Negril is a clothing optional beach dotted with small beachfront hotels, thatched roof bars and restaurants overlooking the water. Once you have arrived at your hotel, you can relax on the beach, or go on an island adventure climbing one of the many waterfalls or jumping from the 45 foot cliffs at the Pickled Parrot. Water sports activities abound. If you are into sailing, you can go windsurfing, Sunfish sailing, or take a daylong sailing trip to Bloody Bay where you’ll enjoy basking in the sun, snorkeling, and partying on your own private beach! Ocean Kayaking and Jungle River Rafting worth exploring!

Beware The Sleestak

Tracy Matlack — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:47:50 +0000

If you are around my age, you’ll remember the series that came on Saturday mornings called “The Land of the Lost.” If so, a smile is probably spreading across your face as you remember all the characters; Rick, Will and Holly Marshall, Cha-Ka the Pakuni, and of course the Sleestak. The Sleestak were the green, scaly skinned reptile-like creatures that were always harassing the Marshall family.

With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine, Carlos Caballo. The following is a humorous anecdote about a day in his life. I just had to share with you and hope that it makes you laugh like it did me.

BEWARE THE SLEESTAK

Just got back from Georgia with my washer and dryer machines. Sounds
like a normal trip, right? Oh, no-things got weird from the very
beginning. Stopped in Shalimar on the way, was filling the Ranger with
Dinosaur Jizz, when this drunk dude comes wobbling up on his bicycle andruns it into the side of my truck! I stepped around, ready to kick some ass, but the dude’s ass has already been kicked. Seriously. Here’s a wrecked bicycle and an even more wrecked guy with a black eye, a busted nose and a fat lip. Somebody had beat me to it.

Call me soft, but I just cain’t kick a man when he’s already down. So I
said something to the effect of “Why don’t you watch whar the hell yer
goin”? and he opened one eye and said, “I was going to Crestview”.
Now, Shalimar is a long way from Crestview, so against my better
judgement, I threw his bike in the back of my truck and gave him a ride
up to CrestTucky. I had to go that way anyhow to get to Georgia.

Damn,it was an interesting study of the human condition. This guy wasn’t “a little bit eccentric” and he wasn’t “local color”- Oh No, he was a specimen of the FULL-BLOWN BURNT-OUT NORTH FLORIDA SLEESTAK.

His Daddy was some kind of War Hero, pilot in the Hair Force, and he
(the Sleestak) was your typical Miltary Brat. He was entertaining, but by the time I dropped him off in Crestview, I was gladto be shot of him. BEWARE THE SLEESTAK- Don’t give them rides, that’s my advice.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lihin6i3aQQ

Snow, again?

Tracy Matlack — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:43:03 +0000

I am looking out of the window of my office right now and I see big fluffy flakes of snow falling from the sky…lots of them! It is a beautiful sight as long as I am inside looking out. However, this beach-loving girl gets the shivers at the thought of walking outside to my car.

I lived in northern Michigan for seventeen years. In Cadillac, the winters are very long and the summers are way too short. Living there while in high school was okay because I was involved in downhill skiing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and ice fishing. But as I grew older, the snow just wasn’t quite as fun.

When my children were young it was a chore to dress them in their winter suits so they could play outside. The poor kids were so bundled up they could hardly walk. When they fell over, they couldn’t get up by themselves. They looked like little penguins waddling around in the yard.

I can remember the day I decided I was leaving Michigan for good. It had reached below zero several nights in a row and the night before my decision, we had freezing rain. I woke up early and headed out to my car to go to work. I was bundled up in all the gear, had my purse in one hand and an apple for snack in the other. I slipped on a patch of ice on the sidewalk and my feet flew from under me. I dropped my purse and I could see my apple soaring through the air as I hit the ground on my back. I stood up furious and shouted out loud, “I am moving to Florida!!!” And, that is exactly what I did.

I lived in Florida about eight years and it was wonderful. I lived on gorgeous, Amelia Island and it did get cold for a few days in the winter, but I could handle it after all I went through in Michigan. My days were spent in the glorious sunshine with the roar of the ocean in my ears.

When I moved to north Georgia, never did I think I would have to suffer through snow again. I know, we only get about two inches at most, but temperatures still fall into the low teens and the wind chills your bones. Being cold is really one of the only things that makes me really mad, immediately. I would rather be hot and sweaty any day.

So, I am planning to move back to Florida one of these days. Destin, Florida’s Emerald Coast is where I will go. Lying on the White sandy beaches and swimming in the beautiful blue water is how I picture the rest of my life. Walking along the shore watching the pelicans dive and the dolphins play sounds like paradise to me.